Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 41% of U.S. towns · #743 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Most of Hinckley Township was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1984. Below: maps from 1986 on and old-book passages.
The Hinckley Township post office opened in 1825, the earliest record of the town by name.
More historic than 41% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hinckley Township is more historic than 41% of U.S. towns, #743 of 993 in Ohio. Its age 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 Hinckley Township’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.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Hinckley Township’s history is told.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
From Wikipedia’s history of Hinckley Township.
A post office called Hinckley has been in operation since 1825. The community has the name of Judge Samuel Hinckley, a land speculator from Massachusetts. A variant name was Hinckley Center.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Hinckley Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Olds came to Hinckley Township in 1856, and bought the old Wetmore saw and grist mills, which he ran for two years and then sold out.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Wilson. In 1820, Frederick Doming bought the lot adjoining the one owned by Abraham Freeze, and made the first permanent settlement in Hinckley Township, in that part which is known as the “ Ridge.” Here lie lived alone for several years. In 1822, James Stillman came with his family from the State of New York, and bought land in this neighborhood, building a cabin in
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The civil organization of Hinckley Township took place in the year 1825. The first election was held on the 25th day of September of this year, and took place in a little log schoolhouse in the southeastern part of the town. Thomas N. Easton, Jared Thayer and D. M. Conant acted as Judges of Election, and Reubén Ingersol and Abraham Freeze as Clerks. Reuben Ingersol,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
ley. Previous to going to the war, he built a saw-mill upon his land, and, since his return, has been operating it. His property is located in the northeastern part of Hinckley Township, and consists of 8 acres of land with the mill propertv.
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.
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Hinckley 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 Hinckley Township.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Hinckley Township post office opened in 1825, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Hinckley Township is more historic than 41% of U.S. towns, #743 of 993 in Ohio. 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.
6% of Hinckley Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.4 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1984.
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 Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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.
