The Inman post office opened in 1884, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1887. Another post office, Superior (1875), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
2020 census: 1,341142 years
How historic is Inman?
B
More historic than 60% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Inman post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1887.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Inman’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Inman is more historic than 60% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Inman’s overall grade.
Kansas towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Kansas town has 5.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Inman’s 7.5 sits near the middle of its state (56% of Kansas towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±10.5 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1887 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
It was founded in 1887 as Aiken. It was renamed Inman, in 1889, after Major Henry Inman, who was first the namesake for Lake Inman, located approximately 4 miles (6 km) east of the town.
In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a main line from Herington through Inman to Pratt. In 1888, this line was extended to Liberal. Later, it was extended to Tucumcari, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas. It foreclosed in 1891 and taken over by Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, which shut down in 1980 and reorganized as Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad, merged in 1988 with Missouri Pacific Railroad, merged in 1997 with Union Pacific Railroad. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island".
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.
The Inman post office opened in 1884, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1887.
How does Inman rank for history?
Inman is more historic than 60% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Inman?
One place: the Inman I.O.O.F. Hall (listed 2011).
How old are the homes in Inman?
24% of Inman’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±10.5 points), against a typical 10% for a Kansas town; the median home was built in 1974.
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).
From Wikimedia Commons (5), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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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