Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 95% of U.S. towns. What drives it
3 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 70 buildings between them. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1870.
The Bourbon post office opened in 1843, the earliest record of the town by name.
More historic than 95% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bourbon is more historic than 95% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age lowest.
Indiana towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Indiana town has 7.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Bourbon’s 398 sits above most of its state (94% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 70 historic buildings outnumber those of 87% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: the first post office (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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Bourbon’s history is told.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
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.
1886Sheet 1 of 2Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
From Wikipedia’s history of Bourbon.
The town of Bourbon was laid out in 1853 when it was certain the railroad would be extended to that point. It took its name from Bourbon Township, which was named after Bourbon County, Kentucky, the former home of many of the early settlers.
The Bourbon Community Building-Gymnasium was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Bourbon, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The town of Bourbon was not regularly laid out as a town until April 23, 1853, thirteen years after the organization of the township, although prior to that time it had grown to be considerable of a village. Naturally enough the town of Bourbon took the name of the township and for the same reason. The original proprietors of the town were Samuel Thomas and J. S. Neidig. Since then the following additions have been made:
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Bourbon County retained its original territory until by act of the Legislature, approved February 13, 1867, entitled, "An Act to define the boundaries of Bourbon, Crawford and Cherokee counties," the boundaries of Bourbon County were defined and described as follows : "SEC. 1. That the boundary of Bourbon County shall commence at the southeast corner of the county of Linn ; thence run south, on the east line of the State
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
In September, 1865, the town of Bourbon was incorporated under the state law authorizing the incorporation of towns and villages for municipal purposes. The first officers elected after the organization took place were as follows: Trustees, Elias Galentine, James H. Porter and Omar Davis; Caleb Davis, marshal; George Sears, clerk and treasurer; Lewis Gross, assessor.
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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereMarjorie Phillips is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Bourbon. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Bourbon.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Bourbon’s page.
Retake this view · +15Between 874 and 1,810 people in every census since 1870.
16 censuses, 1870–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Bourbon’s Wikipedia page.
The Bourbon post office opened in 1843, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Bourbon is more historic than 95% 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.
Three places: the Bourbon Residential Historic District (listed 2017), the Bourbon Commercial Historic District (2017) and the Isaac and Ruth Arnold House (2018).
29% of Bourbon’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.5 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1960.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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.
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2020
2020
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2008