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Vera-cruz, IndianaPhoto: Chris Flook · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
History · Vera Cruz

Vera Cruz dates to 1848, and 50% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1962 on, and the census since 1880.

1848founded
0on the National Register
50%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Vera Cruz’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Vera Cruz began

When was Vera Cruz founded?

1848

Vera Cruz dates its founding to 1848 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 260 in 18802020 census: 72178 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1850.The full story ↓

What stands out about Vera Cruz’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Vera Cruz’s homes were built before 1940.Deep rootsEstablished in 1848: 178 years of Vera Cruz.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Vera Cruz’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Vera Cruz’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewWabash River Bridge, State Route 316 & …: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Vera Cruz came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Vera Cruz.

Read it all →

Vera Cruz was laid out in 1848, and was named after Veracruz, Mexico. Originally, the town was named Newville, but the US Post Office had to have the name changed because there was another town named Newville in DeKalb County, Indiana. When selecting a county seat, Wells county chose between Newville and Bluffton because, at the time, they were about the same size. Ultimately, Bluffton was named the county seat, probably because of its more central location in Wells County. A post office was established at Vera Cruz in 1850, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1942.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Vera Cruz, 1848 to 1962

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1848
    FoundingVera Cruz is established
  3. 1850Post officeThe Vera Cruz post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1942Post officeThe Vera Cruz post office closes
  6. 1962On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Vera Cruz, decade by decade

Date unknown1 to date
Wabash River Bridge, State Route 316 & Wabash RiverDate?Wabash River Bridge, State Route 316 & Wabash River
Today1 recent
Vera-cruz, Indiana2016Vera-cruz, Indiana
On the map

Vera Cruz on the map in 1962

The U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Vera Cruz.

Vera Cruz on the 1962 USGS map1962Linn Grove sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Vera Cruz.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Wabash River Bridge, State Route 316 & Wabash River
Retake this viewWabash River Bridge, State Route 316 & Wabash River

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Vera Cruz’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Vera Cruz, census by census

010020018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 260

Between 55 and 260 people in every census since 1880.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Vera Cruz’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Vera Cruz

Nobody well known was born in Vera Cruz itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Richard R. Schrock1945-, American chemist · b. 1945
D
David SmithAmerican visual artist · b. 1906
R
Richard McKinneyAmerican archer · b. 1953
D
David AnspaughAmerican director · b. 1946
Everett ScottAmerican baseball player · b. 1892
D
Don LashAmerican athlete and politician · b. 1912
Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Vera Cruz had its own post office from 1850 to 1942.

Vera Cruz
1850–1942
18501940today

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Vera Cruz’s history

What year was Vera Cruz founded?

In 1848, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Vera Cruz’s post office opened in 1850, and the census of 1880 counted 260 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (1), the Library of Congress (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.