Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1950 on and the census since 1910.
Bates City dates its founding to 1878 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1910.
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 Bates City’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Bates City.
Bates City was laid out in 1878 by Theodore Bates, and named for him. A post office called Bates City has been in operation since 1879.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Bates City, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Mr. Theodore 'Bates laid out the town of Bates City, on the Chicago & Alton railroad, in 1878, and in January, 1879, it was established as a post office, with J. F. Eneberg, first postmaster. Mr. L. B. Kelley built the first house, and the first store was owned by J. F. Eneberg.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Bates City, in the southwestern part of Clay township, was platted in 1878 on the line of the Alton railroad, and the next year a postoffice was established, J. F. Eneberg being the first postmaster. The first house was built by L. B. Kelley, while Mr. Eneberg started the first store. An eight-hundreddollar school house was erected in 1881 and the first teacher received twentyfive dollars per month. The first regular physician was Dr. M. W. Flournoy.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Bates City was platted on the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 36, township 49, range 29, September 3, 1878, by Theodore Bates and wife.
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.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Bates City. 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 Bates City.
Between 74 and 245 people in every census since 1910.
12 censuses, 1910–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Bates City’s Wikipedia page.
In 1878, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Bates City’s post office opened in 1879, and the census of 1910 counted 74 people here.
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). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (2), Wikipedia, 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 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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