Index dates to 1889, and 43% of its homes were built before 1940
Its Register listings are the Red Men Hall and the Bush House.
How Index began, and where its name came from
When was Index founded?
Index dates its founding to 1889 (Wikipedia’s history). Its post office opened in 1891.
How did Index get its name?
Index was named for Mount Index (now Baring Mountain), which resembled an index finger.
2 historic places in Index
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.
Questions about Index’s history
What year was Index founded?
In 1889, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Index’s post office opened in 1891.
What is on the National Register in Index?
Two places: the Red Men Hall (listed 1973) and the Bush House (2017).
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Where this page comes from
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 the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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.