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B+History
History · Ferguson

Ferguson’s post office opened in 1868, and 16% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 73% of U.S. towns · #61 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it

5 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 229 buildings between them. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1933 on, and the census since 1880.

1868first post office
5on the National Register
16%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
6famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Ferguson’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Ferguson began

When was Ferguson founded?

1868

The Ferguson post office opened in 1868, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1894. Another post office, Hamilton (1823), opened inside today’s city and later closed.

First census: 185 in 18802020 census: 18,527158 years

How historic is Ferguson?

B+

More historic than 73% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Ferguson post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1894.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Ferguson’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Ferguson is more historic than 73% of U.S. towns, #61 of 247 in Missouri. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Ferguson’s overall grade.
Founding era1868, from the first post office: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194015.7% of homes (±3.5) · typical MO town 8.4% · U.S. 8.4%BNational Register5 listings, 233 historic buildings, 128 per 10,000 residents · typical MO town 2.4 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 73%
NewerOlder
Missouri towns of 2,500+ (247)Ahead of 76%

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 Ferguson’s 128 sits above most of its state (93% of Missouri towns have fewer) while its 233 historic buildings outnumber those of 94% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.5 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1894 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.

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 Ferguson’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A historic districtThe Old Ferguson West Historic District takes in 225 historic buildings.A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 28,759 in 1970; 18,527 people lived here in 2020.Landmarks on the Register5 places on the National Register.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

5 listings protect 233 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
5
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
233
each building in a district counts
first listed
1984
Church Street Commercial District
Wildwood HouseJohn C. and Georgie Atwood HouseChurch Street Commercial DistrictFerguson School Central SchoolOld Ferguson West Historic District
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Italianate1
Late Victorian1
Queen Anne1
Shingle Style1
Colonial Revival1
Georgian Revival1
Wildwood HouseItalianate
John C. and Georgie Atwood HouseBuilding
All 5 listings
Church Street Commercial DistrictDistrict · listed 1984Ferguson School Central SchoolBuilding · listed 1984Old Ferguson West Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2011

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Help out

Start Ferguson’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewFlag of: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Ferguson, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 28,759

Peaked at 28,759 in 1970; 18,527 people lived here in 2020.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

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

The story

How Ferguson came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Ferguson.

Read it all →

What is now the city of Ferguson was founded in 1855, when William B. Ferguson deeded 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land to the Wabash Railroad in exchange for a new depot and naming rights. The settlement that sprang up around the depot was called Ferguson Station. Ferguson was the first railroad station connected directly to St. Louis. The station is a focal point of the city's history and is depicted on the city flag, designed in 1994.

Ferguson's first schoolhouse was built in 1878. Ferguson was incorporated as a city in 1894.

Emerson Electric moved its headquarters to Ferguson during the 20th century.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Ferguson, 1823 to 1994

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1823Post officeThe Hamilton post office opens
  3. 1824Post officeThe Hamilton post office closes
  4. 1868Post officeThe Ferguson post office opens
  5. 20th century
  6. 1912Post officeThe Ferguson post office closes
  7. 1933On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 1938Born hereDavid Singmaster is born here
  9. 1970CensusPopulation peaks at 28,759
  10. 1980Born hereJames Knowles III is born here
  11. 1982Born hereTyron Woodley is born here
  12. 1994In the archiveFlag of
By decade

Ferguson, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1990s1 item
Flag of1994Flag of
Today17 recent
John C. and Georgie Atwood House2018John C. and Georgie Atwood HouseAntonio French mayoral debate 2017 22017Antonio French mayoral debate 2017 2Antonio French mayoral debate 2017 12017Antonio French mayoral debate 2017 1Antonio French 20172017Antonio French 2017Michael Brown Plaque2016Michael Brown PlaqueInvestigation of the Ferguson Police Department2015Investigation of the Ferguson Police DepartmentBookDOJ Report on Shooting of Michael Brown2015DOJ Report on Shooting of Michael BrownBookNorfolk Southern Train 285 Runs past Ferguson Train Station2014Norfolk Southern Train 285 Runs past Ferguson Train S…Frank Leon Roberts2014Frank Leon RobertsFergusonNarrative2014FergusonNarrativeWildwood House2012Wildwood HouseMapHighlightingFergusonTsStLouisCtMO2012MapHighlightingFergusonTsStLouisCtMOFerguson, Missouri2012Ferguson, MissouriFerguson, Missouri infobox montage 12012Ferguson, Missouri infobox montage 1City Hall2012City HallCentral School 00532012Central School 0053MOMap-doton-Ferguson2004MOMap-doton-Ferguson
On the map

Ferguson on the map, 1933 to 1993

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

Ferguson on the 1933 USGS mapFerguson on the 1941 USGS mapFerguson on the 1954 USGS mapFerguson on the 1968 USGS mapFerguson on the 1974 USGS mapFerguson on the 1993 USGS map1933Clayton 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 Ferguson.

Famous people

6 famous people were born in Ferguson

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

See all →
T
Tyron WoodleyAmerican mixed martial artist · b. 1982
D
David SingmasterBritish mathematician · b. 1938
Nick SchroerAmerican politician serving in the Missouri Hou…
James Knowles IIIMayor in Missouri · b. 1980
B
Brian WilliamsMissouri politician · b. 1983
C
Cornelia Catlin CoulterAmerican classical philologist · b. 1885
Places that used to be

Lost post offices and old corners

Ferguson had its own post office from 1868 to 1912. Another post office, Hamilton, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Hamilton
1823–1824
Ferguson
1868–1912
18201920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Cool ValleyWoodstock

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

DellwoodIts storyDCool ValleyIts storyCCalverton ParkIts storyC−Jennings2 historic placesA−Normandy3 historic placesAKinlochIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townBerkeleyIts storyC−Florissant38 historic placesB+

Questions about Ferguson’s history

What year was Ferguson founded?

The Ferguson post office opened in 1868, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1894.

How does Ferguson rank for history?

Ferguson is more historic than 73% of U.S. towns, #61 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 Ferguson?

5 listings: 3 buildings and 2 historic districts, the Church Street Commercial District and the Old Ferguson West Historic District, with 229 contributing buildings. 233 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Ferguson?

16% of Ferguson’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.5 points), against a typical 8.4% for a Missouri town; the median home was built in 1957.

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).

From Wikimedia Commons (18), Wikidata (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) 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.