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History · Alpha

Alpha dates to 1883, and 39% of its homes were built before 1940

2 places in town are on the National Register. Below: maps from 1899 on and the census since 1920.

1883founded
2on the National Register
39%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Alpha began

When was Alpha founded?

1883

Alpha dates its founding to 1883 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1920.

First census: 818 in 19202020 census: 126143 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1885.The full story ↓

What stands out about Alpha’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 Alpha are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Alpha’s homes were built before 1945.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Alpha’s collection

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

From Wikipedia’s history of Alpha.

Read it all →

The Alpha post office opened with the name Mastodon on October 1, 1883, and was discontinued on December 20, 1888. The office was reestablished as Alpha on December 15, 1913. The community incorporated as a village in 1914.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Alpha, decade by decade

Today2 recent
Alpha (village), MI2018Alpha (village), MIMIMap-doton-Alpha2005MIMap-doton-Alpha
On the map

Alpha on the map, 1899 to 1944

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

Alpha on the 1899 USGS mapAlpha on the 1944 USGS map1899Crystal Falls 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 Alpha.

On the National Register

2 historic places in Alpha

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
6
each building in a district counts

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Alpha, census by census

0200400600800192019401960198020002020Peak: 818

Between 126 and 818 people in every census since 1920.

11 censuses, 1920–2020.

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

Questions about Alpha’s history

What year was Alpha founded?

In 1883, according to Wikidata. Alpha’s post office opened in 1885, and the census of 1920 counted 818 people here.

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 (2), Wikidata (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.