Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1890 on and the census since 1880.
The Malta Bend post office opened in 1860, the earliest record of the town by name.
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 Malta Bend’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Malta Bend. 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 Malta Bend.
From Wikipedia’s history of Malta Bend.
Malta Bend was platted in 1867. The community was named after a nearby meander on the Missouri River where steamer Malta sank. A post office called Malta Bend has been in operation since 1860.
The Henry Blosser House and Plattner Archeological Site are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Malta Bend, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The town of Malta Bend derived its name in the following manner: Many years ago, the old steamboat Malta struck a snag, on one of her trips up the river, and sunk at a bend near what has since been called Malta Bend landing. The bend in the river assurned the name of the steamboat, and the landing the name of the bend, and the town, back on the bluflTs, the name of the landing, Malta Bend.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The town of Malta Bend, located on the Petit Saw plains, in Grand Pass township, was laid off by Joseph R. Lunbeck in 1867. There were then three dwelling-houses, one dry goods and variety store and a postoffice at this point, including Mr. Lunbeck, Dr. James McNutt, W. H.
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.
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.
1916Sheet 1 of 1Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Between 187 and 449 people in every census since 1880.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Malta Bend’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
The Malta Bend post office opened in 1860, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
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), 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, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.
2004