Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1893 on and the census since 1900.
The Narka post office opened in 1887, the earliest record of the town by name.
Narka was named for the daughter of a railroad employee.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Narka’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Narka. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Narka.
From Wikipedia’s history of Narka.
Narka was founded in 1887. It was named for the daughter of a railroad employee. The first post office in Narka was established in November 1887. Narka was incorporated as a city in 1894.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Narka, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The Narka M. E. church was organized in the District school house in 1881, with twelve members. Organized by D. A. Allen. Church was built in 1893 and dedicated in February, 1894, by Rev. E. P. Michener, assisted by Rev. Sedore, the pastor. The cost of the church building was $2,250. The present membership is about eighty.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The Narka M. E. church was organized in the District school house in 1881, with twelve members. Organized by D. A. Allen. Church was built in 1893 and dedicated in February, 1894, by Rev. E. P. Michener, assisted by Rev. Sedore, the pastor. The cost of the church building was $2,250. The present membership is about eighty.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The other enters the county on section 12, in Albion township; runs southwest to Belleville, where the two unite and form the main line to Denver. The stations on this Une are Narka and Munden. On the Main line west the stations are Belleville, Rydal, Scandia and Courtland. The mileage on both lines is fifty -four and ninety-otieone hundredths, and the assessed valuation for 1901 is $421,336.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The other enters the county on section 12, in Albion township; runs southwest to Belleville, where the two unite and form the main line to Denver. The stations on this line are Narka and Munden. On the Main line west the stations are Belleville, Rydal, Scandia and Courtland. The mileage on both lines is fifty-four and ninety-one-one hundredths, and the assessed valuation for 1901 is $421,336.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Between 81 and 278 people in every census since 1900.
13 censuses, 1900–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Narka’s Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in Narka itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
The Narka post office opened in 1887, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
