Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1964 on and the census since 1900.
Buffalo Lake dates its founding to 1881 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1900.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Buffalo Lake’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Buffalo Lake.
Buffalo Lake was platted in 1881, and named after a nearby lake. A post office has been in operation at Buffalo Lake since 1882.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Buffalo Lake, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Elwin Borden, owner of "Pleasant View Stock Farm," located on section 31, village of Buffalo Lake (Town of Preston Lake. 115, 31), February 26, 1915. EARLY DIFFICULTIES.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
incorporated January 18, 1901. as the State Hank of Buffalo Lake. Mr. Nellermoe was elected cashier by the board of directors and has held that position up to the present time. At the time that the Bank of Buffalo Lake was established the village had a population of about 125 people. Mr. Nellermoe was one of the first organizers of the Farmers' Elevator Co. at Sacred Heart, which was the first organization of that kind in Renville county. He acted as secretary. He also has been instru-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereAncher Nelsen is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Buffalo Lake. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Buffalo Lake.
Between 371 and 782 people in every census since 1900.
13 censuses, 1900–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Buffalo Lake’s Wikipedia page.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1881, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Buffalo Lake’s post office opened in 1882, and the census of 1900 counted 389 people here.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 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 old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
