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History · Viola Township

Viola Township dates to 1861, and 35% of its homes were built before 1940

Its Register listing is the Valencia Court Apartments. Below: maps from 1952 on.

1861founded
1on the National Register
35%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Viola Township began

When was Viola Township founded?

1861

Viola Township dates its founding to 1861 (Wikidata).

2020 census: 312165 years
Founding year: Wikidata.

What stands out about Viola Township’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Viola Township are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Viola Township’s homes were built before 1963.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Viola Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Viola Township’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story so far

Viola Township, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Viola Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Viola Township is located in Lee County, Illinois. As of the 2020 census, its population was 312 and it contained 121 housing units. Viola Township was originally named Stockton Township and was formed from Brooklyn Township on February 12, 1861. The name was changed to Viola Township in September, 1861.

Viola Township was established in 1861. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 351 to 312 (-11%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
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On the map

Viola Township on the map, 1952 to 1993

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Viola Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Viola Township on the 1952 USGS mapViola Township on the 1975 USGS mapViola Township on the 1993 USGS map1952Rochelle sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Viola Township.

On the National Register

1 historic place in Viola Township

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
4
each building in a district counts
first listed
2009
Valencia Court Apartments
Valencia Court Apartments
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Spanish Revival1
Valencia Court ApartmentsSpanish Revival

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Viola Township

Nobody well known was born in Viola Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
J
Joan AllenAmerican actress · b. 1956
Lloyd IngrahamActor, film director · b. 1874
Knute HillAmerican politician · b. 1876
P
Paul R. LawrenceAmerican business theorist · b. 1922
Joanna BakerAmerican linguist and child prodigy · b. 1862
John F. McGeeUnited States federal judge · b. 1861
Places that used to be

Old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Twelvemile Corner
Gone or out of use
Van Campen SchoolschoolWebber Schoolschool
1cemetery inside Viola Township
Fisk

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Brooklyn TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townWillow Creek TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townReynolds TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townLee Center TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Viola Township’s history

What year was Viola Township founded?

In 1861, according to Wikidata.

What is on the National Register in Viola Township?

One place: the Valencia Court Apartments (listed 2009).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From the National Register of Historic Places (1), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.