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New London, MOPhoto: Guerreroast · CC BY 4.0
–Not graded
History · New London

New London dates to 1819, and 25% of its homes were built before 1940

Its Register listing is the Ralls County Courthouse and Jail-Sheriff's House. Below: maps from 1909 on and the census since 1860.

1819founded
1on the National Register
25%homes built before 1940
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How New London began

When was New London founded?

1819

New London dates its founding to 1819 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1860.

First census: 268 in 18602020 census: 943207 years
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1820.The full story ↓

What stands out about New London’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of New London are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Deep rootsEstablished in 1819: 207 years of New London.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start New London’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how New London’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Timeline

New London, 1819 to 1945

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1819
    FoundingNew London is established
  3. 1820Post officeThe New London post office opens
  4. 1879Born hereTom Stout is born here
  5. 1895Born hereRobert W. Winn is born here
  6. 20th century
  7. 1905Born hereEarl S. Piper is born here
  8. 1915Born hereMayo Smith is born here
  9. 1945On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
The story

How New London came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of New London.

Read it all →

New London was platted in 1819. The community was named after London, England. A post office called New London has been in operation since 1820. The same year it became county seat of Ralls County. The county courthouse was built in 1858 and is the oldest court house in Missouri. In the front yard of the court house stands a WWI cannon. Today, the Ralls County Courthouse and Jail-Sheriff's House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

New London, decade by decade

Today2 recent
New London, MO2025New London, MORalls County MO Courthouse 20141022 A2014Ralls County MO Courthouse 20141022 A
On the map

New London on the map, 1945 to 1991

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of New London. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

New London on the 1945 USGS mapNew London on the 1971 USGS mapNew London on the 1991 USGS map1945Hannibal sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of New London.

Every building

New London, building by building, 1909–1917

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.

New London fire insurance map, 1909, sheet 11909Sheet 1 of 3
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

On the National Register

1 historic place in New London

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1972
Ralls County Courthouse and Jail-Sheriff's House
Ralls County Courthouse and Jail-Sheriff's House
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival1
Ralls County Courthouse and Jail-Sheriff's HouseGreek Revival

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

New London, census by census

02004006008001,0001,200190019502000Peak: 1,161

Between 268 and 1,161 people in every census since 1860.

17 censuses, 1860–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on New London’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

4 famous people were born in New London

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Tom StoutUnited States Congressman · b. 1879
Mayo SmithAmerican baseball player, coach, manager · b. 1915
Robert W. WinnAmerican politician · b. 1895
Earl S. PiperAmerican Marine Corps Major General · b. 1905

Questions about New London’s history

What year was New London founded?

In 1819, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. New London’s post office opened in 1820, and the census of 1860 counted 268 people here.

What is on the National Register in New London?

One place: the Ralls County Courthouse and Jail-Sheriff's House (listed 1972).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (2), 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.