Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 45% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Below: old-book passages.
The Sanborn post office opened in 1878, the earliest record of the town by name.
Sanborn was named for George W. Sanborn, the railroad president.
More historic than 45% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Sanborn is more historic than 45% 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 Sanborn’s 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 Sanborn’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Sanborn.
Sanborn got its start in the year 1871, following construction of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway through that territory. It was named for George W. Sanborn, the railroad president. Sanborn was incorporated as a town in 1880.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Sanborn, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The town of Sanborn has reason to feel a just pride in its school facilities. From the first school house built in 1881 and through the building of several since then, the district now has one of much beauty and extensive proportions. From the Sanborn Pioneer we note a detailed description.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
house square was taken off, and wound around the treasurer's safe, then around a tree, thus anchoring this money receptacle in safety. By lo o'clock of the next day, about five hundred indignant farmers from around Primghar, were in Sanborn with blood in their eye, and demanded the return of the records, which had been deposited in a building at Sanborn. At this stage of the proceeding, better counsel prevailed; there was a meeting of the board, and auditor Peck with the citizens 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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereNeva Boyd is born here
Born hereWill Kirk Kaynor is born here
Born hereWiley Mayne is born hereWriters, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
The Sanborn post office opened in 1878, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Sanborn is more historic than 45% 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.
28% of Sanborn’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.9 points), against a typical 22% for an Iowa town; the median home was built in 1967.
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 (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.
2004