Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 91% of U.S. towns. What drives it
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 82 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper from 1827 on and old-book passages.
Dayton dates its founding to 1827 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1831.
More historic than 91% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Dayton is more historic than 91% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 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 Dayton’s 702 sits above most of its state (97% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 82 historic buildings outnumber those of 88% of U.S. towns.
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 →
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 Dayton’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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In the archiveMap of the Surveys of the United States Road Between Columbus & Indianapolis Toegether wi…From Wikipedia’s history of Dayton.
Dayton was known as Fairfield until 1830. The post office at Dayton has been in operation since 1831.
Dayton Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Dayton, cut from the printed page as they were published.
HE Town of Dayton was organized in the year 1835. Up to that time it was a part of the town of Perrysljurg, which includes Dayton, Perrysbiirg, and a considerable part of Persia. In 1835 the law was passed, forming Avhat are now the towns of Dayton and Persia into separate towns the same as they are now. The first townmeeting in the town of Dayton, Avas held at the schoolhouse, standing in the forks of the road near what was then the residence of Col. Ralph Johnson. I have distinct recollections of that town meeting. In order that the electors might
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
At an adjourned meeting of inhabitants of the Towns of Dayton and Persia in the County of Cattaraugus, and the Towns of Cherry Creek and Villenova in the County of Chautauqua held at the inn of Joshua Markham in Dayton, on the 21st day of June 1851, Ralph Johnson, Supervisor of the town of Dayton, was called to the chair, and Caleb B. Crumb, Esq., of Villenova, Yvas appointed Secretary. The proceedings of the previous meeting w ere read, and the chairman stated the objects of the meeting and of the adjournment.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The railroad track on the Dayton & Michigan Railroad, just this side of Troy, was washed away, and travel stopped in that direction. <A bridge on the Dayton & Western Railroad, near New Paris, was destroyed, and five bridges on the Indiana Central, between Piqua and Columbus, also.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
nership with Charles Wuichet in the National Cornice-works, of which firm he is still a member. In August, 1882, he became, and has ever since been, the president of the Dayton Malleable Iron company, one of Dayton’s largest and most important manufacturing concerns.
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.
One decade in the archive so far: the 1820s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1827, according to Wikidata. Dayton’s post office opened in 1831.
Dayton is more historic than 91% 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.
One place: the Dayton Historic District (listed 2003).
19% of Dayton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.6 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1979.
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 (1), Wikipedia, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System 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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