Lost Springs dates to 1859, and 21% of its homes were built before 1940
How Lost Springs began, and where its name came from
When was Lost Springs founded?
Lost Springs dates its founding to 1859 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1861.
How did Lost Springs get its name?
The city was named for a nearby lost spring that was a camping spot along the 19th century Santa Fe Trail.
Lost post offices and burying grounds
Lost Springs’s post office has been open since 1879. Another post office, Lost Spring, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Lost Springs’ history
What year was Lost Springs founded?
In 1859, according to Wikidata. Lost Springs’ post office opened in 1861.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 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.