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History · Clontarf

Clontarf’s post office opened in 1876, and 33% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1968 on and the census since 1910.

1876first post office
0on the National Register
33%homes built before 1940
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Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0
Quick answers

How Clontarf began

When was Clontarf founded?

1876

The Clontarf post office opened in 1876, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 153 in 19102020 census: 128150 years
Founding year: the first Clontarf post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Clontarf’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 Clontarf are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 230 in 1940; 128 people lived here in 2020.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Clontarf’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Clontarf’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

Clontarf, census by census

0100200192019401960198020002020Peak: 230

Peaked at 230 in 1940; 128 people lived here in 2020.

12 censuses, 1910–2020.

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

The story

How Clontarf came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Clontarf.

Read it all →

Clontarf was platted in 1876, and named after Clontarf in Ireland, the native land of many of its early settlers. A post office has been in operation at Clontarf since 1876. The city was founded by Bishop John Ireland as a catholic colony, and a community for Irish-Americans. The city grew quickly and became prosperous due to the influx of Irish immigrants. In 1878, a public school opened, a grain elevator opened, and the completion of St. Malachy Church was completed. The city would deal with grasshopper plagues, grass fires, and failed crops. In response, the agriculture and economy of the area shifted towards hay production, which was more resilient to these issues. Railroad access made Clontarf a hub for hay production, being known as the 'hay capitol of the world' by the 1910s. Clontarf was incorporated as a village in 1904. The church of St. Malachy was merged with St. Francis in …

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Clontarf, 1876 to 1968

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1876Post officeThe Clontarf post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1940CensusPopulation peaks at 230
  5. 1968On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Clontarf, decade by decade

Today4 recent
US Post Office, Clontarf, Minnesota, US Post Office2024US Post Office, Clontarf, Minnesota, US Post OfficeClontarf, Minnesota, Welcome sign2024Clontarf, Minnesota, Welcome signClontarf, Minnesota, RR crossing2024Clontarf, Minnesota, RR crossingMNMap-doton-Clontarf2005MNMap-doton-Clontarf
On the map

Clontarf on the map, 1968 to 1986

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

Clontarf on the 1968 USGS mapClontarf on the 1986 USGS map1968Clontarf North 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 Clontarf.

Famous people

Famous people close to Clontarf

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

See all →
Mark KennedyAmerican businessman and politician · b. 1957
E
Edgar DaleLearning pyramid by Edgar Dale · b. 1900
L
Lyn Yvonne AbramsonAmerican psychologist · b. 1950
J
James A. JohnsonAmerican businessman and political figure · b. 1943
Richard Allen PetersonAmerican fighter pilot and architect · b. 1923
S
Sandra PetersonAmerican politician · b. 1936

Questions about Clontarf’s history

What year was Clontarf founded?

The Clontarf post office opened in 1876, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (4), 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.