Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The Lake Mills post office opened in 1867, the earliest record of the town by name.
More historic than 43% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lake Mills is more historic than 43% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
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 Lake Mills’ 0.0 sits below most of its state (17% of Iowa towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: the first post office (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 →
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 Lake Mills’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Lake Mills.
Lake Mills was platted in part of the northeast quadrant of Center Township in 1869. A gristmill had been built at the site in 1864. Lake Mills was incorporated as a city in 1880.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Lake Mills, cut from the printed page as they were published.
INCORPORATION In 1880, the town of Lake Mills, having attained a population of 408 inhabitants, thought seriously of forming itself into a body corporate. The necessary proceedings were had and on June 7, 1880 an election was held at the Lake Mills school house upon the question of incorporating the town. J. M. Hull, H. A. Rowland and C. D. Smith were the judges of the election ; and John F. Kean and W. A. Chapman, clerks.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
According to the state census of 1915, the population of Center Township was then 2,194, including the town of Lake Mills, showing it to be the second township of the county in the number of inhabitants. The property of the township, including that of Lake Mills, was assessed for taxation in 1916 at $606,583.
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Lake Mills. 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 Lake Mills.
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 sheet.
1916Sheet 2 of 2Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Between 414 and 2,281 people in every census since 1880.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Lake Mills’ Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Lake Mills’s post office has been open since 1867.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The Lake Mills post office opened in 1867, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Lake Mills is more historic than 43% of U.S. towns. 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.
26% of Lake Mills’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.6 points), against a typical 22% for an Iowa town; the median home was built in 1964.
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).
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), 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.
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