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History · Oneida

Oneida dates to 1873, and 82% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1888 on and the census since 1880.

1873founded
0on the National Register
82%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Oneida began

When was Oneida founded?

1873

Oneida dates its founding to 1873 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 163 in 18802020 census: 61153 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1872.The full story ↓

What stands out about Oneida’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Oneida are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18885 editions of the USGS map, 1888 to 1990. Watch Oneida change.Old housesHalf of Oneida’s homes were built before 1938.Boom and bustPeaked at 311 in 1890; 61 people lived here in 2020.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Oneida’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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On the map

Oneida on the map, 1888 to 1990

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Oneida. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Oneida on the 1888 USGS mapOneida on the 1894 USGS mapOneida on the 1961 USGS mapOneida on the 1985 USGS mapOneida on the 1990 USGS map1888Hiawatha sheet · 1:125,000

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

The story

How Oneida came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Oneida.

Read it all →

Oneida was laid out circa 1873 and was named after the Oneida people. The town's streets were named after the main thoroughfares of Chicago.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Oneida, 1872 to 1890

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1872Post officeThe Lappin post office opens
  3. 1873
    FoundingOneida is established
  4. 1876Post officeThe Lappin post office closes
  5. 1876Post officeThe Oneida post office opens
  6. 1888On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  7. 1890CensusPopulation peaks at 311
By decade

Oneida, decade by decade

Today1 recent
KSMap-doton-Oneida2005KSMap-doton-Oneida
People over time

Oneida, census by census

010020030018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 311

Peaked at 311 in 1890; 61 people lived here in 2020.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

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

Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Oneida’s post office has been open since 1876. Another post office, Lappin, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Lappin
1872–1876
Oneida
1876–today
18701950today

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

Questions about Oneida’s history

What year was Oneida founded?

In 1873, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Oneida’s post office opened in 1872, and the census of 1880 counted 163 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), 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.