Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1880.
Darlington dates its founding to 1849 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
1884Sheet 1 of 1Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Darlington. 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 Darlington.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereJohn Morrow is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
In the archivePecatonica River
Born hereAlex Erickson is born hereFrom Wikipedia’s history of Darlington.
The first residence within the city limits of Darlington was a log house owned by Jamison Hamilton in 1836. He laid out the village of Avon, or Centre, in 1847. Darlington was first organized in 1849, but was known for a long time as the town of Centre. The first town meeting was held on April 3, 1849, with 82 votes being cast.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Darlington, cut from the printed page as they were published.
This portion of the county was for several years prior to 1849, a voting precinct, and included considerable territory which now constitutes the town of Darlington, but, when on the 12th of January of the above year, the different towns were erected, the town of Willow Springs was constituted, embracing the present territory. The first regular election for town officers was held April 3, 1849, when the following officers were chosen : John Ray, Chairman ; James Noble and Nicholas Dunphy, Supervisors; Thomas H. Sheldon, Clerk; Elihu Hall, Treasurer; D. M. Parkinson, Assessor. There were also three Constables, four Fence Viewers, and five Overseers of Highways elected at this time.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Reference to the Darlington Post OflBce takes the pioneer back to the period when the residents of Darlington received their mail at the old Hamilton Post Office, which was situated about a mile from the present site of the village. Letters were dropped at this office by the carrier, who traversed his route on horseback, and, when any of the villagers went to the post office, they brought back letters to such of the neighbors as were fortunate enough to have any addressed to them. This was in 1851, and the Postmaster was Horace Beebe. Late in the fall of 1852, a post office was established in Darlington, with S. S. Fassett as Postmaster. The mails were received twice a week from what was termed the "Rockford and Mineral Point Route." Dar-
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 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
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 Darlington’s page.
Retake this view · +15Between 1,372 and 2,462 people in every census since 1880.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Darlington’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Another post office, Red Rock, 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).
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1849, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Darlington’s post office opened in 1893, and the census of 1880 counted 1,372 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 Wikimedia Commons (4), the Library of Congress (5), Wikidata (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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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