The Watab Township post office opened in 1852, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Watab (1852), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
2020 census: 3,402174 years
How historic is Watab Township?
C−
More historic than 19% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Watab Township post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).
History grade
What drives Watab Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Watab Township is more historic than 19% of U.S. towns, #223 of 273 in Minnesota. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Watab 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 Watab Township’s 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.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be C−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.1 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 Watab 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 Watab Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Watab is an unincorporated community in Watab Township, Benton County, Minnesota, United States. The community is located near the junction of River Road and 75th Street. Nearby places include Sauk Rapids, Sartell, and Rice.
Its first post office opened in 1852. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 3,093 to 3,402 (+10%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Watab Township, 1852 to 1950
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 Watab Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1950St Cloud sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Watab Township.
Famous people
Famous people close to Watab Township
Nobody well known was born in Watab Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
The Watab Township post office opened in 1852, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Watab Township rank for history?
Watab Township is more historic than 19% of U.S. towns, #223 of 273 in Minnesota. 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.
How old are the homes in Watab Township?
3% of Watab Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.1 points), against a typical 8.1% for a Minnesota town; the median home was built in 1988.
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 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.
