Forest City dates to 1855, and 21% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 56% of U.S. towns · #96 of 140 in Iowa. What drives it
Its Register listings are the Charles J. Thompson House and the Winnebago County Courthouse. Its Register listings are the Charles J. Thompson House and the Winnebago County Courthouse. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1901 on, and the census since 1870.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1856.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Forest City’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Forest City is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #96 of 140 in Iowa. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Forest City’s overall grade.
Iowa towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Iowa town has 9.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Forest City’s 4.7 sits near the middle of its state (44% of Iowa towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.7 points). Two sources give 1855.
Founding year: Wikidata (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 Forest City’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
Forest City was officially founded in 1855. Formerly known as “Puckerbrush”, Robert Clark the official founder/surveyor deemed it “Forest City” because it was cut right out of the trees. It was then platted in 1856, and later incorporated on June 14, 1878. The population started to grow when immigrants from Sweden and Norway settled in the Forest City area because of the similar topography. Its growth continued as city leaders convinced the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad to come through Forest City. Although the Civil War stunted the area's growth, many immigrants found the city attractive. Later on churches, banks, a college (Waldorf University), electricity, and the telephone turned Forest City into an ideal country town. In 1960, investors took over a failing travel trailer factory and created Winnebago Industries, creating what would become one of the largest employers in the r…
Passages that mention Forest City, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement ..1917 · page 115Read the page →
Read the text
The first school was taught in 1858 by Miss Sarah Beadle, in a house built by Nathan Jeffords in Forest City. Exclusive of the schools at Forest City and Leland, there are now seven school districts in the county. According to the state census of 1915, the population of Forest Township was then 3,030, and in 1916 the property, not including Forest City, was valued for tax purposes at $373,881. By including Forest City the total valuation was $700,155.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement ..1917 · page 209Read the page →
Read the text
In 1857 a postoffice was establislied at Forest City, with Robert Clark, postmaster, and in 1858 a mail route was secured from Clear Lake to Algona, l)y way of Forest City, with Joseph Hewitt, mail carrier. Previous to this the settlers were required to go to ]\Iason City for their mail and indeed the first settlers received their mail at Cedar Falls. At this time there was no flouring mill nearer than fifty mik^s, and the earliest settlers were ol)liged to go to Cedar Falls, a distance of one hundred miles, for flour. Previous to 1860 the nearest market
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.
Timeline
Forest City, 1855 to 1972
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Forest City’s post office has been open since 1856.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Forest Park Mobile Home Court
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Forest City
OaklandSaint James Catholic
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Forest City’s history
What year was Forest City founded?
In 1855, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Forest City’s post office opened in 1856, and the census of 1870 counted 155 people here.
How does Forest City rank for history?
Forest City is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #96 of 140 in Iowa. 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.
What is on the National Register in Forest City?
Two places: the Charles J. Thompson House (listed 1978) and the Winnebago County Courthouse (1981).
How old are the homes in Forest City?
21% of Forest City’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.7 points), against a typical 22% for an Iowa town; the median home was built in 1971.
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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.
![In 1857 a postoffice was establislied at Forest City, with Robert Clark, postmaster, and in 1858 a mail route was secured from Clear Lake to Algona, l)y way of Forest City, with Joseph Hewitt, mail carrier. Previous to this the settlers were required to go to ]\Iason City for their mail and indeed …](https://images.townratings.com/story/5895/bk-95a7584b4464d32e-l.jpg)
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