1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 92 buildings. Below: 24 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1860.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1834.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Warsaw’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Warsaw is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Warsaw’s overall grade.
Few Illinois towns list much on the Register (a typical Illinois town has 0.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Warsaw’s 606 sits above most of its state (99% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 92 historic buildings outnumber those of 89% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.9 points). Two sources give 1814.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Warsaw’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The city of Warsaw began in 1814, when young Major Zachary Taylor founded Fort Johnson on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River across from the mouth of the Des Moines River. Fort Johnson was occupied only for a few weeks before it was burned. In 1815 another military camp, Fort Edwards, was built nearby at a different location. Warsaw became an important fur trading post and one of the earliest American settlements in northern Illinois.
Passages that mention Warsaw, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Hancock County, Illinois, together with an outline history of the State, and a digest of State laws1880 · page 472Read the page →
Read the text
Mary's and Fountain Green, embracing the whole of 5 north, 5 west; and Rock Creek was established from Pilot Grove and Sonora, embracing the whole of 6 north 7 west. Nov. 15, 1855, Wilcox township was established, embracing all of Warsaw township, 4 north 9 west, excepting the city of Warsaw, which is made a separate township. In 1860 Dallas was set off from Pontoosuc, and at a later date, March, 1876, on petition of residents, that portion of Prairie township embraced in sections 13 and 24, the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Hancock County, Illinois, together with an outline history of the State, and a digest of State laws1880 · page 326Read the page →
Read the text
To add to the excitement a Grand Military Encampment was called to be held at Warsaw on the 2d of October. Tliis call was circulated in handbill, and was dated 27th Sept., signed by Col. Williams, Major Aldrich, and a number of officers of independent companies in the neighborhood of Warsaw.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Warsaw, 1814 to 1964
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Warsaw. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1964Warsaw sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Warsaw.
Every building
Warsaw, building by building, 1885–1912
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
In 1814, according to Wikidata. Warsaw’s post office opened in 1834, and the census of 1860 counted 2,896 people here.
How does Warsaw rank for history?
Warsaw is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Warsaw?
One place: the Warsaw Historic District (listed 1977).
How old are the homes in Warsaw?
37% of Warsaw’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.9 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1965.
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).
From Wikimedia Commons (21), the Library of Congress (7), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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