The story
Read it all →How Moulton came to be
From Wikipedia’s history of Moulton.
Moulton was platted in 1867. In 1873, the Burlington and Southwestern Railway was built into the settlement.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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History · Moulton
Moulton dates to 1867, and 30% of its homes were built before 1940
Below: maps from 1895 on and the census since 1870.
1867founded
0on the National Register
30%homes built before 1940
4famous people
Quick answers
How Moulton began
When was Moulton founded?
1867
Moulton dates its founding to 1867 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1870.
First census: 678 in 18702020 census: 607159 years
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1868.The full story ↓
What stands out about Moulton’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 Moulton’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Moulton’s history is told.
Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.People over time
Moulton, census by census
Peaked at 1,476 in 1930; 607 people lived here in 2020.
16 censuses, 1870–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Moulton’s Wikipedia page.
Every building
Moulton, building by building, 1895–1907
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.
1895Sheet 1 of 2Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Moulton, 1878–1905
Passages that mention Moulton, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A history of the Moulton family1905Read the page →
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Robert Moulton was in the Royal Navy in 1636, and he and his sons, James and Robert Jr., still held commands under Parliament after the death of Charles I. No less than five captains by the name of Moulton appear on the register of the navy at about that time.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Appanoose County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prom1878 · page 447Read the page →
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The notice of election to choose ofiicers for the inchoate city of Moulton was dated May 3, 1869, and was signed by the Commissioners for the petitioners for the incorporation, Samuel Leerburger, Peter Fees, Jacob Neal, Tom McAchran, Wilson Nycum. The election was ordered by them to be held at the dry goods store of A. Hart, May 18.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A history of the Moulton family1905Read the page →
Read the text
Rev. John Fisk's land, according to evidence given by Samuel Moulton in 1698, then of Rehoboth, formerly of Wenham. When Samuel Moulton left Wenham in 1652, he was fifty-seven years old. Fisk's land was then bounded by land of James Moulton, Samuel Kimball, John Foster and Pleasant Pond. At this time, 1698, John Fisk and James Moulton were both dead.
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
Moulton, 1861 to 1995
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
- 19th century
- 1861
Born hereDon C. Edwards is born here - 1867FoundingMoulton is established
- 1868Post officeThe Moulton post office opens
- 1872
Born hereClaude R. Porter is born here - 1888Born hereOra B. Moore is born here
- 20th century
- 1930CensusPopulation peaks at 1,476
- 1979
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey - 1995Born hereAustin Harris is born here
By decade
Moulton, decade by decade
Today2 recent
2024
2004On the map
Moulton on the map, 1979 to 1981
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Moulton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1979Moulton 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 Moulton.
Famous people
See all →4 famous people were born in Moulton
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Questions about Moulton’s history
What year was Moulton founded?
In 1867, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Moulton’s post office opened in 1868, and the census of 1870 counted 678 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 (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.