Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 43% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1901 on, and the census since 1890.
The Continental post office opened in 1881, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Marice City (1888), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
More historic than 43% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Continental is more historic than 43% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
Ohio towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Ohio town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Continental’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (23% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: the first post office (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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Continental. 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 Continental.
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.
1901Sheet 1 of 3Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
From Wikipedia’s history of Continental.
Continental, originally named Maurice City, was platted in 1888. Several months later, the village was incorporated under the new name of Continental.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Continental, cut from the printed page as they were published.
In 1870, D. A. Kiefer laid out the original town plat of Kieferville, which lies north of the old Continental railroad grade and on both sides of the Defiance pike, which crosses the Nickel Plate railroad at that place, this railroad having been built on In 1871 he laid out an addition lying just west of the original plat, and in 1872 he laid out his second addition, which lies south of the railroad. John O.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
employ of the Toledo, St. Louis & Kansas City railroad at He then entered the Charleston, Illinois, where he remained one year, then locating at Continental, Ohio—this was Curing the year 1889. During the first seven months after coming to Continental he was in the employ of the same railroad from which he received his first instructions, acting as operator and bill clerk. He then entered the employment of the Nickel Plate as bill clerk at Continental,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
In 1840 the first Dunkard (Brethren) church was located at what is now the Blanchard church, at a point five miles southeast of the town of Continental. One of the first Dunkard settlers seems to have been a man whose name was Prowant. Mr. Prowant was the father of five sons, four of whom later
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Continental is the chief town in Monroe township, but its history and growth will be dealt with in another chapter. Lying due west of Continental three miles on the Nickel Plate railroad is a small hamlet which needs honorable mention. This aforesaid town is Hartsburg. The date of the platting of this village, if it was ever platted, cannot be ascertained.
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.
One decade in the archive so far: the 1910s. 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 Continental’s page.
Retake this view · +15Between 895 and 1,214 people in every census since 1890.
14 censuses, 1890–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Continental’s Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in Continental itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Continental’s post office has been open since 1881. Another post office, Marice City, 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).
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Continental’s history is told.
The Continental post office opened in 1881, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Continental is more historic than 43% 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.
24% of Continental’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.1 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1967.
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 (11), 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, 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.
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