Templeton was platted in 1882. The city was probably named for a railroad worker. The city was incorporated on September 28, 1883.
The city is perhaps best known as the home of Templeton Rye, a "brand" of rye manufactured during the prohibition era that was very popular in Chicago, Omaha, and Kansas City speakeasies. Many enterprising Carroll County farmers found this to be a viable way to supplement income during the Great Depression. At the height of the bootlegging during the Great Depression, Templeton with a population of less than 500 people, was using three railroad cars of sugar a month.
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, 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.
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