The story
Read it all →How Hale came to be
From Wikipedia’s history of Hale.
Hale was platted in 1833. The community was named after John P. Hale, a state legislator.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
–Not graded
History · Hale
Hale dates to 1833, and 13% of its homes were built before 1940
Below: maps from 1914 on and the census since 1890.
1833founded
0on the National Register
13%homes built before 1940
1famous people
Quick answers
How Hale began
When was Hale founded?
1833
Hale dates its founding to 1833 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1890.
First census: 530 in 18902020 census: 375193 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1884.The full story ↓
What stands out about Hale’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 Hale are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 690 in 1920; 375 people lived here in 2020.Deep rootsEstablished in 1833: 193 years of Hale.On the map since 19243 editions of the USGS map, 1924 to 1978. Watch Hale change.
★ What stands out · Help out
Start Hale’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Hale’s history is told.
Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.People over time
Hale, census by census
Peaked at 690 in 1920; 375 people lived here in 2020.
14 censuses, 1890–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Hale’s Wikipedia page.
Timeline
Hale, 1833 to 1942
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
- 19th century
- 1833FoundingHale is established
- 1884Post officeThe Hale post office opens
- 20th century
- 1920CensusPopulation peaks at 690
- 1924
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey - 1942Born hereNoel Shull is born here
By decade
Hale, decade by decade
Today1 recent
2004On the map
Hale on the map, 1924 to 1978
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Hale. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1924Hale sheet · 1:62,500U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Hale.
Every building
Hale, building by building, 1914
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.
1914Sheet 1 of 1Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Questions about Hale’s history
What year was Hale founded?
In 1833, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Hale’s post office opened in 1884, and the census of 1890 counted 530 people here.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (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.