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History · Davenport

Davenport’s post office opened in 1887, and 44% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1898 on and the census since 1890.

1887first post office
0on the National Register
44%homes built before 1940
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Davenport began, and where its name came from

When was Davenport founded?

1887

The Davenport post office opened in 1887, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 513 in 18902020 census: 319139 years

How did Davenport get its name?

Davenport was named after Davenport, Iowa.

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

What stands out about Davenport’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 Davenport are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18983 editions of the USGS map, 1898 to 1985. Watch Davenport change.Old housesHalf of Davenport’s homes were built before 1950.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Davenport’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Davenport’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
On the map

Davenport on the map, 1898 to 1985

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

Davenport on the 1898 USGS mapDavenport on the 1960 USGS mapDavenport on the 1985 USGS map1898Hebron sheet · 1:125,000

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

The story

How Davenport came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Davenport.

Read it all →

In 1872, the village was platted by the Nebraska Land and Town Company, and the St. Joseph and Denver City railroad line (later taken over by Union Pacific) was built through the site of village. It was named after Davenport, Iowa. In 1887, the village was officially incorporated. In 1888, North Western Railroad also built a line through the village. Two railroad lines with passenger and freight service brought much business to the village and helped support several hotels.

The public school was established in 1877. A Methodist Society was organized in 1881, a Church of Christ in 1882, Christ Lutheran Church in 1892, and St. Peter Lutheran in 1912.

Major fires destroyed large sections of the business district in 1889, 1917 and 2011.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Davenport, 1887 to 1948

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1887Post officeThe Davenport post office opens
  3. 1898On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  4. 20th century
  5. 1948Born hereCraig Koinzan is born here
By decade

Davenport, decade by decade

Today5 recent
Davenport, Nebraska Maple Ave from Railroad Way E side 12013Davenport, Nebraska Maple Ave from Railroad Way E sid…Davenport, Nebraska Maple Ave from Railroad Way 12013Davenport, Nebraska Maple Ave from Railroad Way 1Davenport, Nebraska - Maple Ave from S 12013Davenport, Nebraska - Maple Ave from S 1Davenport Nebraska main street2010Davenport Nebraska main streetNEMap-doton-Davenport2005NEMap-doton-Davenport
Every building

Davenport, building by building, 1910–1921

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Davenport fire insurance map, 1910, sheet 11910Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

People over time

Davenport, census by census

01002003004005001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 513

Between 294 and 513 people in every census since 1890.

14 censuses, 1890–2020.

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

Questions about Davenport’s history

What year was Davenport founded?

The Davenport post office opened in 1887, 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 (5), 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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.