Argentine Township’s post office opened in 1842, and 5 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 68% of U.S. towns · #218 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Most of Argentine Township was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1987. Below: maps from 1922 on and the census since 2000.
The Argentine Township post office opened in 1842, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Booton (1837) and Argentine (1842), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 2,285 in 20002020 census: 7,091184 years
How historic is Argentine Township?
B+
More historic than 68% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Argentine Township post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Argentine Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Argentine Township is more historic than 68% of U.S. towns, #218 of 701 in Michigan. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Argentine Township’s overall grade.
Few Michigan towns list much on the Register (a typical Michigan town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Argentine Township’s 7.1 sits above most of its state (79% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 5 listings outnumber those of 70% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A−. The pre-1940 share (±2.1 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Argentine Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Booton
1837–1842
Argentine
1842–1929
18301930today
Hamlets and corners on the map
ArgentinePine Ridge Mobile Home Park
Gone or out of use
Argentine Post Officepost officeStan Nowiki Airportairport
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Argentine Township
ArgentineAtherton
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
On the map
Argentine Township on the map, 1922 to 1983
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Argentine Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1922Durand 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 Argentine Township.
The first settlers, Jame H. Murray and William Lobdell, arrived in 1836. A post office, "Booton", was opened on November 1, 1837, with Murray as the first postmaster. The post office was renamed "Argentine" on March 30, 1842, due to a similarly named post office. The 'silver-plated' name is related to the discovery of valuable minerals (not silver) in the area. The community was platted by Dr. Isaac Wixom in 1844. It was once called the 'smallest town in Michigan.' The lack of a railroad connection impeded its growth.
The Argentine Township post office opened in 1842, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Argentine Township rank for history?
Argentine Township is more historic than 68% of U.S. towns, #218 of 701 in Michigan. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Argentine Township?
5 listings: 5 buildings, among them the House at 7066 Lobdell Road (listed 1982, the first).
How old are the homes in Argentine Township?
5% of Argentine Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.1 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1987.
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).
From the National Register of Historic Places (5), Wikipedia, 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.
