Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Jonesburg

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
–Not graded
History · Jonesburg

Jonesburg dates to 1858

Most of Jonesburg was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1978. Below: maps from 1912 on and the census since 1880.

1858founded
0on the National Register
7%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Photo: TCP04 · CC BY 4.0
Quick answers

How Jonesburg began

When was Jonesburg founded?

1858

Jonesburg dates its founding to 1858 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 445 in 18802020 census: 726168 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1858.The full story ↓

What stands out about Jonesburg’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 Jonesburg’s collection

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

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

How Jonesburg came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Jonesburg.

Read it all →

Jonesburg was platted in 1858 and named in honor of James Jones, a pioneer citizen. A post office called "Jonesburgh" was established in 1868, and the name was changed to Jonesburg in 1893.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Jonesburg, 1858 to 1980

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1858
    FoundingJonesburg is established
  3. 1858Post officeThe Green Hill post office opens
  4. 1868Post officeThe Green Hill post office closes
  5. 1868Post officeThe Jonesburg post office opens
  6. 1888Born hereGeorge F. Rixey is born here
  7. 20th century
  8. 1942On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  9. 1980Born hereCecelie Williams is born here
By decade

Jonesburg, decade by decade

On the map

Jonesburg on the map, 1942 to 1985

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

Jonesburg on the 1942 USGS mapJonesburg on the 1973 USGS mapJonesburg on the 1985 USGS map1942New Florence sheet · 1:62,500

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

Every building

Jonesburg, building by building, 1912

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a sheet.

Jonesburg fire insurance map, 1912, sheet 11912Sheet 1 of 1
Sheets
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

People over time

Jonesburg, census by census

020040060080018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 768

Between 407 and 768 people in every census since 1880.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

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

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Jonesburg

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Jonesburg’s post office has been open since 1868. Another post office, Green Hill, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Green Hill
1858–1868
Jonesburg
1868–today
18501940today

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

Questions about Jonesburg’s history

What year was Jonesburg founded?

In 1858, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Jonesburg’s post office opened in 1858, and the census of 1880 counted 445 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 (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.