The Eugene Township post office opened in 1826, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Eugene (1826), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
2020 census: 1,714200 years
How historic is Eugene Township?
A−
More historic than 84% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Eugene Township post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Eugene Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Eugene Township is more historic than 84% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Eugene 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 Eugene Township’s 6.5 sits near the middle of its state (57% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% 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 (±8.5 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 →
What stands out about Eugene Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The town was laid out in 1827. Legend says that a local drunk, while searching for his wife, would frequently call out "Oh, Jane", but his inebriation caused it to sound more like "Eu, Jene", and this was taken as the name for the town; the actual source of the name is not known. A post office was established at Eugene in 1826, and remained in operation until 1954.
The town is the subject of several poems in Lantern Gleams from Old Eugene, a collection of poetry by Eugene native Alice Craig Fuller.
Passages that mention Eugene Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Biographical and historical record of Vermillion County, Indiana1888 · page 340Read the page →
Read the text
farm. He learned the tailor's trade in that county. In 1820 he went to Terre Haute, Indiana, where lie worked at his trade some time. After coming to Eugene Township he made farming his principal avocation, in whicli he was eminently successful, accumulating much property. He made his home in Eugene Township until his death, July
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Biographical and historical record of Vermillion County, Indiana1888 · page 278Read the page →
Read the text
the first settlements. While the first settler in the county was John Vannest, in Clinton Townin 1816, Eugene Township was more rapidly settled at the beginning than was Clinton. It was in Eugene Township that the Groenendykes, Thompsons, Por-
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
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Eugene Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1955Newport 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 Eugene Township.
On the National Register
1 historic place in Eugene Township
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
The Eugene Township post office opened in 1826, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Eugene Township rank for history?
Eugene Township is more historic than 84% 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.
What is on the National Register in Eugene Township?
One place: the Eugene Covered Bridge (listed 1994).
How old are the homes in Eugene Township?
30% of Eugene Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.5 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1973.
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 National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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.
