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History · Bucklin

Bucklin dates to 1854, and 28% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1902 on and the census since 1880.

1854founded

0on the National Register

28%homes built before 1940

3famous people

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Photo: User:Wyattmj · CC BY 4.0

Quick answers

How Bucklin began

When was Bucklin founded?

1854

Bucklin dates its founding to 1854 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 430 in 18802020 census: 413172 years

Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1860.The full story ↓

What stands out about Bucklin’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 Bucklin are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 932 in 1930; 413 people lived here in 2020.Mapped building by building3 fire insurance maps, 1902 to 1915, drew every building in Bucklin.Old housesHalf of Bucklin’s homes were built before 1957.

★ What stands out · Help out

Start Bucklin’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Bucklin’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos

00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s

0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.

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People over time

Bucklin, census by census

Peaked at 932 in 1930; 413 people lived here in 2020.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

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

Every building

Bucklin, building by building, 1902–1915

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.

Bucklin fire insurance map, 1902, sheet 1

1902Sheet 1 of 1

Edition

Sheets

BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

The story

How Bucklin came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Bucklin.

Read it all →

Bucklin was laid out in 1854, and named after James H. Bucklin, a railroad official of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. A post office called Bucklin has been in operation since 1860.

Bucklin was the 1st location of the (1st) Missouri Farmers Association (now called Midwest Farmers Association, more known by the initials of MFA). The building still stands here today abandoned. And is in need of restoring or diminution. It is a hazard to pedestrians with falling bricks.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Bucklin, 1882–1912

Passages that mention Bucklin, cut from the printed page as they were published.

Bucklin township w^as first organized as a municipal township at the term of the Linn County Court held in October, 1870. It was named for the town of Bucklin. ' It was duly organized under the township organization law in 1872, and continued under that form for about five years, as the other towns… — **The history of Linn county, Missouri. An encyclopedia of useful information**1882 · page 646Read the page →
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Bucklin township w^as first organized as a municipal township at the term of the Linn County Court held in October, 1870. It was named for the town of Bucklin. ' It was duly organized under the township organization law in 1872, and continued under that form for about five years, as the other townships of the county. Its last organization was in April, 1881, pursuant to the expressed wish of the people at the fall election of 1880.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

**The history of Linn county, Missouri. An encyclopedia of useful information**1882 · page 338Read the page →
Read the text
The town of Bucklin incorporated May 8, 1866. Laclede was incorporated March 6, 1866. The County Court made an order at the August term, 1861, that the *• military tax" was unconstitutional and declined to make a levy.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

In 1902 he returned to Bucklin, and there he has made his home ever since. From 1892 to 1901 he was in the drug trade in Bucklin, but since his return he has devoted himself exclusively to his practice, which has been sufficient in its demands to take all his time and attention. He is still an indu… — **Compendium of history and biography of Linn County, Missouri**1912 · page 645Read the page →
Read the text
In 1902 he returned to Bucklin, and there he has made his home ever since. From 1892 to 1901 he was in the drug trade in Bucklin, but since his return he has devoted himself exclusively to his practice, which has been sufficient in its demands to take all his time and attention. He is still an industrious and reflective student of his profession, keeping in touch with its best literature and availing himself of all means of his command to improve his knowledge of it in theory and practice. He is an active and attentive member of the American
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

Bucklin, 1854 to 1949

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

19th century
1854
FoundingBucklin is established
1860Post officeThe Bucklin post office opens
1880Born hereMike Donnelly is born here
1894Born hereBayard Hilton Faulkner is born here
20th century
1922Born hereKathryn Hach-Darrow is born here
1930CensusPopulation peaks at 932
1949On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey

By decade

Bucklin, decade by decade

Today2 recent

2007Bucklin Plaque

2004MOMap-doton-Bucklin

On the map

Bucklin on the map, 1949 to 1979

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

1949Bucklin sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Bucklin.

Famous people

3 famous people were born in Bucklin

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

See all →

Kathryn Hach-DarrowAmerican businesswoman · b. 1922

Bayard Hilton FaulknerMayor of Montclair, New Jersey · b. 1894

Mike DonnellyAmerican politician · b. 1880

Questions about Bucklin’s history

What year was Bucklin founded?

In 1854, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Bucklin’s post office opened in 1860, and the census of 1880 counted 430 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →

Start a conversation

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), 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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