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CHistory
History · Clearwater Township

Clearwater Township dates to 1856

More historic than 26% of U.S. towns. What drives it

Most of Clearwater Township was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1980. Below: maps from 1951 on and the census since 1880.

1856founded
0on the National Register
9%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: WikiMRV/M.R. Voigt · CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answers

How Clearwater Township began

When was Clearwater Township founded?

1856

Clearwater Township dates its founding to 1856 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 218 in 18802020 census: 1,372170 years

How historic is Clearwater Township?

C

More historic than 26% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Clearwater Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Clearwater Township is more historic than 26% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.

C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Clearwater Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1856, from Wikipedia: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19408.9% of homes (±4.2) · typical MN town 8.1% · U.S. 8.4%C+National RegisterNo listings counted · typical MN town 2.1 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 26%
NewerOlder

Minnesota towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Minnesota town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Clearwater Township’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (23% of Minnesota towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1856.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to C. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.2 points).

Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Clearwater Township’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 Clearwater Township are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost a third of its people between 1920 and 1930, then grew 9-fold.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Clearwater Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Clearwater Township’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
People over time

Clearwater Township, census by census

05001,0001,5002,00018801900192019401960198020002020331 in 1920Low: 212

Lost a third of its people between 1920 and 1930, then grew 9-fold.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

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

The story

How Clearwater Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Clearwater Township.

Read it all →

Clearwater was platted in 1856, and named after the nearby Clearwater River. A post office has been in operation at Clearwater since 1856. Three properties in Clearwater are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the 1861 First Congregational Church of Clearwater, the 1863 William W. Webster House, and the 1888 Clearwater Masonic and Grand Army of the Republic Hall.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Clearwater Township, 1856 to 2020

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1856
    FoundingClearwater Township is established
  3. 20th century
  4. 1951On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 21st century
  6. 2020CensusPopulation peaks at 1,922
By decade

Clearwater Township, decade by decade

Today8 recent
Veterans Memorial Park2025Veterans Memorial ParkRiverside Park2025Riverside ParkPost Office2025Post OfficeParkway trail2025Parkway trailOld commercial buildings at Main and Maple Streets2025Old commercial buildings at Main and Maple StreetsOld commercial building in2025Old commercial building inMethodist Church2025Methodist ChurchCleawatermn2010Cleawatermn
On the map

Clearwater Township on the map, 1951 to 1974

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

Clearwater Township on the 1951 USGS mapClearwater Township on the 1974 USGS map1951Annandale 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 Clearwater Township.

Famous people

Famous people close to Clearwater Township

Nobody well known was born in Clearwater Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Gig YoungAmerican actor · b. 1913
Joel GretschAmerican actor · b. 1963
June MarloweAmerican actress · b. 1903
A
Alise WilloughbyAmerican bicycle motocross rider · b. 1991
Dean BarkleyAmerican politician · b. 1950
Nate SchmidtAmerican ice hockey player · b. 1991
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Lynden TownshipIts storyC−Clearwater3 historic placesB−Clear Lake TownshipIts storyC−Corinna Township1 historic placeC+Silver Creek TownshipIts storyC

Questions about Clearwater Township’s history

What year was Clearwater Township founded?

In 1856, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1880 counted 218 people here.

How does Clearwater Township rank for history?

Clearwater Township is more historic than 26% 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.

How old are the homes in Clearwater Township?

9% of Clearwater Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.2 points), against a typical 8.1% for a Minnesota town; the median home was built in 1980.

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).

From Wikimedia Commons (8), Wikidata (3), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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.