Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: old-book passages.
The Wakefield post office opened in 1869, the earliest record of the town by name.
Wakefield was named for one of its founders, Rev. Richard Wake, but also because another founder was a native of Wakefield, England.
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 Wakefield’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Wakefield.
Wakefield was founded in 1869. It was named for one of its founders, Rev. Richard Wake, but also because another founder was a native of Wakefield, England. The railroad was built through Wakefield in 1873.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Wakefield, cut from the printed page as they were published.
dura, perpetuating the name of his former mission field in South India, became the center of his labors. The Madura church was afterward affiliated with the Congregational body, and when the new building was erected in Wakefield the name of "Madura Congregational Church" was retained. The services of the Episcopal church were first held at the home of Mrs. Pearson, on section 8, in Gill township, in the spring of 1871. Mr. T. P.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Adams came out in the following August. A number of colonists came to the vicinity of Wakefield under the influence of the Kansas Land and Emigration Company but without connecting themselves with the Wakefield
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
With the opening of the RepubHcan Valley branch of the Union Pacific railroad the first stage in the development of Wakefield draws to a close. Two years earlier the materials for the building of my father's house had been hauled by ox-team from Junction City. Prices were high in Junction, and with the additional cost of transportation almost prohibitive. The railroad was opened in 1872, when Charles Wake received the position of stationmaster. Geo. Taylor, a member of the Nebraska party, was the first mail-carrier.
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.
The Wakefield post office opened in 1869, 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 Wikimedia Commons (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.
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