Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 14% of U.S. towns · #570 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
Most of Granger was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1986. Below: maps from 1958 on and the census since 1990.
The Granger post office opened in 1875, the earliest record of the town by name.
More historic than 14% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Granger is more historic than 14% of U.S. towns, #570 of 593 in Indiana. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 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 Granger’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.
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 Granger’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Granger.
Granger was founded in 1883, and named after the Grangers fraternal organization. The Granger post office has been in operation since 1875.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Granger, cut from the printed page as they were published.
a thriving, though as yet quite small town, the town of Granger, situated on the Grand Trunk railroad. This road passes northeasterly from Mishawaka, through Penn and Harris townships. The next station beyond Granger is Edwardsburg, in the state of Michigan.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
the nineteenth century, and known as the the name of the railroad station. The name Grange was commemorated by the founding given to the post office, however, was Sweet of the town of Granger, in Harris township, Home, a very pretty designation for a country by Thomas J. Foster, April 3, 1883. The town ; this name has been changed to Lindley. town is near the ]\Iichigan line, on the east Recently the railroad company hunted up a side of what is now the Big Four railroad, in fourth name, and the station is now called fractional section seven, township thirty-eight Lydick. It would be fitting that all should north, range four east. An addition to the compromise on the honored name of that
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The Grand Trunk railroad passes through this township, running a northeast course. Tliere is no town upon this line in this township,— nothing but a station, wiiere there are a depot and postoffice, called Granger; no business of any kind is done. The Indian crail leading from La Porte, or rather from Chicago to Detroit, passes through the southeast corner. Mr. W. and E.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
During the year 1844 the Manual Labor School was also organized and received a charter from the State Legislature. Besides Father Sorin. the chief personages of this early time wore Fathers Cointet and Granger, the latter of whom arrived in 1844. Father Sorin was the first president of the institution, continuing in office from 1844 to 18(:i5. Father Granger was the first vice-president, and Father Cointet the second. To them, therefore, must be chiefly
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Granger. 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 Granger.
Between 20,241 and 30,465 people in every census since 1990.
4 censuses, 1990–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Granger’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Granger post office opened in 1875, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Granger is more historic than 14% of U.S. towns, #570 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.
1% of Granger’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1986.
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 (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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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