Elmore Township was named for the Elmore family; although they were not the first settlers (they arrived in 1818, two years after the first settlement), they owned land near the township's voting location.
How historic is Elmore Township?
B
More historic than 63% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Elmore Township is more historic than 63% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Elmore Township’s overall grade.
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 Elmore Township’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (22% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±11.7 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Elmore Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Elmore Township was organized on 13 August 1821 from the northern part of Bogard Township. It was named for the Elmore family; although they were not the first settlers (they arrived in 1818, two years after the first settlement), they owned land near the township's voting location. The township's population fluctuated greatly in its early years; many individuals built boats and floated down the White River, while large numbers of people from other states settled in the township. Perhaps the most significant growth occurred in 1825, when at least five Tennessee families and at least one family from Kentucky settled in the township.
Passages that mention Elmore Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Knox and Daviess County, Indiana1886 · page 706Read the page →
Read the text
This village, in Elmore Township, sprang into existence with the completion, in 1885, of the Evansville & Indianapolis Railroad, though a postoffice and two or three stores had been on the site of the new town for several decades of years. The name of the postoffice was Owl Prairie, but the hamlet was called Owltown. Elnora was laid out September 25, 1885, by William C.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Knox and Daviess County, Indiana1886 · page 611Read the page →
Read the text
1832 the clerk's room in the court house was pronounced in too bad a condition for the safety of the records, and the clerk was instructed to secure in the town a suitable office. In May, 1832, all of Elmore Township east of the line dividing Ranges 5 and 6 was set off as a new township, called Wallace. It was the present Madison Township. Elections were ordered held at the house of William Farris. The county library at this time was an important institution. It was extensively patronized.
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
Elmore Township, 1897 to 1943
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 Elmore Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1943Epsom 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 Elmore Township.
Famous people
Famous people close to Elmore Township
Nobody well known was born in Elmore Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Elmore Township is more historic than 63% 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.
How old are the homes in Elmore Township?
37% of Elmore Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±11.7 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1961.
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 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 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.
