Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Most of Barclay was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1986. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1901 on, and the census since 1940.
Barclay dates its founding to 1873 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1940.
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 Barclay’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Barclay. 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 Barclay.
From Wikipedia’s history of Barclay.
Barclay was founded in 1873 as Merrikton and renamed Barclay in 1890. The community was incorporated as the "Town of Barclay" in February 1931.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyNo 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 Barclay’s page.
Retake this view · +15Between 108 and 187 people in every census since 1940.
9 censuses, 1940–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Barclay’s Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in Barclay itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
In 1873, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Barclay’s post office opened in 1890, and the census of 1940 counted 119 people here.
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 (2), 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.
Date?
Date?
