Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Most of Dyer was built recently: 0.9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1997. Below: maps from 1951 on and the census since 1900.
Dyer dates its founding to 1884 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1900.
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 Dyer’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Dyer.
Dyer was platted in 1884 by G. E. Dyer soon after the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad was extended to that point. The community has the name of the local Dyer family; S. M. Dyer bought the town site in 1870. A post office has been in operation at Dyer since 1885.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 SurveyEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Dyer. 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 Dyer.
Between 343 and 876 people in every census since 1900.
13 censuses, 1900–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Dyer’s Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in Dyer itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Dyer’s post office has been open since 1885.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
In 1884, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Dyer’s post office opened in 1885, and the census of 1900 counted 343 people here.
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 (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2005
2005
