The North Plains Township post office opened in 1846, the earliest record of the town by name. Three smaller post offices, North Plains (1846), Matherton (1848) and Plains (1858), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
2020 census: 1,191180 years
How historic is North Plains Township?
A
More historic than 92% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first North Plains Township post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).
History grade
What drives North Plains Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, North Plains Township is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its age lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of North Plains 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 North Plains Township’s 37.8 sits above most of its state (89% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 5 historic buildings outnumber those of 70% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.4 points). 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 North Plains Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of North Plains Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1967Palo 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 North Plains Township.
On the National Register
1 listing protects 5 historic buildings
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
The North Plains Township post office opened in 1846, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does North Plains Township rank for history?
North Plains Township is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns. 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 North Plains Township?
One place: the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Complex (listed 2001).
How old are the homes in North Plains Township?
29% of North Plains Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.4 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1958.
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 (1), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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.
