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History · Viola

Viola dates to 1856, and 59% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1930 on and the census since 1920.

1856founded
0on the National Register
59%homes built before 1940
1famous people
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Quick answers

How Viola began

When was Viola founded?

1856

Viola dates its founding to 1856 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1920.

First census: 114 in 19202020 census: 140170 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1878.The full story ↓

What stands out about Viola’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 Viola are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Viola’s homes were built before 1938.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Viola’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Viola came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Viola.

Read it all →

Viola was built in 1856 after the Delaware Railroad opened a station. The town was laid out on a grant called Golden Thicket, owned by William Shores in 1681.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Viola, 1856 to 1930

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1856
    FoundingViola is established
  3. 1859Born hereJames K. Beauchamp is born here
  4. 1878Post officeThe Vioia post office opens
  5. 20th century
  6. 1930On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Viola, decade by decade

Today3 recent
Mother duck and her ducklings in Viola Farm's restored wetland2018Mother duck and her ducklings in Viola Farm's restore…A mother fox peeks out over crops at Viola Farm2018A mother fox peeks out over crops at Viola FarmAn old map showing Viola farms property2018An old map showing Viola farms propertyMap
On the map

Viola on the map, 1930 to 1993

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

Viola on the 1930 USGS mapViola on the 1956 USGS mapViola on the 1981 USGS mapViola on the 1993 USGS map1930Wyoming 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 Viola.

People over time

Viola, census by census

0100192019401960198020002020Peak: 167

Between 104 and 167 people in every census since 1920.

11 censuses, 1920–2020.

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

Questions about Viola’s history

What year was Viola founded?

In 1856, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Viola’s post office opened in 1878, and the census of 1920 counted 114 people here.

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
Start a conversation
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 (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.