Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 90% of U.S. towns. What drives it
4 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 2 buildings. Below: maps from 1960 on and the census since 1890.
The Ripley Township post office opened in 1831, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Ripley (1831), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
More historic than 90% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Ripley Township is more historic than 90% 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.
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 Ripley Township’s 31.9 sits above most of its state (71% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 6 historic buildings outnumber those of 72% 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 Ripley Township’s history is told.
Another post office, Ripley, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
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 Ripley Township.
The County Line Bridge, Maurice W. Manche Farmstead, and Walnut Ridge Friends Meetinghouse are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Ripley Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
had the special advantages due to railroad facilities, that can boast of such growth and commercial importance, being the second in size in the. county. The town which is located on the east bank of Big Blue River, Section 19, Ripley Township, was laid out by John Clark and Henry Henley, August 18, 1834. The original plat contained thirty-two lots, but in July, 1838, Clark’s addition of thirty-two lots was made, and in April of the following year Clark and Henley’s addition of sixteen lots was laid out. Other important
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
had the special advantages due to railroad facilities, that can boast of such growth and commercial importance, being the second in size in the county. The town which is located on the east bank of Big Blue River, Section 19, Ripley Township, was laid out by John Clark and Henry Henley, August 18, 1834. The original plat contained thirty-two lots, but in July, 1838, Clark's addition of thirty-two lots was made, and in April of the following year Clark and Henle\''s addition of sixteen lots was laid out. Other important
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Ripley Township. That was in the fall of 1826. The father and mother spent the rest of their lives in Ripley, the latter dying March 21, 1858, and the former dying January 24, 1868. The subject of this sketch spent his early life assisting to clear and cultivate his father’s farm in summer, and attending the district school ; in winter. ‘lhe school advantages in those days were, however, quite limited, consequenily his education was quite limited. By observation and reading he has somewhat mitigated the lack of
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Ripley Township. That was in the fall of 1826. The father and mother spent the rest of their lives in Ripley, the latter d3'ing March 21, 1858, and the former d3-ing January 24, 1868. The subject of this sketch spent his earl}- life assisting to clear and cultivate his father's farm in summer, and attending the district school in winter. The school advantages in those days were, however, quite limited, consequently his education was quite limited. By observation and reading he has somewhat mitigated the lack of
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 Ripley Township. 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 Ripley Township.
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.
Between 1,751 and 2,174 people in every census since 1890.
14 censuses, 1890–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Ripley Township’s Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in Ripley Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Ripley Township post office opened in 1831, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Ripley Township is more historic than 90% 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.
4 listings: 2 buildings, among them the Walnut Ridge Friends Meetinghouse (listed 1984, the first), and 1 historic district, the Maurice W. Manche Farmstead, with 2 contributing buildings. 6 historic buildings in all.
31% of Ripley Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.6 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1968.
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), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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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