Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 21 buildings. Below: maps from 1950 on and the census since 1850.
Leesburg dates its founding to 1833 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1850.
Leesburg, named for Levi Lee, was established in August 1833.
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 Leesburg’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.
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 SurveyFrom Wikipedia’s history of Leesburg.
Leesburg is the oldest town in Kosciusko County. It was the county seat until November 1854, when the Pennsylvania Railroad reached Warsaw. It was home to the first judicial courthouse in the county.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Leesburg, cut from the printed page as they were published.
after the county was organized. They entered land in Wayne Township. The Lightfoots were also early arrivals, and Christopher Lightfoot, maternal grandfather of George W. Groves, was a surveyor by profession and laid out the Village of Leesburg. Daniel Groves and wife were married at Leesburg, and they then lived in that town for a time and from there moved to the farm owned by their son George.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Prior to attaining his majority he came to Warsaw as deputy county clerk under Gen. Reub. Williams. He remained in the Court House for three yeare. Returning to Leesburg, he took the post of station agent for the Big Four Railroad Company, and also served as bookkeeper for the tirm of H. B. Stanley, grain dealers. Gradually he accumulated experience and some limited capital, and with this as a basis engaged in mercantile pursuits on his own account. He also during this period of his life served as trustee of Plain Township for
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Prior to attaining his majority he came to Warsaw as deputy county clerk under Gen. Reub. Williams. He remained in the Court House for three years. Returning to Leesburg, he took the post of station agent for the Big Four Railroad Company, and also served as bookkeeper for the firm of H. B. Stanley, grain dealers. Gradually he accumulated experience and some limited capital, and with this as a basis engaged in mercantile pursuits on his own account. He also during this period of his life served as trustee of Plain Township for
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
After his marriage he farmed a short time, also teaching in the winter, and finally locating at Leesburg engaged in the drug and general merchandise business. With Frank Bortz and Joseph Hall he organized the People's Bank of Leesburg, and was its first cashier.
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Leesburg. 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 Leesburg.
Between 217 and 629 people in every census since 1850.
18 censuses, 1850–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Leesburg’s Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in Leesburg itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
In 1833, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Leesburg’s post office opened in 1839, and the census of 1850 counted 217 people here.
One place: the Leesburg Historic District (listed 1993).
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). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (12), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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.
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