Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 86% of U.S. towns · #27 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it
3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 6 buildings. Below: 8 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1860.
Mexico dates its founding to 1836 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1860.
More historic than 86% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Mexico is more historic than 86% of U.S. towns, #27 of 247 in Missouri. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
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 Mexico’s 7.0 sits above most of its state (70% of Missouri towns have fewer) while its 8 historic buildings outnumber those of 74% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: Wikidata (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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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 year, then a sheet.
1885Sheet 1 of 3Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions 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 archiveBird's eye view of the city of Mexico, Audrian Co., Missouri 1869
In the archiveYoung girls going to work in Friedman Shelby Shoe Company, 6:30 A.M. Location: Mexico, Mi…
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyFrom Wikipedia’s history of Mexico.
Mexico was laid out as "New Mexico" in 1836 and was a major stop for settlers heading to the Republic of Texas (thus the name "New Mexico"), and it became the county seat under its present name in 1837. The word "New" was dropped after the Mexican War that saw Texas become a part of the United States.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Mexico, cut from the printed page as they were published.
numbering three hundred and twenty-five men under General M’Leod, left Austin, the capital of Texas, and after a journey of about three months, arrived at the Spanish settlements in New Mexico. They were intercepted by a vastly superior force, and surrendered on condition of their being allowed to return ; but instead of this, they wTere bound with ropes and leather thongs, in gangs of six or eight, stripped of most of their clothing, and inarched to the city of Mexico, a distance of twelve hundred
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
twelve hundred Mexicans, under General Woll, took the town of Bexar, but subsequently retreated beyond the Bio Grande. A Texan army was collected, which was zealous to carry the war into Mexico. After various disappointments and the return of most of the volunteers, three hundred Texans crossed the Bio Grande and attacked the town of Mier, which was garrisoned by more than two thousand Mexicans strongly posted. In a dark, rainy night, they drove in the guard, and in spite of a constant fire of the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The original town of Mexico was located in the central portion of the north-west quarter of section 26, township 51, range 9, and was laid out in April, 1836, by Robert C. Mansfield and James H. Smith, who entered the land at $1.25 per acre.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Below we present a review of the business of Mexico for the year 1874. It is important, because it shows the names of the parties who were doing business in Mexico at that time, how long they had been in business, and what their sales amounted to that year. It also gives something of an insight into the character of the men who were then the merchants and tradesmen of Mexico. We copy from the Messen¬ ger of December, 1874 : — We lay before our readers and the general public a very extended
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.
2 decades in the archive, from the 1860s to the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
1910Young girls going to work in Friedman Shelby Shoe Com…
1910Two boys working in Friedman Shelby Shoe Company 6:30…
1910Two boys working in Friedman Shelby Shoe Company 6:30…
1910Group of boys working in Friedman Shelby Shoe Co. 6:3…![Group of boys working in Freidjman [i.e., Friedman] Shelby Shoe Company, 6:30 A.M. (See photo #1718 for names of boys.)…](https://images.townratings.com/story/10161/952224e13442888c7c59-s.jpg)
1910Group of boys working in Freidjman [i.e., Friedman] S…
1910Group of boys working in Friedman Shelby Shoe Co., 6:…
1912Missouri military headwayEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Mexico. 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 Mexico.
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 Mexico’s page.
Retake this view · +15The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Between 960 and 12,889 people in every census since 1860.
17 censuses, 1860–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Mexico’s Wikipedia page.
Mexico’s post office has been open since 1837.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
In 1836, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Mexico’s post office opened in 1837, and the census of 1860 counted 960 people here.
Mexico is more historic than 86% of U.S. towns, #27 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.
Three places: the Ross House (listed 1978), the Simmons, Arthur, Stables Historic District (2004) and the Audrain County Courthouse (2012).
21% of Mexico’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.5 points), against a typical 8.4% for a Missouri town; the median home was built in 1965.
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).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), the Library of Congress (7), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, 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.
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