Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1968 on and the census since 1910.
Gayville Township dates its founding to 1892 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1910.
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 Gayville Township’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Gayville Township.
Gayville was originally settled chiefly by Scandinavian farmers. A post office was established as White Hall in 1870, renamed Boreman in 1872, and again renamed Gayville in 1873. The present name honors Elkanah Gay, an early postmaster. Gayville was a station on the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Gayville 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 Gayville Township.
Between 257 and 418 people in every census since 1910.
12 censuses, 1910–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Gayville Township’s Wikipedia page.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1892, according to Wikidata. the census of 1910 counted 257 people here.
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). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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.
