Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Photo: Nyttend · Public domainMore historic than 83% of U.S. towns · #207 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 51 buildings. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1892 on, and the census since 1870.
Elwood dates its founding to 1853 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1870.
More historic than 83% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Elwood is more historic than 83% of U.S. towns, #207 of 593 in Indiana. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
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 Elwood’s 61.0 sits above most of its state (77% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 51 historic buildings outnumber those of 85% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Elwood’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.
Peaked at 12,950 in 1900; 8,410 people lived here in 2020.
16 censuses, 1870–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Elwood’s Wikipedia page.
From Wikipedia’s history of Elwood.
Elwood was laid out in 1853 under the name "Duck Creek". It was incorporated as a city in 1891.
A post office was established under the name "Duck Creek" in 1855, was renamed to Elwood in 1869, and has been operating since. The first railroad was constructed in Elwood in 1857.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Elwood, cut from the printed page as they were published.
He first came to Elwood, in 1898, and here was content to accept a position as a laborer, although this was but a means to an end, for from that time he steadily advanced as his ability, industry and faithfulness won him promotion. Becoming bookkeeper and salesman for the Elwood Iron Works Company, in September, 1901, he was made general manager of the concern, a position he continued to hold until July 1, 1910.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
and moving to Tipton county in 1838. Later Mr. Harbit entered laiul from the government, a good part of his farm nov; including the pnsent town of Elwood, and the remainder of his life was passed in clearing; and developing his land and making a home for his family. The childi\,n of Henry and Nancy (Groover) Harbit were: Isaac, James, Samui.-!, William, George, John, Andrew and Nancy. The maternal grandfatht-.'- of Francis M. Harbit was Zimri Brown, v/hose wife was Jane Dollarhide, both natives of Kentucky, and like the Harbits farming people and
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 hereWendell Willkie is born here
Born hereDavid Canary is born here
In the archiveWillkie Notification Ceremony 1940 (cropped1)
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyOne decade in the archive so far: the 1940s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Elwood. 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 Elwood.
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.
1892Sheet 1 of 5Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
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 Elwood’s page.
Retake this view · +15Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Elwood’s post office has been open since 1869. Another post office, Duck Creek, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
In 1853, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Elwood’s post office opened in 1855, and the census of 1870 counted 310 people here.
Elwood is more historic than 83% of U.S. towns, #207 of 593 in Indiana. 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 Elwood Downtown Historic District (listed 2002).
40% of Elwood’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.6 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1950.
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 (5), the Library of Congress (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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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