Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
1 place in town is on the National Register. Below: maps from 1922 on and the census since 1880.
The Gaines post office opened in 1852, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1856.
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 Gaines’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Gaines.
The Village of Gaines area did not see a settler until 1856. The first passenger train passed through the future village site on July 4, 1856, and a post office, Gaines Station, was established that same year. In 1859, the village was platted. The Grand Trunk Western Railroad depot, built in 1884. The Village of Gaines was incorporated in 1875.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Gaines. 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 Gaines.
Passages that mention Gaines, cut from the printed page as they were published.
On the 17th of March, 1877, a village-plat was laid out on the northeast fractional quarter of the northeast fractional quarter of section 2, in the township of Gaines, and given the name of Swartz Creek, to correspond with the post-office. Two lots had been previously sold, — one to Benjamin Ingalls, and the other to Charles H. Evans, and, in con.se(|uence, their names appear with that of Julia Miller (widow of Peter Miller) as village proprietors, al-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
began teaching school, continuing to teach in the schools of this county for tliirteen years. He is also a graduate of the Columbian Correspondence College of Law. Washington, D. C. In 1903 he bought a half interest in the tile and brick works at Gaines and afterward acquired his present fine farm of eighty acres on the eastern edge of the village of Gaines and established his home there. He has ever since been successfully engaged in the manufacture of a high grade of tile and brick and has created a wide market for his products. He also for years has taken an active interest in local
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
surface are the Flint River and Swartz Creek, the first of ■which passes through the city, flows through the northern portion of the township, and passes out near the northwest corner. Swartz Creek rises in the township of Gaines, and enters the southwest corner of the township of Flint, meandering in a northeasterly direction, flowing into the Thread, and eventually into the Flint River. The Chicago and Northeastern Railroad enters the southwest corner, and
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.
The 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.
Between 238 and 440 people in every census since 1880.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Gaines’ Wikipedia page.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Gaines post office opened in 1852, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1856.
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 Wikidata (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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.
