More historic than 22% of U.S. towns · #197 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it
Most of Rogersville was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2000. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1943 on, and the census since 1920.
From Rogersville’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers
How Rogersville began
When was Rogersville founded?
1882
The Rogersville post office opened in 1882, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Cody (1901), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 408 in 19202020 census: 3,897144 years
How historic is Rogersville?
C−
More historic than 22% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Rogersville post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Rogersville’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Rogersville is more historic than 22% of U.S. towns, #197 of 247 in Missouri. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Rogersville’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 Rogersville’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (23% of Missouri towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% 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 is a Census survey estimate (±4.0 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 Rogersville’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Rogersville was named after Isaac Rogers, a physician and pioneer settler. A post office called Rogersville has been in operation since 1882. The Citizens Bank of Rogersville was formed as a corporation on December 15, 1908, with $10,000 in capital stock.
The history of Rogersville has been documented by the Citizens Bank of Rogersville and is shown below.
The largest settlement in this area in the mid 1800s was Henderson, with a population of about 300. Henderson was located 16 miles east of Springfield in a valley, by a stream and on the mail highway. It was a perfect place for a town.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Rogersville’s post office has been open since 1882. Another post office, Cody, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Rogersville
1882–today
Cody
1901–1905
18801950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Cody
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Rogersville’s history
What year was Rogersville founded?
The Rogersville post office opened in 1882, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Rogersville rank for history?
Rogersville is more historic than 22% of U.S. towns, #197 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.
How old are the homes in Rogersville?
6% of Rogersville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.0 points), against a typical 8.4% for a Missouri town; the median home was built in 2000.
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 (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) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2004
