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History · Crook

Crook’s post office opened in 1882, and 42% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1953 on and the census since 1920.

1882first post office
0on the National Register
42%homes built before 1940
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Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers

How Crook began

When was Crook founded?

1882

The Crook post office opened in 1882, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 232 in 19202020 census: 133144 years
Founding year: the first Crook post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Crook’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Crook are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Crook’s homes were built before 1948.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Crook’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Crook’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Crook came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Crook.

Read it all →

The Crook, Colorado, post office opened on May 26, 1882. The Town of Crook was incorporated on September 23, 1918

The town was named for General George Crook, a general officer during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Crook has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names.

ChaptersToponymy

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Crook, decade by decade

Today4 recent
Aerial view of Crook, Colorado, December 20252025Aerial view of Crook, Colorado, December 2025Crook, Colorado2017Crook, ColoradoI-76EBExit149CO2008I-76EBExit149COCOMap-doton-Crook2005COMap-doton-Crook
On the map

Crook on the map, 1953 to 1984

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

Crook on the 1953 USGS mapCrook on the 1984 USGS map1953Crook sheet · 1:24,000

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

People over time

Crook, census by census

0100200192019401960198020002020Peak: 259

Between 110 and 259 people in every census since 1920.

11 censuses, 1920–2020.

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

Famous people

Famous people close to Crook

Nobody well known was born in Crook itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Herman ShumlinAmerican theatre director and producer · b. 1898
D
Dan ChaonAmerican writer · b. 1964
Donald G. BrotzmanAmerican politician · b. 1922
Fred DuttonRecipient of the Purple Heart medal · b. 1923
N
Nancy Ekholm BurkertAmerican illustrator · b. 1933
Greg BrophyAmerican politician · b. 1966

Questions about Crook’s history

What year was Crook founded?

The Crook post office opened in 1882, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
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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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (4), 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.