Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Morganville

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
–Not graded
History · Morganville

Morganville’s post office opened in 1872, and 65% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1891 on and the census since 1890.

1872first post office
0on the National Register
65%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Morganville began, and where its name came from

When was Morganville founded?

1872

The Morganville post office opened in 1872, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Della (1871), opened inside today’s city and later closed.

First census: 233 in 18902020 census: 180154 years

How did Morganville get its name?

Morganville was named for its founder, Ebenezer Morgan.

Founding year: the first Morganville post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓

What stands out about Morganville’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 Morganville are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18913 editions of the USGS map, 1891 to 1985. Watch Morganville change.Old housesHalf of Morganville’s homes were built before 1938.Boom and bustPeaked at 350 in 1900; 180 people lived here in 2020.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Morganville’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Morganville’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

Morganville on the map, 1891 to 1985

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

Morganville on the 1891 USGS mapMorganville on the 1964 USGS mapMorganville on the 1985 USGS map1891Clay Center 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 Morganville.

The story

How Morganville came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Morganville.

Read it all →

Morganville was founded in 1870. It was named for its founder, Ebenezer Morgan. The first store in Morganville opened in 1871.

The post office in Morganville was originally called Della. It was established in 1871.

Morganville was located on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Morganville, 1871 to 1900

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1871Post officeThe Della post office opens
  3. 1872Post officeThe Della post office closes
  4. 1872Post officeThe Morganville post office opens
  5. 1891On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 20th century
  7. 1900CensusPopulation peaks at 350
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.
Add from your album
People over time

Morganville, census by census

01002003001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 350

Peaked at 350 in 1900; 180 people lived here in 2020.

14 censuses, 1890–2020.

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

Famous people

Famous people close to Morganville

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

See all →
Patrice WymoreAmerican actress and singer · b. 1926
Alwyn Howard GentryAmerican botanist · b. 1945
Tenney FrankAmerican historian · b. 1876
George DockingAmerican politician · b. 1904
N
Nicole OhldeAmerican basketball player · b. 1982
Don W. WilsonArchivist of the United States · b. 1942
Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Morganville’s post office has been open since 1872. Another post office, Della, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Della
1871–1872
Morganville
1872–today
18701950today

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

Questions about Morganville’s history

What year was Morganville founded?

The Morganville post office opened in 1872, 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, 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.