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History · Gilbertville

Gilbertville dates to 1856

Most of Gilbertville was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976. Below: old-book passages.

1856founded
0on the National Register
10%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Gilbertville began

When was Gilbertville founded?

1856

Gilbertville dates its founding to 1856 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1855.

2020 census: 794170 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1855.

What stands out about Gilbertville’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 Gilbertville are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
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Start Gilbertville’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Gilbertville’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 so far

Gilbertville, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Gilbertville yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Gilbertville is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 794 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metropolitan area.

Gilbertville was established in 1856. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 712 to 794 (+12%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Gilbertville in 1915

Passages that mention Gilbertville, cut from the printed page as they were published.

of his mother's farm. Two years later he started out in life for himself and engaged in agricultural pursuits for ten years. At the end of that time he sold his farming interests and with his brother engaged in the implement business in Gilbertville, continuing in that connection for about ten year…
History of Black Hawk County, Iowa, and its people1915 · page 412Read the page →
Read the text

of his mother's farm. Two years later he started out in life for himself and engaged in agricultural pursuits for ten years. At the end of that time he sold his farming interests and with his brother engaged in the implement business in Gilbertville, continuing in that connection for about ten years. He then in company with others organized the German Savings Bank of Gilbertville and it was a high testimonial to his popularity and reputation for integrity and business ability that the entire block of stock was subscribed for in twenty hours. Since the establishment of the bank Mr. Schares has been its cashier and its steady, normal

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

Gilbertville, 1855 to 1858

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1855Post officeThe Knox post office opens
  3. 1856
    FoundingGilbertville is established
  4. 1858Post officeThe Knox post office closes
  5. 1858Post officeThe Gilbertville post office opens
By decade

Gilbertville, decade by decade

Today2 recent
GilbertvilleIowaPopPlot2021GilbertvilleIowaPopPlotIAMap-doton-Gilbertville2004IAMap-doton-Gilbertville
Famous people

Famous people close to Gilbertville

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

See all →
Lou Henry HooverFirst Lady of the United States from 1929 to 19… · b. 1874
M
Michele BachmannAmerican politician · b. 1956
Julie AdamsAmerican actress · b. 1926
Chuck GrassleyUnited States Senator from Iowa since 1981 · b. 1933
Marc AndreessenAmerican entrepreneur, investor, and software e… · b. 1971
Adam DeVineAmerican actor, comedian and writer · b. 1983
Places that used to be

Lost post offices and burying grounds

Gilbertville’s post office has been open since 1858. Another post office, Knox, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Knox
1855–1858
Gilbertville
1858–today
18501940today
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Gilbertville
Saint Mary'sSaint Marys Catholic

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Gilbertville’s history

What year was Gilbertville founded?

In 1856, according to Wikidata. Gilbertville’s post office opened in 1855.

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 (2), 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.