Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: old-book passages.
The Swayzee post office opened in 1881, the earliest record of the town by name.
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 Swayzee’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Swayzee.
Pipe Creek Sinkhole, uncovered in 1996 at the Pipe Creek Junior limestone quarry near Swayzee, has been the site of important paleontological discoveries dating from the Pliocene epoch.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Swayzee, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Lewis D. Morgan. On section thirty-five of Sims township, two miles south of the town of Swayzee, and on the Wabash Pike, is sitoaied the fine country home of Lewis D. Morgan, one of the most substantial and highly respected citizens of western Grant county. Mr. Morgan has lived in this county nearly all his life, and the family are well known for their industrious character, and honorable citizenship.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Such a citizen is Samuel E. Thrawl of Green township, a substantial farmer on section three, three miles south of the village of Swayzee. His home is on the Curless Extension Pike. Besides his other interests Mr. Thrawl is now serving his community in the office of township assessor.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Jn 1898 it was extended from Fairmount lo Swayzee; in 1M)9 from Swayzee to Converse, where connection was established with the Pennsylvania line to Chicago. In 1907 the road was taken over by the Pennsylvania Comj>aiiy, and is now operated by this compaaiy as a short line from Muncie to Chicago. The C. I. & E. was projected by Harry Di'ew, manager of the Matthews Land Company, and the surveyor of the line was Fremont Wilson, who was afterwards elected surveyor of Grant county. For a considerable period the line had headquarlers in
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.
The Swayzee post office opened in 1881, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
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 (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.
2023
2023
2023
2016
2014
2014