–Not graded

History · Claflin

Claflin’s post office opened in 1887, and 31% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1896 on, and the census since 1910.

1887first post office

0on the National Register

31%homes built before 1940

1old photo or paper

Add an old photo Share a memory

From Claflin’s archive · credits on each photo

Quick answers

How Claflin began

When was Claflin founded?

1887

The Claflin post office opened in 1887, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 554 in 19102020 census: 562139 years

Founding year: the first Claflin post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Claflin’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18963 editions of the USGS map, 1896 to 1985. Watch Claflin change.Boom and bustPeaked at 921 in 1950; 562 people lived here in 2020.Old housesHalf of Claflin’s homes were built before 1956.

★ What stands out · Help out

Start Claflin’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos

00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s

1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.

Retake an old viewClaflin, Kansas (1900): stand where they stood+15 Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

On the map

Claflin on the map, 1896 to 1985

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

1896Russell sheet · 1:125,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Claflin.

People over time

Claflin, census by census

Peaked at 921 in 1950; 562 people lived here in 2020.

12 censuses, 1910–2020.

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

The story

How Claflin came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Claflin.

Read it all →

Prior to American expansion and occupation, the region was controlled by Cheyenne, Pawnee, and Kiowa tribes. The Santa Fe Trail contributed to American settlement in Barton County, as it did throughout Kansas and much of the southern Great Plains.

The first settlement claim recorded in the area of Claflin was made by George Platt in 1870. This claim was divided and re-entered, eventually being sold to J. H. Williamson in 1875, and becoming the town of Claflin.

The community was officially organized in response to Missouri Pacific Railroad plans for a branch line to come through the area.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Claflin, 1887 to 1950

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

19th century
1887Post officeThe Claflin post office opens
1896On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
20th century
1900In the archiveClaflin, Kansas (1900)
1950CensusPopulation peaks at 921

By decade

Claflin, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1900s1 item

1900Claflin, Kansas (1900)

1910s–1990snothing yet

Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Add from your album

Today4 recent

2014Claflin, Kansas

2010Detailed map ofMap

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Retake this viewClaflin, Kansas (1900), 1900

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Claflin’s page.

Retake this view · +15

Famous people

Famous people close to Claflin

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

See all →

Kari WahlgrenAmerican voice actress · b. 1977

Wally HickelGovernor of Alaska, United States Secretary of … · b. 1919

Clarence R. HuebnerUnited States Army general · b. 1888

Fay ThomasAmerican baseball player · b. 1903

Randall RothLaw professor · b. 1948

Doug DumlerAmerican football player · b. 1950

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Independent TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town Logan TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Claflin’s history

What year was Claflin founded?

The Claflin post office opened in 1887, 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 →

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 (5), 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.

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