Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1906 on and the census since 1830.
Allen dates its founding to 1823 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1830.
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 Allen’s history is told.
Allen had its own post office from 1824 to 1902. Four other post offices 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).
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Allen. 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 Allen.
From Wikipedia’s history of Allen.
The Town of Allen was founded in 1823, formed from part of the Town of Angelica. In 1829 more territory was added from the Town of Birdsall.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Allen, cut from the printed page as they were published.
copy, and Sergeant Long was unable to report only for his own term of service. The Lima auxiliary station draws from Allen, Auglaize, Mercer, Van Werf and Putnam counties, but there are more volunteers from Allen. From August to the end of 1919 there were eighty-six recruits from the Lima station and thirty-one were from Allen County, from January 1, 1920, to Thanksgiving the station had 167 recruits with seventy-nine of them from Allen County. The population and military spirit both center stronger in Allen County. Chief H. M. Downing, in
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Early Lim.a — Ottawa Township When Lima became the seat of government in Allen County March 3, 1831, it was in Bath Township. Christopher Wood of Allen, Justin Hamilton of Mercer, and Adam Barber of Putnam County were the commission appointed by the State of Ohio to locate the county seat in Allen County. This was effected in advance of the formal local organization of Allen County June 6, 1831, from which time official business was all transacted within the bounds of the county. The site was surveyed
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 SurveyBetween 292 and 991 people in every census since 1830.
20 censuses, 1830–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Allen’s Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in Allen itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1823, according to Wikidata. Allen’s post office opened in 1824, and the census of 1830 counted 898 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 (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 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.
2015
