Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1916 on and old-book passages.
The Ridgeville post office opened in 1854, 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 Ridgeville’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Ridgeville. 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 Ridgeville.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Ridgeville yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Its first post office opened in 1854. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 501 to 479 (-4%).
Passages that mention Ridgeville, cut from the printed page as they were published.
![After their marriage, ]\Ir. and ]\Irs. Donskey lived in Summit Ridge, in Ridgeville township, where they worked a rented farm for about twelve years, then bought a farm of 330 acres in the town of Ridgeville. which they afterward sold, and purchased another tract of 209 acres in sections nine and f…](https://images.townratings.com/story/34605/bk-7fa4569ebef31d92-l.jpg)
After their marriage, ]\Ir. and ]\Irs. Donskey lived in Summit Ridge, in Ridgeville township, where they worked a rented farm for about twelve years, then bought a farm of 330 acres in the town of Ridgeville. which they afterward sold, and purchased another tract of 209 acres in sections nine and four, which has since been their homestead and is one of the ideal farm homes of Monroe county. Mr. Donskey is a man of excellent judgment and thoroughly up to date witli liis farming methods as Avell
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
About thirty-seven years ago a few German Lutherans drove to the town of Ridgeville for the purpose of listening to a Lutheran sermon and partaking of the Lord's Supper according to. the institution of the Lutheran church.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Donskey lived in Summit Ridge, in Ridgeville township, where they worked a rented farm for about twelve years. then bought a farm of 330 aeres in the town of Ridgeville, whieh they afterward sold, and purchased another tract of 209 acres in sections nine and four, which has sinee been their homestead and is one of the ideal farm homes of Monroe eounty. Mr. Donskey is a man of excellent judgment and thoroughly up to date with his farming methods as well
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
After his marriage Mr. Flock rented a farm for one year, and in 1901 he purchased 160 acres in section thirty-one, in the town of Ridgeville. His residence was built in 1886 and in 1902 he erected a new barn, which adds greatly to the prosperous appearance of his farm. He keeps the best grade of stock and uses the most up-to-date methods in conducting it. He is a Democrat in politics and has been supervisor for some time, and served also as chairman of the town board of Eidgeville for four years.
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.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyNobody well known was born in Ridgeville itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Ridgeville had its own post office from 1854 to 1876.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Ridgeville post office opened in 1854, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
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 (3), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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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