Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1939 on, and the census since 1960.
Hughesville dates its founding to 1871 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1960.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Hughesville’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Hughesville.
Hughesville was platted in 1871 by Reece Hughes, who gave the town his last name. A post office called Hughesville has been in operation since 1872.
The Osage Farms Resettlement Properties in Pettis County, Missouri includes properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. The Gen. David Thomson House was listed in 1982.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Hughesville, cut from the printed page as they were published.
borders. The town of Hughesville was named in honor of one of its influential citizens — Reece Hughes — who laid out the town while this township was yet a part of Houstonia township. It is with difficulty that we obtain the names of the early settlers of this township, because of its alliance with Houstonia and Longwood township, prior to August 14, 1878, when it was created a separate township by order of the Pettis County Court, and while the names of many of them might, in a measure, constitute a repetition, we will endeavor to give some of them: George
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
is one of the latest in organization. It was originally part of Bowling Green, and then part of Heath’s Creek and Mt. Sterling. It was organ¬ ized again in 1873 and in 1878 it gave up sixteen sections out of its south and western borders to help organize the township of Hughesville. It is bounded on the north by Saline county, on the west by Houstonia and Hughesville townships, on the east by Heath’s Creek township and on the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Mr. Elijah Magoflin was a wealthy farmer who resided about one mile west of the present town of Hughesville. He was a famous hunter, a dead shot, but withal a very quiet man and possessed of the most determined courage. He was known as a pronounced southern man.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
shop at Hughesville. Since his comingj to Hughesville, Mr. M. has built up an extensive and satisfactory business in his Hne. He has established a reputation for honest and reliable work, which insures for him a large and satisfactory trade. He is a man who is master of his trade and can accomplish anything in his line; his work will compare favorably with any done in our large cities in point of reliability, and beauty of finish. He is enjoying the comforts of a beautiful homestead, which consists of fifteen acres adjoining the town. Has an interesting and intelligent family. His
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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In the archiveOsage Farms project headquarters are located over the general store
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyOne decade in the archive so far: the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Hughesville. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Hughesville.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Hughesville’s page.
Retake this view · +15Between 92 and 183 people in every census since 1960.
7 censuses, 1960–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Hughesville’s Wikipedia page.
In 1871, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Hughesville’s post office opened in 1872, and the census of 1960 counted 134 people here.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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), the Library of Congress (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 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.
1939
2004
