Cleveland dates to 1869, and 4 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 57% of U.S. towns · #46 of 100 in Mississippi. What drives it
Most of Cleveland was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1974. 4 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 274 buildings between them. Below: 17 old photos and papers, maps from 1905 on, and the census since 1900.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1884.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Cleveland’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Cleveland is more historic than 57% of U.S. towns, #46 of 100 in Mississippi. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Cleveland’s overall grade.
Mississippi towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Mississippi town has 71.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Cleveland’s 260 sits above most of its state (81% of Mississippi towns have fewer) while its 276 historic buildings outnumber those of 95% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.7 points). Two sources give 1869.
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 →
What stands out about Cleveland’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
Named after President Grover Cleveland, the town began formation in 1869 as people moved inland from the Mississippi River. The Louisville, New Orleans & Texas Railroad ran through the town and a portion of the railroad remains there today. Early records show the community was called Fontaine in 1884 and at some point Coleman's Station. Moses W. Coleman built the first home on the bayou in the area. In 1885, it was officially named Sims after Rueben T. Sims, who owned part of the land on which the town stood. The village of Cleveland was chartered on March 25, 1886, and the United States Post Office recognized the town as such on August 5, 1887. It was Sims's son, B.C. Sims, who was responsible for the name change to Cleveland.
Passages that mention Cleveland, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The discovery and conquests of the Northwest [microform]1880 · page 226Read the page →
Read the text
twenty-five hundred dollars worth of goods were accepted as pay for their interest in the lands, the lent on which the present city of Cleveland now stands being included in the tract. This offer was accepted, not without some bitter reproaches on the part of Red Jacket, who said: “You white people make a great parade about religion; you say you have a book of laws and rules which was given you by the Great Spirit, but is this true? Was it written by his own
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The discovery and conquests of the Northwest1880Read the page →
Read the text
twenty -five hundred dollars worth of goods were accepted as pay for their interest in the lands, the land on which the present city of Cleveland now stands being included in the tract. This offer was accepted, not without some bitter reproaches on the part of Red Jacket, who said: "You white people make a great parade about religion; you say you liave a book of laws and rules which was given you by the Great Spirit, but is this true? Was it written by his own
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
Cleveland, 1869 to 1993
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Cleveland. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1934Cleveland 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 Cleveland.
Every building
Cleveland, building by building, 1905–1925
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.
In 1869, according to Wikidata. Cleveland’s post office opened in 1884, and the census of 1900 counted 479 people here.
How does Cleveland rank for history?
Cleveland is more historic than 57% of U.S. towns, #46 of 100 in Mississippi. 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 Cleveland?
4 listings: 2 buildings, among them the U.S. Post Office (listed 1981, the first), and 2 historic districts, the Downtown Cleveland Historic District and the Cleveland Founders Historic District, with 274 contributing buildings. 276 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Cleveland?
7% of Cleveland’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.7 points), against a typical 4.5% for a Mississippi town; the median home was built in 1974.
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 (4), the Library of Congress (13), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (4), 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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