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B+History
History · Wilmington

Wilmington dates to 1836, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 72% of U.S. towns · #252 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it

Most of Wilmington was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1972. Its Register listings are the Eagle Hotel and the Small-Towle House. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1892 on, and the census since 1870.

1836founded
2on the National Register
10%homes built before 1940
6old photos & papers
7famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Wilmington’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Wilmington began

When was Wilmington founded?

1836

Wilmington dates its founding to 1836 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1870.

First census: 1,828 in 18702020 census: 5,664190 years

How historic is Wilmington?

B+

More historic than 72% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1837.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Wilmington’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Wilmington is more historic than 72% of U.S. towns, #252 of 768 in Illinois. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Wilmington’s overall grade.
Founding era1836, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19409.9% of homes (±3.2) · typical IL town 10.6% · U.S. 8.4%B−National Register2 listings, 3.6 per 10,000 residents · typical IL town 0.5 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 72%
NewerOlder
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 67%

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 Wilmington’s 3.6 sits above most of its state (72% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.2 points). Two sources give 1836.

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 Wilmington’s past

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

On the map since 18925 editions of the USGS map, 1892 to 1993. Watch Wilmington change.Mapped building by building3 fire insurance maps, 1892 to 1907, drew every building in Wilmington.Deep rootsEstablished in 1836: 190 years of Wilmington.
★ What stands out · On the map

Wilmington on the map, 1892 to 1993

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

Wilmington on the 1892 USGS mapWilmington on the 1918 USGS mapWilmington on the 1954 USGS mapWilmington on the 1973 USGS mapWilmington on the 1993 USGS map1892Wilmington 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 Wilmington.

Every building

Wilmington, building by building, 1892–1907

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.

Wilmington fire insurance map, 1892, sheet 11892Sheet 1 of 4
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Wilmington, 1836 to 1995

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1836
    FoundingWilmington is established
  3. 1837Post officeThe Wilmington post office opens
  4. 1838BuiltEagle Hotel is built
  5. 1867Born hereRuth Randall Edström is born here
  6. 1875Born hereJohn J. Feely is born here
  7. 1892On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 20th century
  9. 1900In the archiveRobson's Bridge
  10. 1986Born hereTanner Roark is born here
  11. 1995Born hereKiiara is born here
The story

How Wilmington came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Wilmington.

Read it all →

Before European settlers arrived, much of Illinois was inhabited by the Illinois Confederation, a coalition of related Native American tribes. Unlike today’s fixed borders, tribal territories often overlapped, with members from various groups sometimes living together in the same village. The Illiniwek, meaning ‘men’ in the Algonquian language, formed an alliance with the French, who adapted their name to the present-day ‘Illinois.’ The Illini Confederation’s territory extended from Iowa in the west to the Ohio River in the south, and approximately to the current borders with Indiana in the east and Wisconsin in the north. Their alliance with the French ultimately contributed to their decline, as the French lost control of the land to the British following the French and Indian War. The Miami tribe also inhabited northeastern Illinois. Other tribal names familiar to Illinois residents i…

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Wilmington in 1878

Passages that mention Wilmington, cut from the printed page as they were published.

THOMAS S. McINTOSH, dealer in paints, oils, varnish, glass, brushes, wall paper, etc., Wilmington, 111. ; born in Wilmington, Will Co., 111., Aug. 25, 1841 ; his father, Daniel Mcintosh, who was a native of Scotland, was among the first settlers of Wilmington, locating here in the winter of 1836 an…
The history of Will County, Illinois, containing a history of the county ... a directory of its real estate owners1878 · page 807Read the page →
Read the text

THOMAS S. McINTOSH, dealer in paints, oils, varnish, glass, brushes, wall paper, etc., Wilmington, 111. ; born in Wilmington, Will Co., 111., Aug. 25, 1841 ; his father, Daniel Mcintosh, who was a native of Scotland, was among the first settlers of Wilmington, locating here in the winter of 1836 and 1837. Thomas S. followed

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.

By decade

Wilmington, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1900s6 items
Robson's Bridge1900Robson's BridgeThe Mill pond1900The Mill pondHome for soldiers' widows1900Home for soldiers' widowsKankakee River at Wilmington, Ill's1900Kankakee River at Wilmington, Ill'sOn the island [Island Park]1900On the island [Island Park]Driveway on the island, [Island Park]1900Driveway on the island, [Island Park]
1910s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Robson's Bridge
Retake this viewRobson's Bridge, 1900

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Wilmington’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

2 historic places in Wilmington

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

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1994
Eagle Hotel
Eagle Hotel, built 1838Small-Towle House
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Mid-19th Century1
Upright and Wing1
Eagle HotelMid-19th Century · Built 1838
Small-Towle HouseUpright and Wing

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

People over time

Wilmington, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,5006,00018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 5,724

Between 1,384 and 5,724 people in every census since 1870.

16 censuses, 1870–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Wilmington’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

7 famous people were born in Wilmington

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
K
KiiaraAmerican singer and songwriter · b. 1995
Tanner RoarkAmerican baseball pitcher · b. 1986
Ruth Randall EdströmAmerican activist · b. 1867
John J. FeelyAmerican politician · b. 1875
George CutshawAmerican baseball player · b. 1887
Isaac Arthur AbtAmerican pediatrician and university teacher · b. 1867
Places that used to be

Old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Wilmington’s post office has been open since 1837.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Riverwood EstatesWinchester Estates
Gone or out of use
Brookside SchoolschoolCenter SchoolschoolNorthcrest SchoolschoolPit 1A Northern MineminePit 1B Northern MinemineSoldiers Widows HomebuildingWill Minemine
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Wilmington
Mount OlivetOakwood Protestant

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Wilmington’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewRobson's Bridge: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Lakewood ShoresIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townCuster TownshipIts storyC−Wesley TownshipIts storyC+Wilmington Township2 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townFlorence TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Wilmington’s history

What year was Wilmington founded?

In 1836, according to Wikidata. Wilmington’s post office opened in 1837, and the census of 1870 counted 1,828 people here.

How does Wilmington rank for history?

Wilmington is more historic than 72% of U.S. towns, #252 of 768 in Illinois. 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 Wilmington?

Two places: the Eagle Hotel (listed 1994) and the Small-Towle House (2004).

How old are the homes in Wilmington?

10% of Wilmington’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.2 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1972.

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).

From the Library of Congress (6), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.