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History · Nye

Half of Nye’s homes were built after 1978

Most of Nye was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1978. Below: maps from 1939 on.

0on the National Register
0.0%homes built before 1940
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What stands out about Nye’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Nye are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
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Start Nye’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Nye came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Nye.

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Originally a copper mining camp, the town sprang into existence when Jack Nye and the Hedges brothers staked their claim. Mining continues to be an important part of the area's economy. Nye's first post office was established on October 6, 1887, with Thomas Ross as its first postmaster. The post office is a contract post office and serves a large land area including all residents beyond the building at 2027 Nye Road (Carters Camp).

The Minnesota Mining and Smelting Company built a copper smelter here in 1889, but it was shut down when it was discovered that they were illegally on the Crow Indian Reservation. Mining resumed after the reservation boundary moved in 1890.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

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On the map

Nye on the map, 1939 to 1996

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

Nye on the 1939 USGS mapNye on the 1986 USGS mapNye on the 1996 USGS map1939Mt Wood 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 Nye.

Questions about Nye’s history

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

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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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikipedia and U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.