Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 1 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1958 on, and the census since 1850.
Alexandria dates its founding to 1820 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1850.
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 Alexandria’s history is told.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In the archiveSC 179944 - Second Army Tennessee Maneuvers. Tanks moving up road toward Alexandria, Tenn…
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyFrom Wikipedia’s history of Alexandria.
Alexandria was founded in 1820 by Dr. Daniel Alexander, and named for him. A post office has been in operation there since 1838.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Alexandria, cut from the printed page as they were published.
This tradition is told by the older people of Alexandria: Dr. Miers (or Mize) was of French extraction, locating in Alexandria long before the War between the States (about 1848 or 1849), and wooed and won a Miss Paty. He was impatient to build up a practice, and it was charged that, going to Woodbury one day and procuring smallpox virus, or "scabs," ho returned to his home with a sinister scheme. Inviting
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The writer has had access to an old ledger which belonged to Dr. John W. Overall, who resided in Alexandria. It covers a period from 1830 to October, 1834, and no doubt the names listed therein include a number of the pioneers of Alexandria as well as a 95
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.
One decade in the archive so far: the 1940s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Alexandria. 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 Alexandria.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Alexandria’s page.
Retake this view · +15The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Grew from 343 people in 1850 to 981 in 2020.
12 censuses, 1850–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Alexandria’s Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in Alexandria itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Alexandria’s post office has been open since 1821.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
In 1820, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Alexandria’s post office opened in 1821, and the census of 1850 counted 343 people here.
Two places: the Dekalb County Fairgrounds (listed 1995) and the Alexandria Cemeteries Historic District (2002).
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 Wikimedia Commons (7), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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 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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