Bolivar’s post office opened in 1836, and 3 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 58% of U.S. towns · #99 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it
Most of Bolivar was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1984. Its Register listings are the Bolivar Public Library, the North Ward School and the First National Bank. Below: 12 old photos and papers, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1860.
Founding year: the first Bolivar post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Bolivar’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bolivar is more historic than 58% of U.S. towns, #99 of 247 in Missouri. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Bolivar’s overall grade.
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 Bolivar’s 2.7 sits near the middle of its state (56% of Missouri towns have fewer) while its 3 listings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B+. The pre-1940 share (±2.3 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 →
What stands out about Bolivar’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
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.
Bolivar began as a settlement around Keeling Spring, with the majority of settlers being from Hardeman County, Tennessee. The settlement became part of Greene County, Missouri when that county was organized in 1833. After the northern part of Greene County was ceded to form Polk County, Missouri, the Polk County Court proclaimed the settlement as a city, named it Bolivar, and designated it as the county seat on 10 November 1835. Bolivar was re-organized as a fourth-class city on 15 February 1881. Bolivar was a full Stop on the Butterfield Overland Mail Period 1858–1861 at the old Franklin Hotel and Relay Station.
The town layout was along the Boonville road that was the main road through the area during that time.
Passages that mention Bolivar, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of the Polk County Baptist Assciation1897Read the page →
Read the text
mented Maupin, Andy began in December, 187S, to organize Baptists and enterprising friends for the successful effort that was made during the following year. Through his efforts mass meetings were held in Bolivar, and a county committee appointed, of which he was its chairman, and this committee and other enlisted friends, circulated subscriptions over Polk and adjoining counties, pledging means for construction of the college building at Bolivar. Bolivar ap-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of the Polk County Baptist Assciation1897 · page 181Read the page →
Read the text
seating about 500 persons, and costing when finished, about $3,500. It was finished and dedicated by Eld. J. F. Hampton, who succeeded Eld. Taylor, he giving up the work in October, 1892, to go to Bolivar, Missouri, to take the care of the church and attend Southwest Baptist college. On November 12, moved to Bolivar and entered on his work as pastor and student. At commencement in 1893 won gold medal in prize contest, the prize being offered by the W. C.
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.
Timeline
Bolivar, 1836 to 1948
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
The Bolivar post office opened in 1836, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Bolivar rank for history?
Bolivar is more historic than 58% of U.S. towns, #99 of 247 in Missouri. 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.
What is on the National Register in Bolivar?
Three places: the Bolivar Public Library (listed 2003), the North Ward School (2011) and the First National Bank (2013).
How old are the homes in Bolivar?
4% of Bolivar’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.3 points), against a typical 8.4% for a Missouri town; the median home was built in 1984.
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 (12), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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.
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