Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 90% of U.S. towns. What drives it
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 5 buildings. Below: maps from 1908 on and the census since 1840.
Hartford Township dates its founding to 1824 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1840.
More historic than 90% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hartford Township is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its age lowest.
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 Hartford Township’s 27.7 sits above most of its state (83% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 5 historic buildings outnumber those of 70% 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 Hartford Township’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Hartford Township. 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 Hartford Township.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereWells Andrews Hutchins is born here
Born hereAllen R. Bushnell is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
Born hereDave Blaney is born hereFrom Wikipedia’s history of Hartford Township.
Hartford was laid out in 1824, and named after Hartford, Connecticut, the native home of a share of the early settlers.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Hartford Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
ton Township. In iSio, the Wakatomika Valley was first settled by Samuel Ilickerson, followed next year by James Thrap. Daniel Poppleton rendered a similar service within the present limits of Hartford Township, in the year i8i3. Joseph and Peter Ileadly started a settlement on the head waters of the South Fork, (now in Jersey Township,) in 1815. Etna Township too, was settled in 1815, if not a little earlier, by John Williams, the Housers and other.s.
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.
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 106 and 455 people in every census since 1840.
19 censuses, 1840–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Hartford Township’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1824, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Hartford Township’s post office opened in 1833, and the census of 1840 counted 106 people here.
Hartford Township is more historic than 90% 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.
One place: the Curry Farm Historic District (listed 2021).
26% of Hartford Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.8 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1990.
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 (9), 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 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.
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