More historic than 22% of U.S. towns · #51 of 57 in Nebraska. What drives it
Most of Hickman was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2003. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1897 on, and the census since 1890.
The Hickman post office opened in 1872, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, South Pass (1869), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 341 in 18902020 census: 2,607154 years
How historic is Hickman?
C−
More historic than 22% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Hickman post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Hickman’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hickman is more historic than 22% of U.S. towns, #51 of 57 in Nebraska. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Hickman’s overall grade.
Nebraska towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Nebraska town has 16.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Hickman’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (11% of Nebraska towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.4 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Hickman’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Hickman was founded by Reverend C. H. Heckman and incorporated in 1885. Prior to 1885, the city of Hickman was known as Heckman; named after founder Reverend C. H. Heckman. Prior to 1866, the land was open prairie. Reverend Heckman was an early settler purchasing land near the Salt Creek. Heckman was platted in 1872 by Reverend Heckman and Samuel Egger after a station was accepted on the route of the Atchison and Nebraska Railroad from Rulo, Nebraska to Lincoln, Nebraska. However, when Reverend Heckman and Samuel Egger submitted the plat for Heckman to Lancaster County for recording, Heckman was misspelled as Hickman. The city was incorporated as Hickman in 1885.
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.
Hickman’s post office has been open since 1872. Another post office, South Pass, opened and closed inside today’s town.
South Pass
1869–1872
Hickman
1872–today
18601940today
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Hickman’s history
What year was Hickman founded?
The Hickman post office opened in 1872, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Hickman rank for history?
Hickman is more historic than 22% of U.S. towns, #51 of 57 in Nebraska. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Hickman?
7% of Hickman’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.4 points), against a typical 18% for a Nebraska town; the median home was built in 2003.
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).
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) 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.
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