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History · Lincolnville

Lincolnville dates to 1860, and 56% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1898 on, and the census since 1920.

1860founded
0on the National Register
56%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Lincolnville began

When was Lincolnville founded?

1860

Lincolnville dates its founding to 1860 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1920.

First census: 260 in 19202020 census: 168166 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1868.The full story ↓

What stands out about Lincolnville’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 18983 editions of the USGS map, 1898 to 1985. Watch Lincolnville change.Old housesHalf of Lincolnville’s homes were built before 1938.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Lincolnville’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Lincolnville’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
On the map

Lincolnville on the map, 1898 to 1985

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

Lincolnville on the 1898 USGS mapLincolnville on the 1971 USGS mapLincolnville on the 1985 USGS map1898Cottonwood Falls 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 Lincolnville.

The story

How Lincolnville came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Lincolnville.

Read it all →

The first settlers to the area were Heman Deal (1860) and Thomas Wise, Jr (1863). A post office was established in Lincolnville on December 31, 1868.

The first Lincolnville plat was filed by Robert C McAllister on May 18, 1872, but the patent from the United States government was not granted until August 23, 1878. President Abraham Lincoln is the city's namesake.

ChaptersEarly history19th century

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Lincolnville, 1860 to 1898

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1860
    FoundingLincolnville is established
  3. 1868Post officeThe Lincolnville post office opens
  4. 1893In the archiveMap elk chase kansas
  5. 1898On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Lincolnville, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1890s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1890s1 item
Map elk chase kansas1893Map elk chase kansasMap
1900s–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
Stouffer's Railroad Map of Kansas 1915-1918 Marion County2013Stouffer's Railroad Map of Kansas 1915-1918 Marion Co…MapDetailed map of2010Detailed map ofMapMap of Marion Co, Ks, USA2005Map of Marion Co, Ks, USAMapKSMap-doton-Lincolnville2004KSMap-doton-Lincolnville
People over time

Lincolnville, census by census

0100200300192019401960198020002020Peak: 270

Between 168 and 270 people in every census since 1920.

11 censuses, 1920–2020.

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

Questions about Lincolnville’s history

What year was Lincolnville founded?

In 1860, according to Wikidata. Lincolnville’s post office opened in 1868, and the census of 1920 counted 260 people here.

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.