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History · Dawson

Dawson dates to 1880

Most of Dawson was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1968. Below: maps from 1952 on and the census since 1920.

1880founded
0on the National Register
7%homes built before 1940
1famous people
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Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answers

How Dawson began

When was Dawson founded?

1880

Dawson dates its founding to 1880 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1920.

First census: 298 in 19202020 census: 74146 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1881.The full story ↓

What stands out about Dawson’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 Dawson are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Dawson’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Dawson came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Dawson.

Read it all →

Dawson was founded in 1882 by Joshua Dawson Thompson, and named for him. A post office has been in operation at Dawson since 1881.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Dawson, 1880 to 1952

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1880
    FoundingDawson is established
  3. 1881Post officeThe Dawson post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1926Born hereWillard Pummel is born here
  6. 1952On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Dawson, decade by decade

Today2 recent
Dawson, North Dakota 6-10-20082008Dawson, North Dakota 6-10-2008Dawson, North Dakota 6-10-2008 (cropped)2008Dawson, North Dakota 6-10-2008 (cropped)
On the map

Dawson on the map, 1952 to 1985

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

Dawson on the 1952 USGS mapDawson on the 1985 USGS map1952Dawson sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Dawson.

People over time

Dawson, census by census

0100200300192019401960198020002020Peak: 306

Between 61 and 306 people in every census since 1920.

11 censuses, 1920–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Dawson’s Wikipedia page.

Questions about Dawson’s history

What year was Dawson founded?

In 1880, according to Wikidata. Dawson’s post office opened in 1881, and the census of 1920 counted 298 people here.

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
Start a conversation
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 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.