Most of Twain Harte was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1975. Below: maps from 1956 on and the census since 1970.
Founding year: the first Twain Harte post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
History grade
What drives Twain Harte’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Twain Harte is more historic than 16% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Twain Harte’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 Twain Harte’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 (±5.7 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 Twain Harte’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Twain Harte’s post office has been open since 1931.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Black Oak EstatesCedar Pines VistaCedar Rock LodgeGoldmont ForestLakewood HighlandsLakewood ParkLilac TerraceLynnwood EstatesScenic HeightsTwain Harte Valley
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The story so far
Twain Harte, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Twain Harte yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Twain Harte is a census-designated place (CDP) in Tuolumne County, California, United States. The population was 2,378 at the 2020 census, up from 2,226 at the 2010 census. Its name is derived from the last names of two famous authors who lived in California, Mark Twain and Bret Harte.
Its first post office opened in 1931. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 2,226 to 2,378 (+7%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
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.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
The Twain Harte post office opened in 1931, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Twain Harte rank for history?
Twain Harte is more historic than 16% of U.S. towns. 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 Twain Harte?
8% of Twain Harte’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.7 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1975.
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 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.
