Knob Noster’s post office opened in 1846, and 5 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 66% of U.S. towns · #77 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it
Most of Knob Noster was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1990. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1917 on, and the census since 1870.
Founding year: the first Knob Noster post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Knob Noster’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Knob Noster is more historic than 66% of U.S. towns, #77 of 247 in Missouri. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Knob Noster’s 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 Knob Noster’s 17.6 sits above most of its state (80% of Missouri towns have fewer) while its 5 listings outnumber those of 70% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A−. The pre-1940 share (±2.9 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 Knob Noster’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Knob Noster was platted in 1856. The community, in the eastern part of Washington Township, was laid out in 1856 by William A. Wortham, and incorporated by act of legislature December 14, 1859. All authorities agree that the name is connected with the prominent mound or knob (or knobs) that stand isolated on the prairie near the town. The second part of the name is said to have been suggested by a school teacher, but its origin is uncertain. Surveyor and educator David Wolfe Eaton derived it from the Latin, interpreting the whole name as "Our Knobs". The town was removed to its present site when the Pacific Railroad was built. A post office has been in operation in Knob Noster since 1846.
Passages that mention Knob Noster, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Johnson County, Missouri1918 · page 162Read the page →
Read the text
The present town came into existence wlien the Pacific railroad was built. William Wortham was ]ierha])s the pioneer merchant in the old town of Knob Noster. The first post office was established here in 1S50 before any town or village was laid out. It was located at Thompson, who became the first postmaster, here were James Morrow. John Satoris. CI Dawson. William Mayes. John A. Pigg, W il
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Johnson County, Missouri1918 · page 413Read the page →
Read the text
Knob Noster Immanuel church was organized about 1905 with about eight to ten charter voting members. The first minister was Mr. Kuntzman. There are about twenty-five voting members, and the actual attendance is about 150. There is also a parochial school conducted by the church at the church building.
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.
Timeline
Knob Noster, 1846 to 2020
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
The Knob Noster post office opened in 1846, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Knob Noster rank for history?
Knob Noster is more historic than 66% of U.S. towns, #77 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 Knob Noster?
5 listings: 2 buildings and 3 structures.
How old are the homes in Knob Noster?
4% of Knob Noster’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.9 points), against a typical 8.4% for a Missouri town; the median home was built in 1990.
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 (2), 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), 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.
![The present town came into existence wlien the Pacific railroad was built. William Wortham was ]ierha])s the pioneer merchant in the old town of Knob Noster. The first post office was established here in 1S50 before any town or village was laid out. It was located at Thompson, who became the first …](https://images.townratings.com/story/9982/bk-50fe83c70096ad71-l.jpg)
Date?
2004