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History · Hosston

Hosston’s post office opened in 1901

Most of Hosston was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1974. Below: maps from 1921 on and the census since 1970.

1901first post office
0on the National Register
2%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY 3.0
Quick answers

How Hosston began

When was Hosston founded?

1901

The Hosston post office opened in 1901, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 428 in 19702020 census: 244125 years
Founding year: the first Hosston post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Hosston’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 Hosston are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Hosston’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Hosston’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 Hosston came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Hosston.

Read it all →

Hosston owes its origins to the pioneering efforts of the Hoss family, particularly James M. Hoss Sr., who played a pivotal role in its founding and early development. The town's history is intertwined with the contributions of other notable figures, such as Noah Tyson and George W. Hale, whose endeavors further shaped the growth of Hosston.

The roots of Hosston can be traced back to the mid-1800s when Nathan Hoss, a prominent merchant, established himself in the region during its early settlement phase. His son, James M. Hoss Sr., would later become instrumental in the town's development. Alongside other members of the Hoss family who had migrated from Tennessee and settled in the area, James fostered the growth of the settlement.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Hosston, 1901 to 1936

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

  1. 20th century
  2. 1901Post officeThe Hosston post office opens
  3. 1908Born hereOdell Hale is born here
  4. 1932On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 1936Born hereJimmy D. Ross is born here
By decade

Hosston, decade by decade

Today4 recent
Hosston, LA, Village Hall IMG 51722011Hosston, LA, Village Hall IMG 5172Hosston, LA, Methodist Church IMG 51752011Hosston, LA, Methodist Church IMG 5175Hosston, LA, Library IMG 51772011Hosston, LA, Library IMG 5177LAMap-doton-Hosston2004LAMap-doton-Hosston
On the map

Hosston on the map, 1932 to 1971

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

Hosston on the 1932 USGS mapHosston on the 1948 USGS mapHosston on the 1956 USGS mapHosston on the 1971 USGS map1932Hosston NW sheet · 1:31,680

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

Every building

Hosston, building by building, 1921

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a sheet.

Hosston fire insurance map, 1921, sheet 11921Sheet 1 of 1
Sheets
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

People over time

Hosston, census by census

0100200300400500198020002020Peak: 480

Between 244 and 480 people in every census since 1970.

6 censuses, 1970–2020.

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

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Hosston

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

See all →
Jimmy D. RossUnited States general · b. 1936
Odell HaleAmerican baseball player · b. 1908
Places that used to be

Places now gone

Hosston’s post office has been open since 1901.

Gone or out of use
Hosston Oil and Gas Fieldoilfield

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

Questions about Hosston’s history

What year was Hosston founded?

The Hosston post office opened in 1901, 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 (4), 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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.