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History · Bertrand

Bertrand dates to 1859

Most of Bertrand was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1977. Below: maps from 1939 on and the census since 1880.

1859founded
0on the National Register
2%homes built before 1940
3famous people
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Quick answers

How Bertrand began

When was Bertrand founded?

1859

Bertrand dates its founding to 1859 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 126 in 18802020 census: 718167 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1874.The full story ↓

What stands out about Bertrand’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 Bertrand are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Bertrand’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Bertrand’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 Bertrand came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Bertrand.

Read it all →

Bertrand was platted in 1859. The community bears the name of one Mr. Bertrand, a railroad promoter. A post office called Bertrand has been in operation since 1874.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Bertrand, 1859 to 1939

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1859
    FoundingBertrand is established
  3. 1870Born hereCornelius C. White is born here
  4. 1874Post officeThe Bertrand post office opens
  5. 1889Born hereBill Harper is born here
  6. 20th century
  7. 1913Born hereRalph Leon Bagley is born here
  8. 1939On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Bertrand, decade by decade

Today2 recent
Bertrand MO Watertower2007Bertrand MO WatertowerMOMap-doton-Bertrand2004MOMap-doton-Bertrand
On the map

Bertrand on the map, 1939 to 1969

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

Bertrand on the 1939 USGS mapBertrand on the 1954 USGS mapBertrand on the 1969 USGS map1939Charleston 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 Bertrand.

People over time

Bertrand, census by census

020040060080018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 821

Between 126 and 821 people in every census since 1880.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

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

Famous people

3 famous people were born in Bertrand

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
B
Bill HarperAmerican baseball player · b. 1889
C
Cornelius C. WhiteAmerican politician in Missouri · b. 1870
R
Ralph Leon BagleyAmerican artist · b. 1913

Questions about Bertrand’s history

What year was Bertrand founded?

In 1859, according to Wikidata. Bertrand’s post office opened in 1874, and the census of 1880 counted 126 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 (2), 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) 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.