Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Most of Ordway Township was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2001. Below: maps from 1894 on.
Ordway Township dates its founding to 1880 (Wikipedia’s history). Its post office opened in 1881.
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 Ordway Township’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Ordway 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 Ordway Township.
Another post office, Ordway, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikipedia’s history of Ordway Township.
Ordway was platted in 1880. The community was named for Nehemiah G. Ordway, seventh Governor of Dakota Territory, from June 1, 1880, until June 24, 1884. A post office was established in Ordway in 1881, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1944.
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.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Nobody well known was born in Ordway Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1880, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Ordway Township’s post office opened in 1881.
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, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) 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.
