More historic than 26% of U.S. towns · #186 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it
Most of Festus was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1983. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1894 on, and the census since 1890.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1861.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Festus’ History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Festus is more historic than 26% of U.S. towns, #186 of 247 in Missouri. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Festus’ 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 Festus’ 0.0 sits below most of its state (23% of Missouri towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to C. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.2 points). Two sources give 1878.
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Festus’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Festus’s post office has been open since 1883. Three other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Bailey's Station
1861–1864
Hanover
1864–1885
Festus
1883–today
Silica
1885–1918
18601940today
Hamlets and corners on the map
BaileyLudwigSilica
Gone or out of use
Bailey Schoolschool
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Festus
GamelMount Zion
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Every building
Festus, building by building, 1894–1915
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.
Festus originated as an outgrowth of older neighbor Crystal City. It was established in 1878 by an individual named W. J. Adams, and was known as "Tanglefoot", supposedly because of situations involving drinkers from the local glass factory, who would drunkenly get their feet tangled in brush on their way home. The city was later called Limitville, but eventually "Festus" was chosen, purported to be in honor of St. Louis banker Festus J. Wade. Others claim the town's name was picked at random by a preacher who sat there, opened the Bible, and pointed to the name "Festus" in the Book of Acts. The City of Festus was incorporated in 1888 and grew to be one of the largest towns in the county. A post office called Festus has been in operation since 1883.
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.
In 1878, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Festus’ post office opened in 1861, and the census of 1890 counted 1,335 people here.
How does Festus rank for history?
Festus is more historic than 26% of U.S. towns, #186 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.
How old are the homes in Festus?
9% of Festus’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.2 points), against a typical 8.4% for a Missouri town; the median home was built in 1983.
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), 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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