Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1970 on and the census since 1890.
The Filley post office opened in 1883, the earliest record of the town by name.
Filley was named for its founder, Elijah Filley.
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 Filley’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Filley.
Filley was platted in 1883 when the railroad was extended to that point. It was named for its founder, Elijah Filley.
The Elijah Filley Stone Barn in Filley is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is maintained by the local historical society, and open to the public.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Filley, cut from the printed page as they were published.
FILLEY The village of Filley is a station thirteen miles out from Beatrice on the Burlington line of railroad. It is situated in the midst of a fine section of the county and since its founding has been the center of a wealthy farming community. It is located on the northwest quarter of section 28, in Filley
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
along the line of diversified agriculture and stock-growing. In 1918 he added to his estate by the purchase of another valuable farm in Filley township, this place comprising three hundred and twenty acres. His home farm in early days was owned by that honored pioneer, the late Elijah Filley, in whose honor the township and village of Filley were named.
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.
Born hereRobert Taylor is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Filley. 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 Filley.
Between 124 and 301 people in every census since 1890.
14 censuses, 1890–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Filley’s Wikipedia page.
The Filley post office opened in 1883, 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 (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 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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