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B−History
History · Lakeport

Lakeport’s post office opened in 1861, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 50% of U.S. towns · #157 of 847 in California. What drives it

Most of Lakeport was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976. Its Register listings are the Lake County Courthouse and the Lakeport Carnegie Library. Below: 8 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1880.

1861first post office
2on the National Register
7%homes built before 1940
8old photos & papers
7famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Lakeport’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Lakeport began

When was Lakeport founded?

1861

The Lakeport post office opened in 1861, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1888.

First census: 562 in 18802020 census: 5,026165 years

How historic is Lakeport?

B−

More historic than 50% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Lakeport post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1888.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Lakeport’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lakeport is more historic than 50% of U.S. towns, #157 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lakeport’s overall grade.
Founding era1861, from the first post office: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19407.3% of homes (±4.2) · typical CA town 3.4% · U.S. 8.4%C+National Register2 listings, 3.9 per 10,000 residents · typical CA town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 50%
NewerOlder
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 82%

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 Lakeport’s 3.9 sits above most of its state (86% of California towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.2 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1888 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 Lakeport’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Mapped building by building4 fire insurance maps, 1885 to 1911, drew every building in Lakeport.
★ What stands out · Every building

Lakeport, building by building, 1885–1911

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.

Lakeport fire insurance map, 1885, sheet 11885Sheet 1 of 2
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

The story

How Lakeport came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Lakeport.

Read it all →

Former names include Forbestown, Rocky Point, Stony Point, Tuckertown, and Kaci-Badon.

Lakeport was first settled by American Indians several thousand years ago. At the coming of the settlers, the Kabe-napos, a subtribe of the Pomo people, lived here within their main village. The village name was Kaci-Badon, after the water lily plant Kaci, and badon, which was the native name for 'island'.

The first business in Lakeport was established in 1855, trading goods to the local Indians in exchange for their wares and baskets. The business was run by a man named Johnson, but he did not have a store location. The first shop built in the Lakeport area was constructed by Dr. Boynton.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Lakeport, 1861 to 1998

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1861Post officeThe Lakeport post office opens
  3. 1865In the archiveLakeport, Clear Lake.Alternate Title: Watkins' New Series, no.2339
  4. 1888In the archiveLakeport, Lake County, California
  5. 20th century
  6. 1908In the archiveThe Polychrome Co. - New R. R. Bridge, Winters, California back
  7. 1918BuiltLakeport Carnegie Library is built
  8. 1926In the archiveLooking S.E. to Clear Lake
  9. 1933Born herePhil Jordon is born here
  10. 1938On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  11. 1953Born hereKevin Canty is born here
  12. 1976Born hereMarla Ruzicka is born here
  13. 1981Born hereRonnie Cruz is born here
  14. 1998In the archiveFEMA - 982 - Photograph by Dave Gatley taken on 02-17-1998 in California
By decade

Lakeport, decade by decade

5 decades in the archive, from the 1860s to the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1860s–1920s5 items
Lakeport, Clear Lake.Alternate Title: Watkins' New Series, no.23391865–1876Lakeport, Clear Lake.Alternate Title: Watkins' New Se…Lakeport, Clear Lake.Alternate Title: Watkins' New Series, no.23391865–1876Lakeport, Clear Lake.Alternate Title: Watkins' New Se…Lakeport, Lake County, California1888Lakeport, Lake County, CaliforniaThe Polychrome Co. - New R. R. Bridge, Winters, California backc. 1908The Polychrome Co. - New R. R. Bridge, Winters, Calif…Looking S.E. to Clear Lake1926Looking S.E. to Clear Lake
1930s–1980snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
1990s3 items
FEMA - 982 - Photograph by Dave Gatley taken on 02-17-1998 in California1998FEMA - 982 - Photograph by Dave Gatley taken on 02-17…FEMA - 983 - Photograph by Dave Gatley taken on 02-17-1998 in California1998FEMA - 983 - Photograph by Dave Gatley taken on 02-17…FEMA - 984 - Photograph by Dave Gatley taken on 02-17-1998 in California1998FEMA - 984 - Photograph by Dave Gatley taken on 02-17…
Today8 recent
Community Wildfire Defense Grants (CWDG) (20240227-FS-ASA-071)2024Community Wildfire Defense Grants (CWDG) (20240227-FS…Community Wildfire Defense Grants (CWDG) (20240227-FS-ASA-070)2024Community Wildfire Defense Grants (CWDG) (20240227-FS…Community Wildfire Defense Grants (CWDG) (20240227-FS-ASA-069)2024Community Wildfire Defense Grants (CWDG) (20240227-FS…Lakeport CA Kmart2019Lakeport CA KmartRodman Slough Lakeport, CA. 95453 USA2011Rodman Slough Lakeport, CA. 95453 USALake County California - panoramio (9)2010Lake County California - panoramio (9)Main Street2007Main StreetLakeportcourthouse2007Lakeportcourthouse
On the map

Lakeport on the map, 1938 to 1977

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Lakeport. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Lakeport on the 1938 USGS mapLakeport on the 1958 USGS mapLakeport on the 1977 USGS map1938Lakeport sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Lakeport.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Lakeport, Clear Lake.Alternate Title: Watkins' New Series, no.2339
Retake this viewLakeport, Clear Lake.Alternate Title: Watkins' New Series, no.2339, 1865–1876

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Lakeport’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

2 historic places in Lakeport

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1970
Lake County Courthouse
Lake County CourthouseLakeport Carnegie Library, built 1918
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Classical Revival1
Lake County CourthouseBuilding
Lakeport Carnegie LibraryClassical Revival · Built 1918

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Lakeport, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,500188019001920194019601980200020205,026

Grew from 562 people in 1880 to 5,026 in 2020, 8 times over.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Lakeport’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

7 famous people were born in Lakeport

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
P
Phil JordonAmerican basketball player · b. 1933
Kevin CantyNovelist, short story writer · b. 1953
M
Marla RuzickaAmerican activist · b. 1976
R
Ronnie CruzPlayer of American football · b. 1981
Frederick H. ReimersAmerican architect · b. 1889
Harlin PoolMajor League Baseball outfielder · b. 1908
Places that used to be

Old corners and places now gone

Lakeport’s post office has been open since 1861.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Kaci-badon
Gone or out of use
Carnegie Free LibrarybuildingClear Lake CollegeschoolLakeport AcademyschoolLakeport Union Grammar Schoolschool

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Lakeport’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
3 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewLakeport, Clear Lake.Alternate Title: W…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

North LakeportIts storyC−

Questions about Lakeport’s history

What year was Lakeport founded?

The Lakeport post office opened in 1861, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1888.

How does Lakeport rank for history?

Lakeport is more historic than 50% of U.S. towns, #157 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.

What is on the National Register in Lakeport?

Two places: the Lake County Courthouse (listed 1970) and the Lakeport Carnegie Library (2008).

How old are the homes in Lakeport?

7% of Lakeport’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.2 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1976.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (15), the Library of Congress (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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 and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.