Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1917 on and the census since 1850.
Fayetteville dates its founding to 1818 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1850.
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 Fayetteville’s history is told.
Peaked at 478 in 1980; 317 people lived here in 2020.
17 censuses, 1850–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Fayetteville’s Wikipedia page.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Fayetteville. 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 Fayetteville.
From Wikipedia’s history of Fayetteville.
Fayetteville was founded in 1818 by an Irish immigrant named Cornelius McGroarty. It was later incorporated in 1868. In 1883, Fayetteville contained two churches, two schools, two hotels, several stores and saloons, and two drug stores.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Fayetteville, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Edward and Nathan Bishop also came about this time. Edward held the office of Constable, and died in 1826. Nathan was also Constable for a number of years. He lived to an old age, and, at the time of his death, which occurred in 1876, was Mayor of the village of Fayetteville. Isaac MeCune, with his sons, Samuel and John, arrived about the same time. They moved afterward to Pike County, Ill.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
District No. 3 is located on the Georgetown & Fayetteville Free Turnpike, south of the village of Fayetteville. The building is of brick. The district enumerates—males, 47; females, 54; total, 101. Anderson McQuillin, teacher. Wages, $40 per month.
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 Survey
2013Fayetteville17
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2012St. Patrick's
2012Pike Street
2012Perry Township Community Center
2012Fayetteville
2012Fayetteville-Perry High School
2012Fayetteville Water Tower
2012Fayetteville Fire & EMS
2008Towards Fayetteville, Ohio from the north
2004OHMap-doton-FayettevilleIn 1818, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Fayetteville’s post office opened in 1832, and the census of 1850 counted 317 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 (24), 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.
