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–Not graded
History · Pierceville

Pierceville’s post office opened in 1873

Below: maps from 1896 on.

1873first post office
0on the National Register
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Quick answers

How Pierceville began, and where its name came from

When was Pierceville founded?

1873

The Pierceville post office opened in 1873, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 98153 years

How did Pierceville get its name?

Pierceville was named Pierceville in honor of Chas.

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

What stands out about Pierceville’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 Pierceville are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18963 editions of the USGS map, 1896 to 1985. Watch Pierceville change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Pierceville’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Pierceville’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

Pierceville on the map, 1896 to 1985

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

Pierceville on the 1896 USGS mapPierceville on the 1967 USGS mapPierceville on the 1985 USGS map1896Garden City 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 Pierceville.

The story

How Pierceville came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Pierceville.

Read it all →

The Western Trail (a cattle trail) played a part in the founding of this town. The Barton Brothers drove a herd of 3,000 cattle over the trail, and the cattle were the first to feed on the government lands in western Kansas. In the fall of 1872, they came to the area and established a ranch along the Arkansas River. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway was laying track in southwestern Kansas, and they chose the Barton Ranch as headquarters for the town site. It was named Pierceville in honor of Chas. W. and Carlos Pierce, who were members of the original Atchison & Topeka Railroad company.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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.

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Famous people

Famous people close to Pierceville

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

See all →
Victor OrtizAmerican boxer · b. 1987
Roy RomerAmerican politician · b. 1928
K
Katherine DunnAmerican novelist, journalist, poet · b. 1945
Chuck Reed64th mayor of San Jose, California · b. 1948
Otto SchnellbacherAmerican football and basketball player · b. 1923
Ray WatsonAmerican middle-distance and steeplechase runner · b. 1898
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Logan TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townPierceville TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Pierceville’s history

What year was Pierceville founded?

The Pierceville post office opened in 1873, 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 →
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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 and U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.