Muscatine’s post office opened in 1839, and 32% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 97% of U.S. towns · #6 of 140 in Iowa. What drives it
20 places in town are on the National Register, among them five historic districts with 537 buildings between them. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1883 on, and the census since 1850.
The Muscatine post office opened in 1839, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Bloomington (1837), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 2,540 in 18502020 census: 23,797187 years
How historic is Muscatine?
A+
More historic than 97% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Muscatine post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Muscatine’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Muscatine is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns, #6 of 140 in Iowa. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Muscatine’s overall grade.
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 Muscatine’s 236 sits above most of its state (95% of Iowa towns have fewer) while its 555 historic buildings outnumber those of 97% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.5 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 →
What stands out about Muscatine’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Every building
Muscatine, building by building, 1883–1919
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.
Muscatine began as a trading post founded by representatives of Colonel George Davenport in 1833. Muscatine was incorporated as Bloomington in 1839; the name was changed to reduce mail delivery confusion, as there were several Bloomingtons in the Midwest. Before that, Muscatine had also been known as "Newburg" and "Casey's Landing".
The origin of the name Muscatine is debated. It may have been derived from the Mascouten Native American tribe. The Mascoutin lived along the Mississippi in the 1700s. In 1819 Muscatine Island was known as Mascoutin Island.
Passages that mention Muscatine, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The History of Muscatine county, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c. ..1879 · page 219Read the page →
Read the text
The first school in Muscatine County was taught by George Bumgardner, in the Spring of 1837, and in 1839, a log school house was erected in Muscatine, which served for a long time for school house, church and public hall.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The History of Muscatine county, Iowa1879 · page 219Read the page →
Read the text
The first school in Muscatine County was taught by George Bumgardner, in the Spring of 1837, and in 1839, a log school house was erected in Muscatine, which served for a long time for school house, church and public hall.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The History of Muscatine county, Iowa1879 · page 619Read the page →
Read the text
years of age, when he came to Iowa; arrived in the county Aug. 10, 1838; he bought a claim for his father's family to settle upon, and they came the following year, in April ; he voted and was Clerk of the Election in Storms Precinct, now Cedar Tp., in the fall of 1838; Muscatine only contained about eighty persons at that time; he engaged in farming ; he came to Muscatine and engaged in manufacturing plows, cultivators and fanning-mills ; in 1850, he connected with his business the manufacture of sash, doors and blinds ; since 1 855, he has been engaged in dealing in real estate. He laid out the town of Musserville, and, with Green, Stone and Jacob Butler, laid out
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Owen's gazetteer and directory of Muscatine County, Iowa1879Read the page →
Read the text
than Muscatine. The main line of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific passes through the northern tier of townships, while the southwest branch of this road intersects the main line at Wilcity of Muscatine and the eastern portion of the county. The main line of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Minnesota passes through the western townships, crossing the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific at West Liberty. The Muscatine Western Railroad, starting at Muscatine and running west, has been
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
Muscatine, 1837 to 1999
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
The Muscatine post office opened in 1839, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Muscatine rank for history?
Muscatine is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns, #6 of 140 in Iowa. 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.
What is on the National Register in Muscatine?
20 listings: 15 buildings, among them the Sinnett Octagon House (listed 1974, the first), and 5 historic districts with 537 contributing buildings. 555 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Muscatine?
32% of Muscatine’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.5 points), against a typical 22% for an Iowa town; the median home was built in 1963.
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 (4), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (20), 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.
1844
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