Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1915 on, and the census since 1880.
Browning dates its founding to 1872 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.
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 Browning’s history is told.
Peaked at 726 in 1900; 219 people lived here in 2020.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Browning’s Wikipedia page.
From Wikipedia’s history of Browning.
Browning was laid out and platted in 1872. The community was named in honor of the family of J. A. Browning, a railroad employee. A post office called Browning has been in operation since 1873.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Browning, cut from the printed page as they were published.
This is rather an old village, and being only about fonr miles from the railroad and also from Browning, an important station on the Chicago, Burlington & Kansas City Kailroad, has not many chances to become a village of size and note. In fact Browning has very perceptibly interfered with the growth of the village, as all its merchants have left for that thriving town and railroad communication with the outside world.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Browning School — The Browning high school is located in the city of Browning, which is composed of 1,000 inhabitants. Browning is on the Chicago, Burlington & Kansas City Eailroad in the Locust valley on the boundary line between Linn and Sullivan counties.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
He engaged in farming until 1894, when he moved to Browning to take the cashiership of the Peoples Exchange Bank. In 1897 this institution became the Farmers Exchange Bank, and he served as its cashier until 1902, when he resigned and organized the Peoples Bank of Browning, with which he has ever since been connected. He also assisted in organizing and now represents the Stockgrowers Bank of Purdin, the Citizens Bank of Winigan, the Citizens Bank of Laredo, the Citizens Bank of Linneus, the Farmers State Bank of New Boston, the Citizens Bank of
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
After practicing for about two years at Enterprise, thinking that the young and growing town of Browning afforded a better field of operation, he, in June, 1875, removed thither, notwithstanding that four other physicians were already established therein. But the result has fully proven the wisdom of his choice.
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.
Born hereJasper N. Tincher is born here
In the archive1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Missouri - Linn County - Browning - ED 58-2
Born hereGene Bartow is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyOne decade in the archive so far: the 1880s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Browning. 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 Browning.
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 sheet.
1915Sheet 1 of 1Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Browning’s page.
Retake this view · +15Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
In 1872, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Browning’s post office opened in 1873, and the census of 1880 counted 187 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, 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.
2004