Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1902 on and the census since 1880.
The Elkport post office opened in 1849, the earliest record of the town by name.
Elkport was named from the Elk Creek.
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 Elkport’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Elkport.
Elkport was laid out as a town in 1855. It was named from the Elk Creek.
The town was severely damaged by floods in May 2004. After the floods, all residents of the town chose federal buyout, selling their homes to the United States federal government for demolition. In September 2006, nearly all of the buildings of Elkport were demolished.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Elkport. 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 Elkport.
Passages that mention Elkport, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Total, 15,361. Under the provisions of a prior election bridge projects were entitled to receive funds from the swamp land fund, if completed by April 8, 1857. There was a race between three bridges to be completed in time. The bridge over the Turkey river at Elkport was completed in November, 1856, and the bridges at Millville and Peck's Ferry were rushed through under high pressure. The bridge at Elkport broke down as soon as completed, much to the disappointment of Guttenberg merchants, but it was immediately rebuilt.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
ELKPORT Elkport was laid out in 1855 by Frederick Hartge. The town was named after Elk creek which empties into the Turkey river at this place. The first house was built by Frederick Hartge and the first store was kept by John Garber. The post office was estabhshed in 1852 with John Garber as postmaster. The post office at East Elkport was
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The first school in Volga was taught by Martin Garber in 1853, in a building owned by Frederick Hartage .The first school -house was built in Elkport in 1854, and was a frame-house, 20 x 30 feet. This wate afterward enlarged, and in 1868 it was replaced by the stone building now standing in Elkport. There are now eigli school districts, containing seven school-houses.
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.
Peaked at 326 in 1900; 29 people lived here in 2020.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Elkport’s Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in Elkport itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Elkport had its own post office from 1849 to 1983.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The Elkport post office opened in 1849, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
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 Wikimedia Commons (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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.
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