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History · Livermore

Livermore dates to 1879, and 46% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1972 on and the census since 1880.

1879founded
0on the National Register
46%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Brandonrush · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers

How Livermore began

When was Livermore founded?

1879

Livermore dates its founding to 1879 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 168 in 18802020 census: 381147 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1880.The full story ↓

What stands out about Livermore’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 Livermore are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 736 in 1940; 381 people lived here in 2020.Old housesHalf of Livermore’s homes were built before 1944.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Livermore’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Livermore’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Livermore, census by census

020040060080018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 736

Peaked at 736 in 1940; 381 people lived here in 2020.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Livermore’s Wikipedia page.

The story

How Livermore came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Livermore.

Read it all →

Livermore was founded in 1879. The community grew in importance as an agricultural center with grain elevators and feed mills and merchants serving the surrounding rich farmland. The community is located adjacent to the confluence of the East Fork Des Moines River and Lott's Creek. Early industries included a brick and tile factory and agricultural products processing. As north central Iowa's rural population dwindled, so has Livermore's population. Its remaining elementary school closed in 2005.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Livermore, 1879 to 1972

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1879
    FoundingLivermore is established
  3. 1880Post officeThe Livermore post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1940CensusPopulation peaks at 736
  6. 1972On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Livermore, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Livermore, Iowa 0052017Livermore, Iowa 005Livermore, Iowa 0042017Livermore, Iowa 004Livermore, Iowa 0032017Livermore, Iowa 003Livermore, Iowa 0022017Livermore, Iowa 002Livermore, Iowa 0012017Livermore, Iowa 001IAMap-doton-Livermore2004IAMap-doton-Livermore
On the map

Livermore on the map, 1972 to 1984

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Livermore. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Livermore on the 1972 USGS mapLivermore on the 1984 USGS map1972Livermore sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Livermore.

Famous people

Famous people close to Livermore

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

See all →
C
Christian ClemensonAmerican actor · b. 1958
Hank WordenAmerican actor · b. 1901
Harry ReasonerAmerican journalist · b. 1923
Frank GotchAmerican professional wrestler · b. 1877
Archie StoutAmerican cinematographer · b. 1886
Frances LeeAmerican actress and Ziegfeld Girl · b. 1906

Questions about Livermore’s history

What year was Livermore founded?

In 1879, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Livermore’s post office opened in 1880, and the census of 1880 counted 168 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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 (6), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.