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History · Lucas

Lucas dates to 1877, and 27% of its homes were built before 1940

Its Register listings are the Garden of Eden, the Deeble Rock Garden and the Lucas School Gymnasium. Below: 6 old photos and papers from 1996 on.

1877founded
3on the National Register
27%homes built before 1940
6old photos & papers
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Lucas’ archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Lucas began

When was Lucas founded?

1877

Lucas dates its founding to 1877 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1877.

2020 census: 332149 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1877.The full story ↓

What stands out about Lucas’ past

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

Old housesHalf of Lucas’ homes were built before 1956.
★ What stands out · The story

How Lucas came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Lucas.

Read it all →

Lucas was established as the community of Blue Stem in 1877. It was renamed Lucas in 1887 after Lucas Place in St. Louis, Missouri.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Lucas, 1877 to 1996

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1877
    FoundingLucas is established
  3. 1877Post officeThe Blue Stem post office opens
  4. 1887Post officeThe Blue Stem post office closes
  5. 1887Post officeThe Lucas post office opens
  6. 20th century
  7. 1996In the archiveGarden of Eden
By decade

Lucas, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1990s6 items
Garden of Eden1996Garden of EdenGarden of Eden1996Garden of EdenGarden of Eden1996Garden of EdenGarden of Eden1996Garden of EdenGarden of Eden1996Garden of EdenGarden of Eden1996Garden of Eden
On the National Register

3 historic places in Lucas

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
3
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
4
each building in a district counts
first listed
1977
Garden of Eden
Garden of EdenDeeble Rock GardenLucas School Gymnasium
BuildingsSites
Garden of EdenSite
All 3 listings
Deeble Rock GardenSite · listed 2017Lucas School GymnasiumBuilding · listed 2022

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Lucas

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

See all →
John KuckAmerican athletics competitor · b. 1905
M
Mary Nicholas ArnoldyRoman Catholic nun and mathematician · b. 1893
C
C. W. E. JenningsAmerican businessman and state legislator · b. 1877
N
Neva EganFirst Lady of Alaska · b. 1914
Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Lucas’s post office has been open since 1887. Another post office, Blue Stem, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Blue Stem
1877–1887
Lucas
1887–today
18701950today

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

Help out

Finish Lucas’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewGarden of Eden: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Lucas’ history

What year was Lucas founded?

In 1877, according to Wikidata. Lucas’ post office opened in 1877.

What is on the National Register in Lucas?

Three places: the Garden of Eden (listed 1977), the Deeble Rock Garden (2017) and the Lucas School Gymnasium (2022).

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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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.