The Madelia post office opened in 1860, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Wacapa (1857), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
2020 census: 2,396166 years
How historic is Madelia?
B+
More historic than 74% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Madelia post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Madelia’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Madelia is more historic than 74% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Madelia’s overall grade.
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 Madelia’s 8.6 sits above most of its state (74% of Minnesota towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.9 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 Madelia’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Madelia was founded in 1857, and named for the daughter of a first settler. A post office has been in operation at Madelia since 1860. Madelia was incorporated in 1872.
In 1876, the remaining members of the James-Younger Gang were captured near Madelia after their failed attempt at bank robbery in Northfield, Minnesota. Madelia used to hold an event every September called Younger Brothers Day. The event included several activities including a reenactment of the bank robbery as well as the gunfight and capture of the Younger Brothers.
Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds
Madelia’s post office has been open since 1860. Another post office, Wacapa, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Wacapa
1857–1860
Madelia
1860–today
18501940today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Madelia Mobile Village
1cemetery inside Madelia
Riverside
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Madelia’s history
What year was Madelia founded?
The Madelia post office opened in 1860, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Madelia rank for history?
Madelia is more historic than 74% 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 Madelia?
Two places: the Flanders' Block (listed 1984) and the West Bridge (2013).
How old are the homes in Madelia?
34% of Madelia’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.9 points), against a typical 8.1% for a Minnesota town; the median home was built in 1953.
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 (4), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.
2024
2022
2012
2010