Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 24% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Most of St. Bonifacius was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1994. Below: old-book passages.
The St. Bonifacius post office opened in 1861, the earliest record of the town by name.
More historic than 24% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, St. Bonifacius is more historic than 24% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull 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 St. Bonifacius’ 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.
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 St. Bonifacius’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of St. Bonifacius.
Saint Bonifacius is named after Saint Boniface, an 8th century apostle to the Germans and the patron saint of Germany. Saint Bonifacius was settled in the 1850s by German migrants. It became a village in 1858 and a city in 1904.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention St. Bonifacius, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The first post-office in the town was established in lSo6, and named St. Bonifacius, John Merz appointed postmaster. It was moved one mile north of the village in 1873. Minnetrista postoffice was established in 1861, on section 6, and Norman Shook appointed postmaster. A postoffice was established in 1876 at ;Mound City, and a Mr. Pearl ajipointed postmaster.
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.
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The St. Bonifacius post office opened in 1861, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
St. Bonifacius is more historic than 24% 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.
7% of St. Bonifacius’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.0 points), against a typical 8.1% for a Minnesota town; the median home was built in 1994.
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 (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.
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