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History · Burr Oak

Burr Oak’s post office opened in 1837, and 42% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1961 on and the census since 1860.

1837first post office
0on the National Register
42%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Burr Oak began

When was Burr Oak founded?

1837

The Burr Oak post office opened in 1837, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1851.

First census: 666 in 18602020 census: 753189 years
Founding year: the first Burr Oak post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1851.The full story ↓

What stands out about Burr Oak’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 Burr Oak are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Burr Oak’s homes were built before 1945.Deep rootsA post office since 1837: 189 years of Burr Oak.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Burr Oak’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Burr Oak’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Burr Oak came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Burr Oak.

Read it all →

The area, in southeastern St. Joseph County, was first settled in 1835. The first post office was built in 1837. The village was platted in 1851. In 1852, land for a railroad station was donated by William Lock, on the condition that the town be renamed "Lock's Station," which it was. Five years later, however, by popular demand the town assumed its original name, and was officially incorporated into a village in 1859.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Burr Oak, 1870 to 1961

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1870Born hereHarrison M. Randall is born here
  3. 1883Born hereFrank Belote is born here
  4. 20th century
  5. 1961On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Burr Oak, decade by decade

Today1 recent
MIMap-doton-BurrOak2005MIMap-doton-BurrOak
On the map

Burr Oak on the map, 1961 to 1985

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

Burr Oak on the 1961 USGS mapBurr Oak on the 1985 USGS map1961Burr Oak sheet · 1:24,000

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

People over time

Burr Oak, census by census

0200400600800190019502000Peak: 882

Between 589 and 882 people in every census since 1860.

17 censuses, 1860–2020.

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

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Burr Oak

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

See all →
F
Frank BeloteAmerican sprinter and high jumper · b. 1883
H
Harrison M. RandallAmerican physicist · b. 1870

Questions about Burr Oak’s history

What year was Burr Oak founded?

The Burr Oak post office opened in 1837, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1851.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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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 (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.