Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 45% of U.S. towns · #397 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
Below: maps from 1918 on and the census since 1900.
Lapel dates its founding to 1876 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1900.
More historic than 45% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lapel is more historic than 45% of U.S. towns, #397 of 593 in Indiana. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull 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 Lapel’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: 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 Lapel’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Lapel.
Lapel was platted in 1876 by David Conrad and Samuel Busby when the railroad was extended to that point. The name "Lapel" was chosen because the railroad caused the town to be in the shape of a man's coat lapel.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Lapel, cut from the printed page as they were published.
ship and received his education in the district schools. Early adopting the vocation of educator, he taught school for twelve teruis "in Kaiisa.° Colorado and Indiana, but in 1896, with two of his brothers. t-uibarkHd'iu the milling and elevator business at Lapel, under the firm style of Shetterly Brothers. This venture has proved very successful and lias enjoyed a steady and continuous growth, its trade gradually extending beyond the limits of Lapel iiito the surroundiiig country. Mr. Shetterly is conceded by his associates to be a man of much more than ordinary business ability
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.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Lapel. 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 Lapel.
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 sheet.
1918Sheet 1 of 3Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Grew from 869 people in 1900 to 2,325 in 2020.
13 censuses, 1900–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Lapel’s Wikipedia page.
Lapel’s post office has been open since 1882.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1876, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Lapel’s post office opened in 1882, and the census of 1900 counted 869 people here.
Lapel is more historic than 45% of U.S. towns, #397 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.
27% of Lapel’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.9 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1975.
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 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, 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.
