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History · Westphalia

Westphalia dates to 1872, and 48% of its homes were built before 1940

1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 6 buildings. Below: maps from 1978 on and the census since 1880.

1872founded
1on the National Register
48%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Westphalia began, and where its name came from

When was Westphalia founded?

1872

Westphalia dates its founding to 1872 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 55 in 18802020 census: 126154 years

How did Westphalia get its name?

Westphalia was named after the Province of Westphalia, in Germany.

Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1875. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓

What stands out about Westphalia’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 Westphalia are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 169 in 1980; 126 people lived here in 2020.Old housesHalf of Westphalia’s homes were built before 1953.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Westphalia’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Westphalia’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

Westphalia, census by census

010018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 169

Peaked at 169 in 1980; 126 people lived here in 2020.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

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

The story

How Westphalia came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Westphalia.

Read it all →

Westphalia was founded in 1872 as a colony of German Catholic farmers and small merchants. It was named after the Province of Westphalia, in Germany.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Westphalia, 1872 to 1980

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1872
    FoundingWestphalia is established
  3. 1875Post officeThe Westphalia post office opens
  4. 1882BuiltSaint Boniface Catholic Church District is built
  5. 20th century
  6. 1978On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  7. 1980CensusPopulation peaks at 169
By decade

Westphalia, decade by decade

Today2 recent
St. Boniface Catholic Church2017St. Boniface Catholic ChurchIAMap-doton-Westphalia2004IAMap-doton-Westphalia
On the map

Westphalia on the map, 1978 to 1980

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

Westphalia on the 1978 USGS mapWestphalia on the 1980 USGS map1978Panama 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 Westphalia.

On the National Register

1 listing protects 6 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
6
each building in a district counts
first listed
1991
Saint Boniface Catholic Church District
Saint Boniface Catholic Church District, built 1882
Districts

Architectural styles listings

Late Victorian1
Romanesque1
Saint Boniface Catholic Church DistrictLate Victorian · Built 1882

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Questions about Westphalia’s history

What year was Westphalia founded?

In 1872, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Westphalia’s post office opened in 1875, and the census of 1880 counted 55 people here.

What is on the National Register in Westphalia?

One place: the Saint Boniface Catholic Church District (listed 1991).

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 (2), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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.