Tilton has a proud history, built with hard work, strong family ties and the spirit of everyone who
has lived in Tilton. Tilton was first platted in 1854 as the town of Bryant. The town was also
called the "Town of Carbon", until 1858 when The Chicago Carbon Coal Company finally gave
the Village its current title as the "Town of Tilton”. It is said that the name Tilton came from a Mr.
Charles Tilton, a friend of Abraham Lincoln, who worked for the railroad.

Tilton began as a mining village in 1855 and later became a large railroad terminal. By 1905,
these enterprises were lost, but Tilton has continued to strive and today has almost 3000
residents and continues to be a center of activity for business growth, while maintaining the
small town lifestyle that so many residents have become accustom to.