Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1910 on and old-book passages.
Nicolaus dates its founding to 1850 (Wikipedia’s history). Its post office opened in 1851.
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 Nicolaus’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Nicolaus. 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 Nicolaus.
From Wikipedia’s history of Nicolaus.
Nicolaus Allgeier established a ferry at what later became the town of Nicolaus in 1843 to cross the Feather River on the road between Sutter's Fort and Sutter's Hock Farm. The town was established in 1850 and has had a post office since July 28, 1851 making it one of the oldest post offices in the state.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Nicolaus, cut from the printed page as they were published.
In 1842, the settlement of Nicolaus Allgeier was made at the location of the present town of Nicolaus. This gentleman was bora in Freiberg, Germany, in 1807, and came to America about 1830. He went into the employ of the Hudson Bay Company as a trapper, and in this capacity spent a number of years in the wilds of British America. It was while in this service, in 1839 or 1840, that he came overland to California. A short time after his arrival here he left the employ of the company, and engaged to work for Captain Sutter. He
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The initial settlement was made in this township by Nicolaus Allo-eier in 1843, for the particulars of which we refer to the history of the town of Nicolaus and other parts of this volume. One year later, Theodore Sicard obtained a grant of foul' leagues on the south bank of Bear river, and took up his residence just above Johnson's crossing. This was for a number of years a part of Sutter county and of this township, but now belongs to Placer county. In 1847, Captain John A. Sutter sold a tract of land, one mile square, adjoining
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.
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 SurveyWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Nobody well known was born in Nicolaus itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1850, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Nicolaus’ post office opened in 1851.
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 Wikipedia, 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.
