Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1889 on and old-book passages.
The Herkimer post office opened in 1878, 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 Herkimer’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Herkimer. 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 Herkimer.
From Wikipedia’s history of Herkimer.
Herkimer was named after Herkimer, New York. A post office was opened in Herkimer in 1878, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1974.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Herkimer, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Herkimer is a town of one hundred and thirty inhabitants, located on the St. Joseph & Grand Island railroad on Raemer creek, five miles northwest of Marysville. The first white men to select claims for homes near where Herkimer is located, were the Friederichs brothers and H. Lenker, who settled on Horshoe creek in 1858; Henry Heppermann and George Goelitz came in 1859 and settled on what became Raemer creek. They were followed in i860 by Fred Philip and William Raemer; I. and N. Holloway, James Bartlow, Thomas Koeneke and others. When the war broke out in
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
since 1880 but contains German citizens. The first German citizen to locate in Marshall county was G. H. Hollenberg. He was followed by the Koppes, Raemer, Friedrichs and other families; Frank Schmidt and C. F. Koester also were among the pioneers. Settlements were made in Herkimer and in Herkimer township ; on Horse Shoe creek and on Mission and Spring creeks. Also along the Blue rivers from Marietta to Walnut creek and a number settled in Marysville township.
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.
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Nobody well known was born in Herkimer itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
The Herkimer post office opened in 1878, 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 Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps 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.
