Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1890 on, and the census since 1870.
The Miami post office opened in 1838, the earliest record of the town by name.
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 Miami’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Miami. 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 Miami.
From Wikipedia’s history of Miami.
Miami was originally called Greenville, under which name it was platted in 1838. A post office called Miami has been in operation since 1838. The present name is after the Miami Indians.
The Fisher-Gabbert Archeological Site, Guthrey Archeological Site, and Old Fort are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Miami, cut from the printed page as they were published.
one with a most interesting history. It was formerly called Greenville, and at one time aspired to be the county seat. From a printed sketch the following history has been adapted: The site of the town of Miami was entered in the year 1833, by Henry Ferrill, one of the pioneers of Saline county. In 1886 he established a ferry, and in 1838 he laid out the town, which was known as Greenville until 1843, when it was changed to Miami. The broad-axe and whip-saw prepared all the building material used in the community until 1838, when
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
in many parts of the township. Upon this subject and others connected with the history of the township, Mr. Jesse Ferril says: There are many evidences and traces of occupants prior to the settlement by the whites in Miami township, among which are the remains of the old fort, which is about four miles south of the town of Miami, in what is called the Pinnacle hills. East of said fort, on the farms now owned by R. M. Williams and E. S. Casebolt, there have frequently been dug up portions of human skeletons. About thirty years ago I saw a
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.
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 year, then a sheet.
1893Sheet 1 of 1Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
No 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 Miami’s page.
Retake this view · +15Between 142 and 813 people in every census since 1870.
16 censuses, 1870–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Miami’s Wikipedia page.
The Miami post office opened in 1838, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
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 (1), the Library of Congress (1), Wikipedia, 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, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.
Date?
2004