Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Underwood

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
–Not graded
History · Underwood

Underwood’s post office opened in 1903, and 12% of its homes were built before 1940

1903first post office
0on the National Register
12%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Underwood began

When was Underwood founded?

1903

The Underwood post office opened in 1903, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 784123 years
Founding year: the first Underwood post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

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

Start Underwood’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Underwood’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 Underwood came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Underwood.

Read it all →

Underwood was founded along a Soo Line Railroad line between Bismarck and Max in 1903 and named after Fred D. Underwood, vice president of the railroad at the time. Alon Wieland, businessman and politician, was born in Underwood.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Underwood, 1903 to 1935

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

  1. 20th century
  2. 1903Post officeThe Underwood post office opens
  3. 1933Born hereLayton Freborg is born here
  4. 1935Born hereAlon Wieland is born here
By decade

Underwood, decade by decade

Today2 recent
Veeder Cemetery gate2023Veeder Cemetery gateNDMap-doton-Underwood2004NDMap-doton-Underwood
Famous people

2 famous people were born in Underwood

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
A
Alon WielandAmerican politician in the state of North Dakota · b. 1935
L
Layton FreborgAmerican politician · b. 1933

Questions about Underwood’s history

What year was Underwood founded?

The Underwood post office opened in 1903, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

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, 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.