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History · Crookston

Crookston’s post office opened in 1886, and 37% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1985 on and the census since 1930.

1886first post office
0on the National Register
37%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Crookston began, and where its name came from

When was Crookston founded?

1886

The Crookston post office opened in 1886, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 373 in 19302020 census: 71140 years

How did Crookston get its name?

Crookston was named for W. T. Crook, a railroad official.

Founding year: the first Crookston post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓

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

Start Crookston’s collection

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

From Wikipedia’s history of Crookston.

Read it all →

Crookston got its start in the year 1885, following construction of the railroad through the territory. It was named for W. T. Crook, a railroad official.

A post office was established in Crookston in 1886, and remains in operation.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Crookston, 1886 to 1985

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1886Post officeThe Crookston post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1976Post officeThe Crookston post office closes
  5. 1985On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Crookston, decade by decade

Today10 recent
Crookston, Nebraska grain elevator 12013Crookston, Nebraska grain elevator 1Crookston, Nebraska from S 12013Crookston, Nebraska from S 1Crookston, Nebraska from E 22013Crookston, Nebraska from E 2Crookston, Nebraska from E 12013Crookston, Nebraska from E 1Crookston, Nebraska Main from First 12013Crookston, Nebraska Main from First 1Crookston, nebraska 09-27-20122012Crookston, nebraska 09-27-2012Crookston, Nebraska2012Crookston, NebraskaCrookston, Nebraska2012Crookston, NebraskaCrookston, Nebraska2012Crookston, NebraskaNEMap-doton-Crookston2005NEMap-doton-Crookston
On the map

Crookston on the map in 1985

The U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Crookston.

Crookston on the 1985 USGS map1985Crookston West 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 Crookston.

People over time

Crookston, census by census

010020030040019401960198020002020Peak: 373

Between 69 and 373 people in every census since 1930.

10 censuses, 1930–2020.

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

Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Crookston had its own post office from 1886 to 1976.

Crookston
1886–1976
18801950today

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Crookston’s history

What year was Crookston founded?

The Crookston post office opened in 1886, 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 →
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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 Wikimedia Commons (10), Wikipedia, 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.