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History · Kramer

Kramer’s post office opened in 1901, and 39% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1962 on.

1901first post office
0on the National Register
39%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Kramer began

When was Kramer founded?

1901

The Kramer post office opened in 1901, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 86125 years
Founding year: the first Kramer post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Kramer’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 Kramer are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Kramer’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Kramer’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Kramer came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Kramer.

Read it all →

On November 5, 1885, a post office was established called Cameron Springs, named for its first postmaster William Cameron. On June 12, 1889, the name was changed to Indiana Mineral Springs, and on March 23, 1901, it was changed again to Kramer, for the Henry L. Kramer who built the nearby resort Hotel Mudlavia. Mudlavia offered treatments that took advantage of the local mineral springs, which were believed to have therapeutic properties.

Indianapolis-based bottled water company Cameron Springs drew on the water's reputation to help market its product. Perrier Group of America acquired Cameron Springs for approximately $10.5 million in June 2000.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

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On the map

Kramer on the map, 1962 to 1980

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

Kramer on the 1962 USGS mapKramer on the 1980 USGS map1962Williamsport 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 Kramer.

Famous people

Famous people close to Kramer

Nobody well known was born in Kramer itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Jacob Edwin MeekerAmerican politician · b. 1878
J
Jewell YoungAmerican basketball player/coach · b. 1913
B
Bernard SobelAmerican playwright, drama critic, and author · b. 1887
Mary Theodosia MugNun, penwoman, biographer, historian · b. 1860
W
William Lynn ParkinsonUnited States federal judge · b. 1902
B
Bertha FosterFounding regent of the University of Miami · b. 1881

Questions about Kramer’s history

What year was Kramer founded?

The Kramer post office opened in 1901, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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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 Wikipedia and U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.