California dates to 1834, and 17% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 87% of U.S. towns · #20 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it
5 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 21 buildings. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1880.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1830.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives California’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, California is more historic than 87% of U.S. towns, #20 of 247 in Missouri. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of California’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 California’s 62.1 sits above most of its state (89% of Missouri towns have fewer) while its 28 historic buildings outnumber those of 81% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.4 points). Two sources give 1834.
Founding year: Wikidata (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 California’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
The City of California was established in 1834. The seat of justice of Moniteau County was originally known as Boonesborough. When Moniteau County was organized in 1845, it was decided that Boonsborough would become the county seat. Because the county court was unwilling to pay for land in Boonsborough, a site was selected one-mile (1.6 km) west which became the new county seat. In 1846, the Postal Service required a new name to be selected for Boonsborough since there was already a Boonsborough in Missouri. The city was renamed to California on January 25, 1847, for the territory on the West Coast that was just then drawing attention due to progress of the overland railroad. That same year, a courthouse was erected on the square.
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.
Lost post offices, places now gone and burying grounds
Another post office, Moniteau, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Gone or out of use
Aurora High Schoolschool
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside California
BoeckhausCalifornia City
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about California’s history
What year was California founded?
In 1834, according to Wikidata. California’s post office opened in 1830, and the census of 1880 counted 1,427 people here.
How does California rank for history?
California is more historic than 87% of U.S. towns, #20 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 California?
5 listings: 4 buildings and 1 historic district, the Moniteau County Courthouse Square, with 21 contributing buildings. 28 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in California?
17% of California’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.4 points), against a typical 8.4% for a Missouri town; the median home was built in 1970.
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 (5), the Library of Congress (1), the National Register of Historic Places (5), 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 and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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