Founding year: the first Waldo Township post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Waldo Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Waldo Township is more historic than 74% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Waldo Township’s overall grade.
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 Waldo 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.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±11.2 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 →
What stands out about Waldo Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Waldo was laid out in 1833 by M. D. Pettibone at the intersection of a turnpike and a state road. The village was named for Waldo Pettibone, the proprietor's son. A post office called Waldo has been in operation since 1847.
In 1895, Groll’s Fine Furniture was established to sell caskets and furniture. It closed in 2008 after 113 years in business.
Founded in 1962, the G&R Tavern is known for its fried bologna sandwich, which is topped with mustard, pickles, onions, and cheese.
Passages that mention Waldo Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Marion County, Ohio, containing a history of the county1883 · page 868Read the page →
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the following territory, to wit: All those portions and parts of Radnor and Thompson Townships attached to the county of Marion by the act erecting the county of Morrow, passed February 24. 1848, including that portion of Radnor Township incorporated in Waldo Township by the Commissioners of Marion County at their March meeting in 1848; also Sections No. 31, 32, 33 and 34 in Township 6 south, Range 15, being in Pleasant Township; also fractional Section No. 36, Towmship 6 south, Range 14, in said Pleasant Township. * * * On the following day, a portion of Section No. 33 and all of Section 34
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
the history of marion county ohio1883 · page 868Read the page →
Read the text
the following territory, to wit: All those portions and parts of Radnor and Thompson Townships attached to the county of Marion by the act erecting the county of Morrow, passed February 24, 1848, including that portion of Radnor Township incorporated in Waldo Township by the Commissioners of Marion County at their March meeting in 1848; also Sections No. 31, 32, 33 and 34 in Township 6 south, Range 15, being in Pleasant Township; also fractional Section No. 36, Township 6 south, Range 14, in said Pleasant Township. * * * On the following day, a portion of Section No. 33 and all of Section 34
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
the history of marion county ohio1883 · page 888Read the page →
Read the text
close the following territory, to wit: All those portions and parts of Radnor and Thompson Townships attached to the county of Marion by the act erecting the county of Morrow, passed February 24, 1848 (including that portion of Radnor Township incorporated in Waldo Township by the Commissioners of Marion County at their March meeting, 1848). Also Sections No. 31, 32, 33 and 34,in Township No. 6 south. Range No. 15, being in Pleasant Township, and also Fractional Section No. 36 south, Range No. 14, in said Pleasant Township, and also Fractional Township No. 7
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Waldo Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1924Delaware 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 Waldo Township.
Places that used to be
Old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Hamlets and corners on the map
BethlehemSmith Corners
Gone or out of use
Hoke Bridgebridge
4cemeteries and burying grounds inside Waldo Township
AugensteinDrakeWolfingerWyatt
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Waldo Township post office opened in 1847, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Waldo Township rank for history?
Waldo Township is more historic than 74% 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.
How old are the homes in Waldo Township?
39% of Waldo Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±11.2 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1954.
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 (5), Wikipedia, 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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