Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 67% of U.S. towns · #74 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it
Its Register listing is the Lawrence County Courthouse. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1894 on, and the census since 1860.
The Mount Vernon post office opened in 1820, the earliest record of the town by name.
More historic than 67% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Mount Vernon is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #74 of 247 in Missouri. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 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 Mount Vernon’s 2.2 sits near the middle of its state (53% of Missouri towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
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 →
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 Mount Vernon’s history is told.
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.
1894Sheet 1 of 2Sanborn 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.
Born hereCharles D. Barger is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
In the archiveMt Vernon MO Presby PHS1029
Born hereJulia Butterfly Hill is born hereFrom Wikipedia’s history of Mount Vernon.
Mount Vernon was platted in 1845. The city was named after Mount Vernon, the estate of George Washington. A post office called Mount Vernon has been in operation since 1846.
Lawrence County Courthouse and Old Spanish Fort Archeological Site are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
One decade in the archive so far: the 1920s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
2015Red Barn Cafe and Hen House Bakery
2015Red Barn Cafe and Hen House Bakery
2015Red Barn Cafe and Hen House Bakery
2015Mt. Vernon, MO
2014Red Barn Cafe
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2012Mt. Vernon, MOEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Mount Vernon. 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 Mount Vernon.
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 Mount Vernon’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 441 and 4,575 people in every census since 1860.
17 censuses, 1860–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Mount Vernon’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
The Mount Vernon post office opened in 1820, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Mount Vernon is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #74 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.
One place: the Lawrence County Courthouse (listed 1980).
12% of Mount Vernon’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.1 points), against a typical 8.4% for a Missouri town; the median home was built in 1975.
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 (18), the National Register of Historic Places (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 and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
