A history of Grafton,
since 1832
Postcards, papers and photographs of Grafton from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Founded in 1832 by James Mason, Grafton is the oldest city in Jersey County. Described as having "a post office, one store, one tavern, and a number of families" in 1834, the area was being settled as early as 1812 when a blockhouse was built at the confluence for protection. The city was named after Mason's birthplace of Grafton, Massachusetts. Grafton was incorporated on May 16, 1907.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Grafton’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
2 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewTransient labor camp. Pere Marque…, 1936: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Grafton
See all 3 →Grafton, decade by decade
1980s
8 historic places in Grafton
Grafton has 8 listings on the National Register, and they protect 27 historic buildings, because Grafton Historic District alone counts 20.
Where they are
Architectural styles
When they were listed
Listed 1994Grafton Bank
Listed 1994Grafton Historic District
Listed 1994John and Amelia McClintock House
Listed 1994Paris Mason Building
Listed 1994Ruebel Hotel
Listed 1994Slaten-LaMarsh House
Listed 1998Charles Brainerd HouseListed 2022Grafton Boat WorksThen & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Transient labor camp. Pere Marquette recreational demonstration project near Grafton, Illinois (1936) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (3) and the Library of Congress (3). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.