Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 73% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Its Register listing is the Strangers Refuge Lodge Number 74, IOOF. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1910 on, and the census since 1880.
The New Richland post office opened in 1870, the earliest record of the town by name.
More historic than 73% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, New Richland is more historic than 73% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
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 New Richland’s 8.4 sits above most of its state (73% of Minnesota towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
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 →
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 New Richland’s history is told.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1910Sheet 1 of 1Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
From Wikipedia’s history of New Richland.
New Richland was platted in 1877, taking its name from New Richland Township, which was named after Richland County, Wisconsin. The city contains one property listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 1902 New Richland Odd Fellows Hall.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention New Richland, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The following appropriations were made from the road and bridge fund : Town of New Richland, $30 for two bridges and approaches on road between sections 17 and 18; $30 for grading road between section 2 in New Richland and section 35 in Otisco ; and $40 for two bridges between sections 15 and 22 in New Richland; to town of Otisco, $35 for a bridge and grading on section 10; $45 for repairing the Walstrom bridge, and $20 for repairing bridge on section 9.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
the January session $43.21 additional was appropriated for replanking the bridge across Bull Run in Freedom. At the March session, appropriations were made as follows : $150 to build bridge across Le Sueur river in New Richland; $80 for building road on line of sections 24 and 25, in New Richland, and $70 for building road through section 8 of same town ; $249.49 for a bridge across the Le Sueur river near Markham's town of Alton ; $53 for planking Alma City bridge ; $50 for grading hill on road
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.
One decade in the archive so far: the 1920s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of New Richland. 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 New Richland.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Between 304 and 1,263 people in every census since 1880.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on New Richland’s Wikipedia page.
The New Richland post office opened in 1870, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
New Richland is more historic than 73% 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.
One place: the Strangers Refuge Lodge Number 74, IOOF (listed 2006).
36% of New Richland’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.6 points), against a typical 8.1% for a Minnesota town; the median home was built in 1950.
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).
From Wikimedia Commons (3), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.
1922
2010