Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 73% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1820.
Wilson dates its founding to 1818 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1820.
More historic than 73% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Wilson is more historic than 73% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
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 Wilson’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.
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 →
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 Wilson’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Wilson. 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 Wilson.
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.
1885Sheet 1 of 2Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
From Wikipedia’s history of Wilson.
The Town of Wilson was established in 1818 from the town of Porter. The origin of the town name is Reuben Wilson, one of the earliest pioneers of the town.
The Morse Cobblestone Farmhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Wilson, cut from the printed page as they were published.
December 29, 1863. Stephen Wilson, Samuel Wilson, Jr., William H Wilson of Nicholas County, Kentucky, to Elizabeth Wilson. Whereas, Stephen Kimes, grandfather to the above grantors, devised to them the said grantors, our interest in 160 acres of land in Bourbon County, Kentucky, therefore, for natural love, they convey the same to their mother, the said Elizabeth Wilson.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The records of the Rocky Spring Presbyterian Church show that in May, 1796, James Henderson and James Wilson occupied pew No. 38 and that James Wilson vacated it June 12, 1797, which was probably when he went West. He first moved to Derry Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, but soon went on to Ohio, arriving at Chillicothe May 1, 1798, with his family. Soon moved up onto the Pickaway Plains and settled on Congo Creek, just above its junction with Sippo.
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 hereFrank A. Dudley is born here
In the archiveTown of Wison Business Notices.; Wilson (Township)
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyOne decade in the archive so far: the 1870s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Wilson’s page.
Retake this view · +15Grew from 688 people in 1820 to 5,993 in 2010, 8 times over.
20 censuses, 1820–2010.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Wilson’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
In 1818, according to Wikidata. Wilson’s post office opened in 1824, and the census of 1820 counted 688 people here.
Wilson is more historic than 73% of U.S. towns. 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.
50% of Wilson’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±13.4 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1942.
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).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.
1875
1877
2006
2006
2005