Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 45% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1894 on, and the census since 1890.
The Adrian post office opened in 1880, the earliest record of the town by name.
More historic than 45% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Adrian is more historic than 45% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
Missouri towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Missouri town has 2.4 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Adrian’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (23% of Missouri 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 Adrian’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.
1894Sheet 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 Adrian.
Adrian was platted in 1880 when the Missouri Pacific Railroad was extended to that point. Some say the city was named by settlers who hailed from Adrian, Michigan, while others believe the city was named after Adrian Talmadge, the son of a railroad official. A post office has been in operation at Adrian since 1880.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Adrian, cut from the printed page as they were published.
ing salesman, which position he ably filled for five years. In 1892, he moved on a farm, which he had purchased, in Bates county and for eight years was engaged in farming and stock raising. Mr. Parish sold his country place in 1900 and moved to Adrian, where he entered the real estate business, in which he was employed at the time of his appointment as postmaster of Adrian, on January 15, 1905. He served faithfully and well nearly nine years as postmaster until August, 1913, at the time the rural routes were being adjusted, examinations were being held for
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Presbyterian church and was affiliated with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. "Falloon Heights," the splendid country estate which he founded and built up, is located in the northern part of Mound township, near the town of Adrian. The beautiful residence is situated almost in the middle of the tract which is two miles in length and one-half mile wide.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
ADRIAN. Adrian is situated on the L. & S. railway, in Deer Creek township, the corporation extending to the north line of Mound township. It was founded in 1880, the year tin* railroad commenced operations, by a company composed principally of Butler men. Situated in a fine agricultural section it has enjoyed a steady and substantial growth. The census of 1K90 showed a population ot C13: it now has upward of 1000 inhabitants. It has a splendid new school
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 1880s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Adrian. 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 Adrian.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Adrian’s page.
Retake this view · +15Between 613 and 1,780 people in every census since 1890.
14 censuses, 1890–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Adrian’s Wikipedia page.
The Adrian post office opened in 1880, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Adrian is more historic than 45% 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.
27% of Adrian’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.8 points), against a typical 8.4% for a Missouri town; the median home was built in 1969.
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, 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.
Date?
2026
2026
2026
2004