Blackwater’s post office opened in 1873, and 47% of its homes were built before 1940
2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 25 buildings.
How Blackwater began, and where its name came from
When was Blackwater founded?
The Blackwater post office opened in 1873, the earliest record of the town by name.
How did Blackwater get its name?
Blackwater is a city in northwest Cooper County, Missouri, United States located along the Blackwater River, from which it takes its name.
2 listings protect 37 historic buildings
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
Architectural styles listings
All 2 listings
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Questions about Blackwater’s history
What year was Blackwater founded?
The Blackwater post office opened in 1873, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
What is on the National Register in Blackwater?
Two places: the Blackwater Commercial Historic District (listed 2005) and the Blackwater Residential Historic District (2009).
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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.