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History · Straughn

Straughn dates to 1868, and 35% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1948 on and the census since 1880.

1868founded
0on the National Register
35%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Straughn began, and where its name came from

When was Straughn founded?

1868

Straughn dates its founding to 1868 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 143 in 18802020 census: 259158 years

How did Straughn get its name?

Straughn was named for Merriman Straughn, a pioneer settler.

Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1869. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓

What stands out about Straughn’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 Straughn are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 349 in 1960; 259 people lived here in 2020.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Straughn’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Straughn’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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People over time

Straughn, census by census

010020030018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 349

Peaked at 349 in 1960; 259 people lived here in 2020.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

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

The story

How Straughn came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Straughn.

Read it all →

Straughn was platted in 1868. It was named for Merriman Straughn, a pioneer settler.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Straughn, 1868 to 1960

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1868
    FoundingStraughn is established
  3. 1869Post officeThe Straughn's Station post office opens
  4. 1882Post officeThe Straughn's Station post office closes
  5. 1882Post officeThe Straughn post office opens
  6. 20th century
  7. 1948On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 1960CensusPopulation peaks at 349
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

Straughn on the map, 1948 to 1970

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

Straughn on the 1948 USGS mapStraughn on the 1950 USGS mapStraughn on the 1970 USGS map1948Lewisville 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 Straughn.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Straughn’s post office has been open since 1882. Another post office, Straughn's Station, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Straughn's Station
1869–1882
Straughn
1882–today
18601940today

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Straughn’s history

What year was Straughn founded?

In 1868, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Straughn’s post office opened in 1869, and the census of 1880 counted 143 people here.

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, 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.