Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Most of Cortland was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1975. Below: maps from 1964 on and the census since 1890.
Cortland dates its founding to 1884 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1890.
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 Cortland’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Cortland.
Cortland was platted in 1884 when the railroad was extended to that point. An early variant name was "Galesburg". The present name is a transfer from the city of Cortland, New York.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Cortland, cut from the printed page as they were published.
while taken up a homestead of eighty acres and having perfected his title to the same, this property being that on which the thriving village of Cortland is now established. Upon retiring from the mercantile business Mr. .Reynolds purchased an unimproved farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Section IS, Lincoln township, and he reclaimed this land,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
years he made his first investment in land, by purchasing eighty acres of railroad land in Highland township, this tract lying adjacent to the present village of Cortland. With increasing prosperity Mr. Krapp continued to make judicious investment in Gage county land, and he made each successive purchase carefully, waiting until he had accumulated
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.
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 SurveyEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Cortland. 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 Cortland.
Between 285 and 509 people in every census since 1890.
14 censuses, 1890–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Cortland’s Wikipedia page.
Cortland’s post office has been open since 1885. Another post office, Courtland, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
In 1884, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Cortland’s post office opened in 1884, and the census of 1890 counted 509 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 (5), 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 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.
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