Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 79% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Its Register listing is the David L. and Sallie Ann Stoutimore House. Below: maps from 1886 on and the census since 1860.
Plattsburg dates its founding to 1833 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1860.
More historic than 79% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Plattsburg is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns. 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 Plattsburg’s 4.4 sits near the middle of its state (62% of Missouri towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% 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.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Plattsburg’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.
1886Sheet 1 of 1Sanborn 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.
BuiltDavid L. and Sallie Ann Stoutimore House is built
Born hereHenry Clay is born here
Born hereJames C. Marshall is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyFrom Wikipedia’s history of Plattsburg.
The area along the rivers has been inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous peoples. Historic Native American tribes in the area included the Ioway, Meskwaki and Sac tribes, who ceded land to the United States in the Platte Purchase. This area became part of northwest Missouri.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Plattsburg, cut from the printed page as they were published.
of superior intelligence, and. though uninformed as to the technicalities of grammatical construction, is a singularly correct writer of his own language, hi November, 1838. he moved to Missouri, and settled in Plattsburg. in the immediate neighborhood of which he eneaeed in farming, and also sold clocks. He was, at different times, for the period of thirty years, engaged in mercantile business i.i Plattsburg. In 1853. he traded his stock of merchandise to Thomas E. Bircli, now of Glasgo->v, Missouri, for 3.300 acres of land, in Clin-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
After his marriage, Mr. Barton turned his attention to speculating in real estate. In October, 1S78, he opened a grocery store in Plattsburg, and continued in that business until April. 18S0. In Januar}*, [880. he began. the publication of the Purifier, a weekh' newspaper, at Plattsburg. u ith C. J. Nesbitt, withdrawing fVom the firm about August following. In May, 1 88 1, he accepted a position as traveling salesman for James Walsh & Co., wholesale liquor dealers, at St. Joseph. Missouri. He is at this time (1881) still in their emplo}-. Mr. Barton is a genial, liberal-hearted
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Plattsburg. 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 Plattsburg.
The 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 692 and 2,354 people in every census since 1860.
17 censuses, 1860–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Plattsburg’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
In 1833, according to Wikidata. Plattsburg’s post office opened in 1835, and the census of 1860 counted 692 people here.
Plattsburg is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns. 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 David L. and Sallie Ann Stoutimore House (listed 2013).
20% of Plattsburg’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.1 points), against a typical 8.4% for a Missouri town; the median home was built in 1970.
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 (3), Wikidata (1), 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, 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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