More historic than 14% of U.S. towns · #610 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of Gustine was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1988. Below: maps from 1910 on and the census since 1920.
Founding year: the first Gustine post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1915.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Gustine’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Gustine is more historic than 14% of U.S. towns, #610 of 847 in California. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Gustine’s overall grade.
Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Gustine’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (31% of California towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.5 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1915 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Gustine’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Gustine was established in the early 1900s as a station on the Southern Pacific Railroad and named after Sara Miller, nicknamed "Gussie", the daughter of Henry Miller, the "Cattle King", an early California land baron and Agricultural pioneer. Sara's middle name was Augustine, that is where the name Gustine comes from. Little Sara, always getting "gussied up" with fancy clothes, was killed when she was thrown from her horse when she was eight years old. The first post office opened in 1907. The city was incorporated in 1915.
Gustine was the site of the first 9-1-1 system in California, installed in March 1970.
Gustine is home to the nation's largest festa which is steeped in Portuguese tradition.
Passages that mention Gustine, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A history of Merced County, California1925 · page 562Read the page →
Read the text
ELISHA HALES Prominent among the early settlers of Gustine, Merced County is Elisha Hales, one of its most respected and valued citizens. Coming to Gustine many years ago he bought forty acres of land just outside the town limits, where he established a dairy and in connection raised alfalfa. When the town of Gustine was laid out he was one of the first to build a residence and he has been an active and influential force in the advancement of this section ever since. He was born
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A history of Merced County, California1925 · page 867Read the page →
Read the text
farm near Millbrae, where he worked three years in gardens and at general farming. The dry goods business was his next venture, and he followed it for ten years in San Rafael. Upon selling out he came to Gustine, Merced County, in 1910, and for six years was manager of the dry goods department of Miller and Lux's store in Gustine. In 1916 he became manager of the Gustine Creamery, holding the posi- 25
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Gustine. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1947San Jose sheet · 1:250,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Gustine.
Every building
Gustine, building by building, 1910–1920
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1910Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
People over time
Gustine, census by census
Grew from 716 people in 1920 to 6,110 in 2020, 8 times over.
11 censuses, 1920–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Gustine’s Wikipedia page.
Places that used to be
Places now gone
Gustine’s post office has been open since 1907.
Gone or out of use
Valley Theatrebuilding
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Gustine’s history
What year was Gustine founded?
The Gustine post office opened in 1907, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1915.
How does Gustine rank for history?
Gustine is more historic than 14% of U.S. towns, #610 of 847 in California. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Gustine?
6% of Gustine’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.5 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1988.
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).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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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