Republic’s post office opened in 1871, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 29% of U.S. towns · #172 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it
Most of Republic was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2001. Its Register listing is the Elijah Teague Anderson House. Below: maps from 1920 on and the census since 1880.
The Republic post office opened in 1871, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Little York (1859), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 81 in 18802020 census: 18,750155 years
How historic is Republic?
C
More historic than 29% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Republic post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Republic’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Republic is more historic than 29% of U.S. towns, #172 of 247 in Missouri. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Republic’s overall grade.
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 Republic’s 0.5 sits near the middle of its state (46% of Missouri towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to C. The pre-1940 share (±1.9 points) is firm at this size. 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 Republic’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Early settlement in southwest Greene County centered on the community of Little York. When the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad built a line through the area in the early 1870s, Little York was not on the route. Settlement moved two miles away to Brookline, which was on the rail line's route.
A group of settlers decided to take up residency at another area along the tracks just four miles southwest of Brookline. This village eventually became known as Republic, and was incorporated in 1871. While the railroad did go through Republic, there initially was no switch or depot located in the city. A public subscription of $1000 raised the funds to build a depot in the city. Subsequent growth is attributed to the depot's completion.
Passages that mention Republic, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Past and present of Greene County Missouri1915 · page 1689Read the page →
Read the text
In any rich and progressive agricultural country, like that contiguous to the town of Republic, Greene county. Missouri, the flour milling business is usually found to be one of the most important industries. Here a vast acreage is put to wheat annually and the total number of bushels produced after the results of the threshing season are known is enormous, so a great and modern mill in the center of this naturefavored locality has sprung up, known as the Republic Custom and Merchant Mill Company, of which George W. Thurman is manager. To conduct such a business successfully
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Past and present of Greene County Missouri1915 · page 1802Read the page →
Read the text
when his horse was shot from under him, wounding him by the fall. When a young man he learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed after locating in Greene county, Missouri, and was regarded as an exceptionally skilled workman. He finally located in the town of Republic, this county, where he served as postmaster for some time, then was elected justice of the peace for two terms. In 1902 he located in Springfield, where he spent the last years of his life, and served as justice of the peace, in which capacity he proved to be an efficient, unbiased and popular public servant, his decisions
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Greene County, Missouri ..1883 · page 677Read the page →
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Republic was built after the completion of the railroad. Tlie first building was put up by W. H. Noe, and was a store house ; then H. A. White built a store and hall. The first dwelling house was erected by John Summer and Rev. Loping. The second was by Dr. Bartlett.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Greene county, Missouri, ... including a history of its township, towns, and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri ... biographical sketches and portraits of prominent citizens ..1883 · page 677Read the page →
Read the text
Republic was built after the completion of the railroad. The first building was put up by W. H. Noe, and was a store house ; then H. A. White built a store and hall. The first dwelling house was erected by John Summer and Rev. Loping. The second was byDr, Bartlett.
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.
Timeline
Republic, 1859 to 1960
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
The Republic post office opened in 1871, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Republic rank for history?
Republic is more historic than 29% of U.S. towns, #172 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 Republic?
One place: the Elijah Teague Anderson House (listed 1980).
How old are the homes in Republic?
3% of Republic’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.9 points), against a typical 8.4% for a Missouri town; the median home was built in 2001.
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), 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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