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C−History
History · Hilton

Hilton dates to 1885

More historic than 20% of U.S. towns · #738 of 758 in New York. What drives it

Most of Hilton was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1978. Below: maps from 1899 on and the census since 1880.

1885founded
0on the National Register
6%homes built before 1940
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Hilton began

When was Hilton founded?

1885

Hilton dates its founding to 1885 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 376 in 18802020 census: 6,027141 years

How historic is Hilton?

C−

More historic than 20% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1851.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Hilton’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hilton is more historic than 20% of U.S. towns, #738 of 758 in New York. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.

C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Hilton’s overall grade.
Founding era1885, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19406.2% of homes (±3.1) · typical NY town 26.6% · U.S. 8.4%CNational RegisterNo listings counted · typical NY town 12.3 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 20%
NewerOlder
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 3%

New York towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New York town has 12.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Hilton’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (10% of New York towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.1 points). Two sources give 1885.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Hilton’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Hilton are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18995 editions of the USGS map, 1899 to 1971. Watch Hilton change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Hilton’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Hilton on the map, 1899 to 1971

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

Hilton on the 1899 USGS mapHilton on the 1934 USGS mapHilton on the 1952 USGS mapHilton on the 1969 USGS mapHilton on the 1971 USGS map1899Hamlin 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 Hilton.

The story

How Hilton came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Hilton.

Read it all →

In 1805, Jonathon Underwood came from Vermont and was the first to settle in the area. Originally known as "Unionville", the village was incorporated in 1885 as "North Parma". In 1896, the name was changed to Hilton to honor Reverend Charles Augustus Hilton, a former pastor of the village's Freewill Baptist Church. Over 60% of the central business district was destroyed by fire in March 1965 and later rebuilt.

The Chase Cobblestone Farmhouse and Curtis-Crumb Farm are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Hilton, 1879 to 1899

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1879Born hereAlbert Hazen Wright is born here
  3. 1885
    FoundingHilton is established
  4. 1899On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Hilton, decade by decade

Today5 recent
North Star School District No. 112024North Star School District No. 11XRIJF2018HiltonHighSchool2018XRIJF2018HiltonHighSchoolHiltonCrimsonCadetsMarchingBandHenriettaNewYorkMemorialDayParade2017B2017HiltonCrimsonCadetsMarchingBandHenriettaNewYorkMemori…HiltonCrimsonCadetsMarchingBandHenriettaNewYorkMemorialDayParade2017A2017HiltonCrimsonCadetsMarchingBandHenriettaNewYorkMemori…Hilton High School2007Hilton High School
Every building

Hilton, building by building, 1909–1917

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.

Hilton fire insurance map, 1909, sheet 11909Sheet 1 of 3
Edition
BrickWoodStone

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

People over time

Hilton, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,5006,0006,500188019001920194019601980200020206,027

Grew from 376 people in 1880 to 6,027 in 2020, more than tenfold.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

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

Questions about Hilton’s history

What year was Hilton founded?

In 1885, according to Wikidata. Hilton’s post office opened in 1851, and the census of 1880 counted 376 people here.

How does Hilton rank for history?

Hilton is more historic than 20% of U.S. towns, #738 of 758 in New York. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Hilton?

6% of Hilton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.1 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1978.

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).

From Wikimedia Commons (5), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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.