The story
Read it all →How Grand Meadow Township came to be
From Wikipedia’s history of Grand Meadow Township.
Grand Meadow was platted in 1870, and named for the prairies near the original town site.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
–Not graded
History · Grand Meadow Township
Grand Meadow Township dates to 1870, and 40% of its homes were built before 1940
Below: maps from 1965 on and the census since 1880.
1870founded
0on the National Register
40%homes built before 1940
Quick answers
How Grand Meadow Township began
When was Grand Meadow Township founded?
1870
Grand Meadow Township dates its founding to 1870 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.
First census: 374 in 18802020 census: 337156 years
Founding year: Wikipedia.The full story ↓
What stands out about Grand Meadow Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
★ What stands out · Help out
Start Grand Meadow Township’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Grand Meadow Township’s history is told.
Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.By decade
Grand Meadow Township, decade by decade
Today2 recent
2023
2005On the map
Grand Meadow Township on the map, 1965 to 1985
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Grand Meadow Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1965Dexter sheet · 1:24,000U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Grand Meadow Township.
People over time
Grand Meadow Township, census by census
Between 373 and 1,139 people in every census since 1880.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Grand Meadow Township’s Wikipedia page.
Places that used to be
Places now gone and burying grounds
Gone or out of use
Grand Meadow Airportairport
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Grand Meadow Township
Grand MeadowSaint Finbarrs
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
Grand Meadow2 historic placesB+Clayton TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townPleasant Valley TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townFrankford TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townDexter TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town
Questions about Grand Meadow Township’s history
What year was Grand Meadow Township founded?
In 1870, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1880 counted 374 people here.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (2), Wikidata (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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.