Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Most of Kirbyville was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1990. Below: maps from 1956 on.
The Kirbyville post office opened in 1871, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 2001.
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 Kirbyville’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Kirbyville.
A post office called Kirbyville has been in operation since 1871. One Mr. Kirby, an early postmaster, gave the community his last name.
The Snap Balds where the Bald Knobbers were organized in 1883 are located just to the northwest of the village.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Kirbyville. 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 Kirbyville.
Nobody well known was born in Kirbyville itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
The Kirbyville post office opened in 1871, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 2001.
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 Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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.
