The story
Read it all →How Gray came to be
From Wikipedia’s history of Gray.
Gray was laid out in 1881 by George Gray, and named for him. The Northwestern railroad was extended to the town in 1882.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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History · Gray
Gray dates to 1881, and 60% of its homes were built before 1940
Below: maps from 1971 on and the census since 1900.
1881founded
0on the National Register
60%homes built before 1940
Quick answers
How Gray began
When was Gray founded?
1881
Gray dates its founding to 1881 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1900.
First census: 180 in 19002020 census: 61145 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1882.The full story ↓
What stands out about Gray’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
★ What stands out · Help out
Start Gray’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Gray’s history is told.
Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.From the old history books
What they wrote about Gray in 1915
Passages that mention Gray, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Audubon county, Iowa1915 · page 45Read the page →
Read the text
Gray was named for its proprietor, George Gray. Towhead was the name of the high point of land three miles east of Exira. Years ago there were two oak trees there, which served as a landmark for miles around in most directions. The trees have long since vanished and the name is nearly obsolete.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Audubon county, Iowa1915 · page 389Read the page →
Read the text
The following is a sketch of a plain, honest man of affairs who, by correct methods and a strict regard for the interests of his patrons, has made his influence felt in the town of Gray, this county, having won for himself distinctive prestige in the business circles of that pleasant village. He would be the last man to pose as a subject for romance or to court fanciful encomium ; nevertheless, his life presents much that is interesting and valuable and which may be studied with profit by the young men whose careers are yet to be made. Mr. Hepp is one of those men whose integrity and strength of
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
Gray, 1881 to 1971
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
- 19th century
- 1881FoundingGray is established
- 1882Post officeThe Gray post office opens
- 20th century
- 1971
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade
Gray, decade by decade
Today3 recent
2021
2020
2004On the map
Gray on the map, 1971 to 1984
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Gray. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1971Gray sheet · 1:24,000U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Gray.
People over time
Gray, census by census
Between 61 and 196 people in every census since 1900.
13 censuses, 1900–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Gray’s Wikipedia page.
Places that used to be
Places now gone and burying grounds
Gray’s post office has been open since 1882.
Gone or out of use
Graylocale
1cemetery inside Gray
Gray
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Gray’s history
What year was Gray founded?
In 1881, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Gray’s post office opened in 1882, and the census of 1900 counted 180 people here.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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, 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.