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History · Selden

Selden’s post office opened in 1888, and 51% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1951 on and the census since 1910.

1888first post office
0on the National Register
51%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: IveGoneAway · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers

How Selden began, and where its name came from

When was Selden founded?

1888

The Selden post office opened in 1888, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 297 in 19102020 census: 184138 years

How did Selden get its name?

Selden was named for one of its founders, Selden G. Hopkins.

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

What stands out about Selden’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 Selden are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Selden’s homes were built before 1938.Boom and bustPeaked at 438 in 1950; 184 people lived here in 2020.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Selden’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Selden’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
The story

How Selden came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Selden.

Read it all →

Selden was laid out in 1888. It was named for one of its founders, Selden G. Hopkins.

The first post office in Selden was established in July 1888.

On June 3, 1959, a severe thunderstorm dropped up to 18 inches (46 cm) of hail on the town. Hail fell in the town for a record 85 minutes and the temperature dropped from 80 °F (27 °C) to 38 °F (3 °C) at the height of the storm. Crops were completely destroyed by the storm with total losses.

On May 24, 2021 an EF1 tornado hit the community, flipping a train and damaging buildings. One person was injured.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

People over time

Selden, census by census

0100200300400192019401960198020002020Peak: 438

Peaked at 438 in 1950; 184 people lived here in 2020.

12 censuses, 1910–2020.

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

Timeline

Selden, 1888 to 1976

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1888Post officeThe Selden post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1911Born hereNorman Malcolm is born here
  5. 1950CensusPopulation peaks at 438
  6. 1951On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  7. 1976Born hereTravis Schlenk is born here
By decade

Selden, decade by decade

Today3 recent
U.S. Route 83 through Selden, Kansas 20200904 1825412020U.S. Route 83 through Selden, Kansas 20200904 182541Kansas Avenue, Selden, Kansas 20200904 1825022020Kansas Avenue, Selden, Kansas 20200904 182502KSMap-doton-Selden2005KSMap-doton-Selden
On the map

Selden on the map, 1951 to 1978

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

Selden on the 1951 USGS mapSelden on the 1978 USGS map1951Selden sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Selden.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Selden

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
N
Norman MalcolmAmerican philosopher · b. 1911
T
Travis SchlenkAmerican sports executive (born 1976/1977) · b. 1976

Questions about Selden’s history

What year was Selden founded?

The Selden post office opened in 1888, 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 Wikimedia Commons (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.