Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Its Register listing is the Kendalls Depot. Below: maps from 1919 on and the census since 1880.
The Kendall post office opened in 1874, the earliest record of the town by name.
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 Kendall’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Kendall.
A post office called Kendall has been in operation since 1874. The village was named for L. G. Kendall, a local farmer and landowner.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Kendall. 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 Kendall.
Passages that mention Kendall, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of the village of Kendall begins with the assurance of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad in 1870 and its completion in 1872. It was the civilizer of this then wild region.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of the village of Kendall begins with the assurance of the Chicago & Northwestern Eailroad in 1870 and its completion in 1872. It was the civilizer of this then wild region.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
schools, and at the age of nineteen years was employed in a country store conducted by Samuel Cholvin. At the age of twenty years he entered the employ of Messrs. Burrington & Lockwood, merchants at Kendall, with whom he remained for three years. After spending one year in Nebraska he returned to Kendall and embarked in the grocery business on his own aceount. He later added other lines and for thirteen years successfully conducted a general store. In 1898 he was elected clerk
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
schools, and at the age of nineteen years was employed in a country store conducted by Samuel Cholvin. At the age of twenty years he entered the employ of Messrs. Burrington & TiOckwood, merchants at Kendall, with whom he remained for three years. After spending one year in Nebraska he returned to Kendall and embarked in the grocery business on his own account, lie later added other lines and for thirteen years successfully conducted a general store. In 1898 he was elected clerk
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.
Born hereWalter W. Austin is born here
BuiltKendalls Depot is built
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.
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.
Between 282 and 558 people in every census since 1880.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Kendall’s Wikipedia page.
The Kendall post office opened in 1874, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
One place: the Kendalls Depot (listed 1981).
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 Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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 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.
