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History · Hemlock

Hemlock’s post office opened in 1872, and 49% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1911 on and the census since 1900.

1872first post office
0on the National Register
49%homes built before 1940
3famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Hemlock began

When was Hemlock founded?

1872

The Hemlock post office opened in 1872, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Whipstown (1852) and Coal Dale (1869), opened inside today’s town and later closed.

First census: 581 in 19002020 census: 142154 years
Founding year: the first Hemlock post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Hemlock’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Hemlock are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Lost villages2 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Hemlock.On the map since 19115 editions of the USGS map, 1911 to 2002. Watch Hemlock change.Old housesHalf of Hemlock’s homes were built before 1950.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Hemlock’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Hemlock’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Hemlock had its own post office from 1872 to 1988. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Whipstown
1852–1869
Coal Dale
1869–1872
Hemlock
1872–1988
18501940today

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

On the map

Hemlock on the map, 1911 to 2002

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Hemlock. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Hemlock on the 1911 USGS mapHemlock on the 1961 USGS mapHemlock on the 1975 USGS mapHemlock on the 1985 USGS mapHemlock on the 2002 USGS map1911New Lexington sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Hemlock.

The story

How Hemlock came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Hemlock.

Read it all →

Originally settled as Coaldale on June 15, 1869, then established as Hemlock on July 15, 1872. The Hemlock post office was in operation until October 3, 1986. The village was named for a grove of hemlock trees near the original town site.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Hemlock, 1852 to 1988

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1852Post officeThe Whipstown post office opens
  3. 1869Post officeThe Whipstown post office closes
  4. 1869Post officeThe Coal Dale post office opens
  5. 1872Post officeThe Coal Dale post office closes
  6. 1872Post officeThe Hemlock post office opens
  7. 1896Born hereJames G. Thimmes is born here
  8. 20th century
  9. 1903Born hereZip Joseph is born here
  10. 1905Born hereRed Joseph is born here
  11. 1911On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  12. 1988Post officeThe Hemlock post office closes
By decade

Hemlock, decade by decade

Today3 recent
Hemlock Church of Christ2016Hemlock Church of ChristMap of Perry County Ohio Highlighting Hemlock Village2015Map of Perry County Ohio Highlighting Hemlock VillageMapOHMap-doton-Hemlock2004OHMap-doton-Hemlock
People over time

Hemlock, census by census

01002003004005006001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 581

Between 142 and 581 people in every census since 1900.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Hemlock’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

3 famous people were born in Hemlock

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
J
James G. ThimmesAmerican union activist · b. 1896
R
Red JosephAmerican football player · b. 1905
Z
Zip JosephAmerican football player · b. 1903
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Salt Lick Township1 historic placeA+Coal Township1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Hemlock’s history

What year was Hemlock founded?

The Hemlock post office opened in 1872, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (3), 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) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.