Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 42% of U.S. towns · #22 of 35 in South Dakota. What drives it
Its Register listing is the John Mundt Building. Below: maps from 1893 on and the census since 1900.
Hartford dates its founding to 1878 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1900.
More historic than 42% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hartford is more historic than 42% of U.S. towns, #22 of 35 in South Dakota. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
South Dakota towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical South Dakota town has 37.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Hartford’s 2.9 sits below most of its state (32% of South Dakota towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: Wikidata (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 Hartford’s history is told.
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.
1893Sheet 1 of 1Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
From Wikipedia’s history of Hartford.
Originally named Oaksville in 1878 after I. E. Oaks, the town was renamed Hartford by early settlers in 1881 after Hartford, Connecticut. A post office has been in operation since 1880. The city incorporated in 1896.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Hartford, cut from the printed page as they were published.
August 8, the town of Hartford was declared incorporated. At the September meeting of the board an appropriation of $125 was made to assist Buifalo township in making a road between sections two and eleven; and the salary of the state's attorney was fixed at SI, 200 per annum, payable quarterly, 1897. Januarv 4. the newlv elected officers qualified; ,the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
In July, 18^)(), a petition was presented by the citizens of the villaofe of Hartford to the county commissioners praying that an election be ordered to determine the question of the incorporation of certain territory as the Town of Hartford. All the preliminarv proceeding's havingbeen complied with as required by law, the order was made and an election held on the 1st day of Aug-ust, 18%. The territory comprised the southwest quarter and the south half of the south half of the northwest quarter of section 22 in Hartford town-
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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
BuiltJohn Mundt Building is built
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Hartford. 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 Hartford.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Grew from 423 people in 1900 to 3,354 in 2020, 7 times over.
13 censuses, 1900–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Hartford’s Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in Hartford itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1878, according to Wikidata. Hartford’s post office opened in 1880, and the census of 1900 counted 423 people here.
Hartford is more historic than 42% of U.S. towns, #22 of 35 in South Dakota. 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.
One place: the John Mundt Building (listed 1981).
14% of Hartford’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.3 points), against a typical 10% for a South Dakota town; the median home was built in 1997.
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 (3), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, 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, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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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