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History · Mitchell Township

Mitchell Township’s post office opened in 1882, and 51% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1894 on.

1882first post office
0on the National Register
51%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Mitchell Township began

When was Mitchell Township founded?

1882

The Mitchell Township post office opened in 1882, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Noble (1875) and Mitchell (1882), opened inside today’s town and later closed.

2020 census: 118144 years
Founding year: the first Mitchell Township post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Mitchell Township’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Mitchell Township are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18943 editions of the USGS map, 1894 to 1985. Watch Mitchell Township change.Old housesHalf of Mitchell Township’s homes were built before 1938.Lost villages2 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Mitchell Township, and 1 old place names are still on the map.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Mitchell Township’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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On the map

Mitchell Township on the map, 1894 to 1985

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

Mitchell Township on the 1894 USGS mapMitchell Township on the 1970 USGS mapMitchell Township on the 1985 USGS map1894Lyons 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 Mitchell Township.

The story

How Mitchell Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Mitchell Township.

Read it all →

In 1878, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and parties from Marion and McPherson counties chartered the Marion and McPherson Railway Company. In 1879, a branch line was built from Florence to McPherson, in 1880 it was extended to Lyons, in 1881 it was extended to Ellinwood. The line was leased and operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The line from Florence to Marion, was abandoned in 1968. In 1992, the line from Marion to McPherson was sold to Central Kansas Railway. In 1993, after heavy flood damage, the line from Marion to McPherson was abandoned. The original branch line connected Florence, Marion, Canada, Hillsboro, Lehigh, Canton, Galva, McPherson, Conway, Windom, Little River, Mitchell, Lyons, Chase and Ellinwood.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Mitchell Township, 1875 to 1953

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1875Post officeThe Noble post office opens
  3. 1882Post officeThe Mitchell post office opens
  4. 1894On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 20th century
  6. 1901Post officeThe Noble post office closes
  7. 1953Post officeThe Mitchell post office closes
By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
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Famous people

Famous people close to Mitchell Township

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

See all →
S
Sandra MyersSpanish athletics competitor · b. 1961
M
Milton R. WolfAmerican politician and physician · b. 1971
C
Carl MandaMajor League Baseball player · b. 1886
J
James PulliamAmerican architect · b. 1925
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and places now gone

Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Noble
1875–1901
Mitchell
1882–1953
18701950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Mitchell
Gone or out of use
Kepley Oil FieldoilfieldNoblelocale

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

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Union TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townWilson TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townGalt TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townHarrison TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Mitchell Township’s history

What year was Mitchell Township founded?

The Mitchell Township post office opened in 1882, 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 Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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.