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BHistory
History · Platte City

Platte City’s post office opened in 1839, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 65% of U.S. towns · #83 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it

Most of Platte City was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1978. Its Register listings are the Frederick Krause Mansion and the Platte County Courthouse. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1850.

1839first post office
2on the National Register
8%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
3famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Platte City’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Platte City began

When was Platte City founded?

1839

The Platte City post office opened in 1839, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 495 in 18502020 census: 4,784187 years

How historic is Platte City?

B

More historic than 65% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Platte City post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Platte City’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Platte City is more historic than 65% of U.S. towns, #83 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 Platte City’s overall grade.
Founding era1839, from the first post office: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19407.9% of homes (±3.4) · typical MO town 8.4% · U.S. 8.4%C+National Register2 listings, 4.1 per 10,000 residents · typical MO town 2.4 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 65%
NewerOlder
Missouri towns of 2,500+ (247)Ahead of 67%

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 Platte City’s 4.1 sits near the middle of its state (60% of Missouri towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.4 points). 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 Platte City’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 2 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost a third of its people between 1860 and 1920, then grew 8-fold.Mapped building by building4 fire insurance maps, 1886 to 1909, drew every building in Platte City.On the map since 19104 editions of the USGS map, 1910 to 1970. Watch Platte City change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Platte City’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Platte City’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewLe Tour du monde-05-p369: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Platte City, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0001850190019502000875 in 1860Low: 558

Lost a third of its people between 1860 and 1920, then grew 8-fold.

18 censuses, 1850–2020.

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

Every building

Platte City, building by building, 1886–1909

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.

Platte City fire insurance map, 1886, sheet 11886Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone

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

The story

How Platte City came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Platte City.

Read it all →

Platte City was founded by Zadock "Zed" Martin and was incorporated as a city in September 1843.

On December 16, 1861, Colonel W. James Morgan's Union Squad razed Platte City, including the courthouse.

The Platte County Fair held annually just outside Platte City began in 1863 and is the oldest continuously operating fair west of the Mississippi River.

On April 3, 1882, Jesse James planned a robbery of the Platte City bank, but it was never carried out due to his assassination by Robert Ford on the morning of the raid.

On July 19, 1933 Bonnie and Clyde were ambushed by, and engaged in, a shootout with local authorities just south of Platte City at the Red Crown Tourist Court.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Platte City, 1839 to 2020

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1839Post officeThe Platte City post office opens
  3. 1845Born hereJoseph Wayne Mercer is born here
  4. 1862In the archiveLe Tour du monde-05-p369
  5. 1872Born hereGuy Brasfield Park is born here
  6. 20th century
  7. 1910On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 1921Born hereAndrew Jackson Higgins is born here
  9. 21st century
  10. 2020CensusPopulation peaks at 4,784
By decade

Platte City, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1860s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1860s2 items
Le Tour du monde-05-p3691862Le Tour du monde-05-p369Le Tour du monde-05-p3771862Le Tour du monde-05-p377
Today14 recent
Yamaha console piano, Platte City, Missouri2010Yamaha console piano, Platte City, MissouriYamaha C6 grand piano, Platte City High School2010Yamaha C6 grand piano, Platte City High SchoolWater Treatment Plant, Platte City2010Water Treatment Plant, Platte CityWater Treatment Plant Lake, Platte City2010Water Treatment Plant Lake, Platte CityField of Green, Platte City2010Field of Green, Platte CitySettler's Crossing, Platte City, MO2009Settler's Crossing, Platte City, MOPlatte City Fire Department, Platte City, MO2009Platte City Fire Department, Platte City, MOOld Bridge Abutments Spanning Platte River, Platte City, MO2009Old Bridge Abutments Spanning Platte River, Platte Ci…Looking west at intersection of Main and 3rd, Platte City, MO2009Looking west at intersection of Main and 3rd, Platte …Looking northeast up the Platte River, Platte City, MO2009Looking northeast up the Platte River, Platte City, MOLooking Southwest down the Platte River2009Looking Southwest down the Platte RiverLooking North up Main Street in Platte City, MO2009Looking North up Main Street in Platte City, MOHistoric home and bistro in Platte city, MO2009Historic home and bistro in Platte city, MOBen Ferrell County Museum, Platte City, MO2009Ben Ferrell County Museum, Platte City, MO
On the map

Platte City on the map, 1910 to 1970

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

Platte City on the 1910 USGS mapPlatte City on the 1950 USGS mapPlatte City on the 1961 USGS mapPlatte City on the 1970 USGS map1910Leavenworth 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 Platte City.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Le Tour du monde-05-p369
Retake this viewLe Tour du monde-05-p369, 1862

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Platte City’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

2 historic places in Platte City

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

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1978
Frederick Krause Mansion
Frederick Krause MansionPlatte County Courthouse
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Second Empire1
Classical1
Frederick Krause MansionSecond Empire
All 2 listings
Platte County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1979

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

Famous people

3 famous people were born in Platte City

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

See all →
Guy Brasfield ParkAmerican politician · b. 1872
A
Andrew Jackson HigginsAmerican judge · b. 1921
Joseph Wayne MercerConfederate Army soldier · b. 1845
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Kansas City333 historic placesA−

Questions about Platte City’s history

What year was Platte City founded?

The Platte City post office opened in 1839, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

How does Platte City rank for history?

Platte City is more historic than 65% of U.S. towns, #83 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 Platte City?

Two places: the Frederick Krause Mansion (listed 1978) and the Platte County Courthouse (1979).

How old are the homes in Platte City?

8% of Platte City’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.4 points), against a typical 8.4% for a Missouri town; the median home was built in 1978.

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).

From Wikimedia Commons (16), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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.