The Stanton Township post office opened in 1857, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Stanton (1857), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
2020 census: 1,140169 years
How historic is Stanton Township?
B
More historic than 64% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Stanton Township post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).
History grade
What drives Stanton Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Stanton Township is more historic than 64% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Stanton Township’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 Stanton Township’s 38.8 sits above most of its state (91% of Minnesota towns have fewer) while its 4 historic buildings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.2 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 Stanton Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Stanton Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Stanton is an unincorporated community in Stanton Township, Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States. The center of Stanton is generally considered near the junction of State Highway 19 (MN 19) and State Highway 56 (MN 56). Nearby places include Northfield, Dennison, Randolph, and Cannon Falls. Stanton is located seven miles east of Northfield. Stanton is six miles north-northeast of Dennison; and seven miles west-southwest of Cannon Falls. Stanton is near the northwest corner of Goodhue County, and immediately adjacent to Dakota County. Rice County is also nearby.
Its first post office opened in 1857. Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 1,130 in 2010, 1,140 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Stanton Township, 1857 to 1981
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Stanton Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1968Sogn 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 Stanton Township.
On the National Register
3 historic places in Stanton Township
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
The Stanton Township post office opened in 1857, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Stanton Township rank for history?
Stanton Township is more historic than 64% 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 Stanton Township?
Three places: the Miller, Harrison, Farmhouse (listed 1978), the Oxford Mill Ruin (1980) and the Carleton Airport (2004).
How old are the homes in Stanton Township?
14% of Stanton Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.2 points), against a typical 8.1% for a Minnesota town; the median home was built in 1978.
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 the National Register of Historic Places (3), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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.
