Endicott was platted in 1880 at the junction of the St. Joseph and Western and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroads, and was named for William Crowninshield Endicott, U.S. Secretary of War under President Grover Cleveland — the Endicott family reportedly held stock in the Burlington line. The town's identity has stayed closely tied to rail and industry ever since its founding as a junction settlement.

Endicott is an incorporated village with a 2020 Census population of 114, continuing a gradual decline from 139 in 2000. Its ZIP code is 68350. The town's defining economic feature is the Endicott Clay Products plant just southwest of the village, a working brick manufacturer that has kept the Endicott name recognized well beyond Jefferson County.