Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 27% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Most of New Chicago was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1966. Below: maps from 1900 on and the census since 1910.
New Chicago dates its founding to 1893 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1910.
More historic than 27% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, New Chicago is more historic than 27% of U.S. towns. 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 New Chicago’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 New Chicago’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of New Chicago. 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 New Chicago.
From Wikipedia’s history of New Chicago.
New Chicago was platted in 1893. A post office was opened at New Chicago in 1907, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1917.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention New Chicago, cut from the printed page as they were published.
New Chicago There is only one other point in Ilobart Township which may be called a center of population ; and the editor is fearful that the imagination must work overtime to thus classify New Chicago. It was platted, a number of years ago, on the west half of section 19, south of the Little Calumet and near the center of the township. The site of New Chicago was near the defunct Liverpool. At first it was a town of great industrial expectations and promises, which virtually all collapsed.
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.
Between 105 and 2,581 people in every census since 1910.
12 censuses, 1910–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on New Chicago’s Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in New Chicago itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
New Chicago had its own post office from 1907 to 1917.
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 1893, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. New Chicago’s post office opened in 1907, and the census of 1910 counted 105 people here.
New Chicago is more historic than 27% 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.
10% of New Chicago’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.7 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1966.
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 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.
