Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 48% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Below: maps from 1895 on and the census since 1880.
Holgate dates its founding to 1873 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.
More historic than 48% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Holgate is more historic than 48% 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 Holgate’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: Wikipedia (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 Holgate’s history is told.
Peaked at 1,541 in 1970; 1,061 people lived here in 2020.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Holgate’s Wikipedia page.
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.
1895Sheet 1 of 2Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
From Wikipedia’s history of Holgate.
Holgate, formerly known as Kaufmanville, was platted in 1873 when the railroad was extended to that point and incorporated as a village in 1881. The village has the name of William Holgate, the original owner of the town site. A post office has been in operation since 1874.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereJoe E. Brown is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
2015Wilhelm and Kaufman, Civil War gun in
2015Wilhelm Street
2015True Believers Fellowship
2015Railway from Wilhelm
2015Holgate village hall and fire station
2015Holgate post office 43527
2015Holgate Sankt-Johanniskirche
2015Holgate HS
2015Map of Henry County Ohio Highlighting Holgate VillageMap
2012Holgate, Ohio
2004OHMap-doton-HolgateEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Holgate. 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 Holgate.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
In 1873, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Holgate’s post office opened in 1874, and the census of 1880 counted 595 people here.
Holgate is more historic than 48% 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.
31% of Holgate’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.8 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1955.
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, 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 Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
