More historic than 11% of U.S. towns · #117 of 159 in Colorado. What drives it
Most of Bennett was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2000. Below: maps from 1949 on and the census since 1930.
The Bennett post office opened in 1907, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1930. Another post office, Bennet (1877), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 211 in 19302020 census: 2,862119 years
How historic is Bennett?
D
More historic than 11% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Bennett post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1930.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Bennett’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bennett is more historic than 11% of U.S. towns, #117 of 159 in Colorado. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Bennett’s overall grade.
Few Colorado towns list much on the Register (a typical Colorado town has 1.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Bennett’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (22% of Colorado 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 (±5.2 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1930 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 Bennett’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Bennett was originally known as Kiowa Crossing or Bennett Station. A post office operating under the name Bennet opened on March 16, 1877, named for Hiram Pitt Bennet, a congressional delegate from the Territory of Colorado and Colorado Secretary of State. The spelling was officially changed to Bennett on June 1, 1907.
During the late 19th century, the settlement served as a pivotal railroad and ranching hub on the Kansas Pacific Railway (later Union Pacific) line.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Bennett.
People over time
Bennett, census by census
Grew from 211 people in 1930 to 2,862 in 2020, more than tenfold.
10 censuses, 1930–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Bennett’s Wikipedia page.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices and burying grounds
Bennett’s post office has been open since 1907. Another post office, Bennet, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Bennet
1877–1907
Bennett
1907–today
18701950today
1cemetery inside Bennett
Mount View
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Bennett’s history
What year was Bennett founded?
The Bennett post office opened in 1907, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1930.
How does Bennett rank for history?
Bennett is more historic than 11% of U.S. towns, #117 of 159 in Colorado. 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 Bennett?
5% of Bennett’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.2 points), against a typical 2.5% for a Colorado town; the median home was built in 2000.
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 (5), Wikipedia, 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.
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