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History · Alton

Alton dates to 1859, and 15% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1944 on and the census since 1870.

1859founded
0on the National Register
15%homes built before 1940
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Photo: Kbh3rd · CC BY 4.0
Quick answers

How Alton began

When was Alton founded?

1859

Alton dates its founding to 1859 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1870.

First census: 76 in 18702020 census: 707167 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1860.The full story ↓

What stands out about Alton’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Alton are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Alton’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Alton’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Alton came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Alton.

Read it all →

Alton was platted in 1859. The city was named after Alton, Illinois. A post office has been in operation in Alton since 1860. Alton was incorporated as a city in 1929.

Greer Mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Alton, 1859 to 1944

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1859
    FoundingAlton is established
  3. 1860Post officeThe Alton post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1944On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Alton, decade by decade

Today3 recent
11 Point River, Riverton Access at Highway 160202411 Point River, Riverton Access at Highway 160US 160 and MO 192023US 160 and MO 19Oregon County MO Courthouse 20151021-0202015Oregon County MO Courthouse 20151021-020
On the map

Alton on the map, 1944 to 1983

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Alton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Alton on the 1944 USGS mapAlton on the 1983 USGS map1944Couch 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 Alton.

People over time

Alton, census by census

020040060080018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 871

Between 76 and 871 people in every census since 1870.

12 censuses, 1870–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Alton’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Alton

Nobody well known was born in Alton itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Dick Van DykeAmerican actor and comedian · b. 1925
T
Tess HarperAmerican actress · b. 1950
Porter WagonerAmerican country singer · b. 1927
Mel CarnahanGovernor of Missouri, 2000 U.S. senator-elect · b. 1934
Gordon CarpenterAmerican basketball player · b. 1919
Jan HowardAmerican country music singer · b. 1929

Questions about Alton’s history

What year was Alton founded?

In 1859, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Alton’s post office opened in 1860, and the census of 1870 counted 76 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (3), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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.