Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 70% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Its Register listing is the Waterloo Community Mausoleum. Below: 1 old photo or paper and old-book passages.
The Waterloo post office opened in 1870, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Waterloo City (1862), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
More historic than 70% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Waterloo is more historic than 70% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls 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 Waterloo’s 4.8 sits near the middle of its state (53% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% 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 Waterloo’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Waterloo.
Waterloo was laid out in 1856 when the railroad was extended to that point. It was likely named after Waterloo, in Belgium.
The Waterloo Community Mausoleum was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Waterloo, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Waterloo 19 The land now comprising the town and village of Waterloo was, prior to 1845, a part of the town of Aztalan. From the best data available the political organization of Waterloo as a town was effected in 1 845 or 1 846, with Abram Vanderpool as its first chairman, and P. M. Brooks its first clerk. J. H.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
68. Members. § 1. That the Fire Department of the City of Waterloo shall consist of the members now composing the same, and such new members as shall from time to time be elected thereto by the members thereof, under such regulations as they shall prescribe; Provided, however, that at no time shall the membership thereof be less than ten active members, residents of the City of Waterloo, and of the age of not less than eighteen years. And should the membership thereof at any time become reduced to less than ten, and the Department neglect or
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
With the completion of the new railroad, elevators were built at the various stations along the line, and it became the market place for what had formerly been taken to Waterloo, thus depriving that town of much of its prestige. Six miles north of Waterloo was Mottinger's and Gramlin's Crossing, the point of greatest elevation on the road, and consequently the station was called Summit. The station was hard to reach by north-bound trains on account of the grade, and many of the indifferent engines of that day were compelled to take the train up in two sections, after vainly puffing to a stand-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
219. Corporate Seal. § 1 That the Corporate Seal of the City of Waterloo shall be in a circular form with the words "City of Waterloo, Monroe Co., Ill ," in the ©xterior circle; and a vignette representing an ear of corn in the interior circle, which seal shall be used in all cases where required by law or ordinance. But in no case shall the impression of the corporate seal be binding upon the City, unless it is authorized by law or the ordinances of said City and is attested by the official signature of the City Clerk.
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.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Waterloo’s page.
Retake this view · +15The 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.
Waterloo’s post office has been open since 1870. Another post office, Waterloo City, 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).
The Waterloo post office opened in 1870, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Waterloo is more historic than 70% 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.
One place: the Waterloo Community Mausoleum (listed 2014).
42% of Waterloo’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.7 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1958.
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 (3), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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.
Date?
2014
2013
2008