Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Its Register listing is the Elias H. Geiger House. Its Register listing is the Elias H. Geiger House. Below: maps from 1905 on and the census since 1860.
The Ossian post office opened in 1827, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, West View (1858) and Westview (1893), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
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 Ossian’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Ossian. 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 Ossian.
Ossian had its own post office from 1827 to 1902. Two 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).
From Wikipedia’s history of Ossian.
The area was first settled circa 1804 near Ossian Center. The town of Ossian was formed in 1808 from the town of Angelica, while it was part of Allegany County. Ossian became part of Livingston County in 1856.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Ossian, cut from the printed page as they were published.
In r852 he erected a steam saw-mill near Ossian Center, and such was the capacity of the mill for furnishing lumber, that the great demand for it was fully supplied. At this time the town of Ossian was, to a large extent, covered with splendid material for building purposes. A few years later he formed a co-partnership with Hon. Alonzo Bradner, in the manufacture and sale of lumber, build-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
BlSBEE, Or Bisbeetown, as it is called by the inhabitants, is in the northwestern part of the town. It is a small settlement similar to Ossian Centre. It was first settled about the year 1816. Among the first settlers were Jesse Bagley and Heman Orton, the latter coming in 18 13. They engaged in farming and shingle making. Luther Bisbee, for whom the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
In Mr. Hampton's paper of 1886 he said: "The most notable improvement is the rapid pulling of pine stumps and putting them into fences. There are about ten stump-pulling machines in the town of Ossian of various kinds, and most of them are kept busy during most of the summer season. Many farms in town have been nearly doubled in value within the last few years by freeing them from their pine stumps. Before pine stumps can be pulled fifteen years must elapse from the time the tree was cut, and the fibres from the roots have
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Mr. McCurdy removed with his family to the town of Ossian, two miles west of Diinsville, in 1814, where he had purchased a tract of land heavily timbered with pine and oaU. This farm he proceeded to clear and subdue, and being possessed of a robust constitution he ultimately succeeded in bringing the land to a state of productiveness. Mrs. McCurdy became one of the first members ot the Presbyterian church of Ossian organized by the Reverend Robert Hubbard of Dansville. He gradually added to his possessions until he had acquired upwards of one thousand acres of land, all lying in the immediate vicinity of his
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 hereCharles Ora Card is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Between 489 and 1,269 people in every census since 1860.
16 censuses, 1860–2010.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Ossian’s Wikipedia page.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Ossian post office opened in 1827, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
One place: the Elias H. Geiger House (listed 2006).
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 the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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.
