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History · Mayville Township

Mayville Township dates to 1881, and 71% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1967 on, and the census since 1890.

1881founded
0on the National Register
71%homes built before 1940
4old photos & papers
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Mayville Township’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Mayville Township began

When was Mayville Township founded?

1881

Mayville Township dates its founding to 1881 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1890.

First census: 657 in 18902020 census: 110145 years
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year.

What stands out about Mayville Township’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 4 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Mayville Township’s homes were built before 1938.Boom and bustPeaked at 2,554 in 1970; 1,854 people lived here in 2020.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Mayville Township’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewFourth of July Parade, Mayville, N.D: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story so far

Mayville Township, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Mayville Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Mayville is a city in Traill County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 1,854 at the 2020 census. Mayville is the largest community in Traill County. It was founded in 1881. It is named for May Arnold, the first white child born in the immediate area. Mayville is often grouped with the neighboring city of Portland and called "May-Port". It is home to Mayville State University.

Mayville Township was established in 1881. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 133 to 110 (-17%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

People over time

Mayville Township, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 2,554

Peaked at 2,554 in 1970; 1,854 people lived here in 2020.

14 censuses, 1890–2020.

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

Timeline

Mayville Township, 1881 to 1970

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1881
    FoundingMayville Township is established
  3. 1892In the archiveIllustrated historical atlas of Traill and Steele counties, North Dakota
  4. 20th century
  5. 1908In the archiveFourth of July Parade, Mayville, N.D
  6. 1913In the archiveMayville Park
  7. 1967On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 1970CensusPopulation peaks at 2,554
By decade

Mayville Township, decade by decade

3 decades in the archive, from the 1890s to the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1890s–1910s4 items
Illustrated historical atlas of Traill and Steele counties, North Dakota1892Illustrated historical atlas of Traill and Steele cou…MapFourth of July Parade, Mayville, N.D1908Fourth of July Parade, Mayville, N.DMayville Park1913Mayville ParkMayville Park1913Mayville Park
1920s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Today14 recent
Mayville, North Dakota2006Mayville, North DakotaMayville, North Dakota2006Mayville, North DakotaMayville, North Dakota2006Mayville, North DakotaMayville, North Dakota2006Mayville, North DakotaMayville, North Dakota2006Mayville, North DakotaMayville, North Dakota2006Mayville, North DakotaMayville, North Dakota2006Mayville, North DakotaMayville, North Dakota2006Mayville, North DakotaMayville, North Dakota2006Mayville, North DakotaMayville, North Dakota2006Mayville, North DakotaMayville, North Dakota (2006)2006Mayville, North Dakota (2006)Mayville, North Dakota (1)2006Mayville, North Dakota (1)Great Northern Railway Depot2006Great Northern Railway DepotMayville, North Dakota2003Mayville, North Dakota
On the map

Mayville Township on the map, 1967 to 1985

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

Mayville Township on the 1967 USGS mapMayville Township on the 1985 USGS map1967Mayville South 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 Mayville Township.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Fourth of July Parade, Mayville, N.D
Retake this viewFourth of July Parade, Mayville, N.D, 1908

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Mayville Township’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Places that used to be

Old corners

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Murray

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Mayville12 historic placesA−Blanchard TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townNorway Township1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townRoseville TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Mayville Township’s history

What year was Mayville Township founded?

In 1881, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1890 counted 657 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 (16), the Library of Congress (2), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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.