Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Miranda. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1921Briceland 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 Miranda.
The story so far
Miranda, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Miranda yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Miranda (formerly Jacobsen's) is a census-designated place in Humboldt County, California, United States. It is located 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Phillipsville, at an elevation of 351 feet (107 m). The ZIP Code is 95553. The population was 441 at the 2020 census. The name Miranda was originally applied to the area's post office on August 26, 1905. One account states that it is not known whether the name giver had in mind a girl or the well-known Spanish place name and family name. Miranda was known as Jacobsen's Valley until the post office was established. Another account states that Etta Coombs chose the name "Miranda" for the post office she started. Miranda is located on the Avenue …
Its first post office opened in 1905. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 520 to 441 (-15%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Miranda in 1899
Passages that mention Miranda, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Charnock promised, and that day Lady Donnisthorpe wrote to her cousin, Miranda Warriner, at Ronda, who was now at the end of the first year of her widowhood, and of the third year of her ridiculous seclusion at that little hill-town of Spain. Miranda was entreated, implored, and commanded to come to London in May. There was the season, there was Miranda's estate in
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Miranda saw them approaching, noticed an indefinable air of expectation in Lady Donnisthorpe's manner, and smiled. A few excessively casual remarks concerning one Mr. Charnock, which Lady Donnisthorpe had dropped during the last few days, had not escaped the notice of Miranda, who was aware of her cousin's particular weakness.
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.
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
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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 U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System 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.
