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History · Randolph

Randolph’s post office opened in 1887, and 38% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1971 on and the census since 1890.

1887first post office
0on the National Register
38%homes built before 1940
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
Quick answers

How Randolph began, and where its name came from

When was Randolph founded?

1887

The Randolph post office opened in 1887, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1889.

First census: 374 in 18902020 census: 879139 years

How did Randolph get its name?

Randolph was named for Lord Randolph Churchill, a British statesman.

Founding year: the first Randolph post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1889. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓

What stands out about Randolph’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 Randolph are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 1,338 in 1920; 879 people lived here in 2020.Old housesHalf of Randolph’s homes were built before 1952.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Randolph’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Randolph’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
People over time

Randolph, census by census

02004006008001,0001,2001,4001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 1,338

Peaked at 1,338 in 1920; 879 people lived here in 2020.

14 censuses, 1890–2020.

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

The story

How Randolph came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Randolph.

Read it all →

Randolph got its start in the year 1886, following construction of the railroad through the territory. It was named for Lord Randolph Churchill, a British statesman. Randolph was incorporated on May 7, 1889.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Randolph, 1887 to 1971

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1887Post officeThe Randolph post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1920CensusPopulation peaks at 1,338
  5. 1939Born hereDennis Black is born here
  6. 1971On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Randolph, decade by decade

Today5 recent
Randolph, Nebraska city office2010Randolph, Nebraska city officeRandolph, Nebraska auditorium2010Randolph, Nebraska auditoriumRandolph, Nebraska Broadway 22010Randolph, Nebraska Broadway 2Randolph, Nebraska Broadway 12010Randolph, Nebraska Broadway 1NEMap-doton-Randolph2005NEMap-doton-Randolph
On the map

Randolph on the map, 1971 to 1985

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

Randolph on the 1971 USGS mapRandolph on the 1985 USGS map1971Randolph North 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 Randolph.

Questions about Randolph’s history

What year was Randolph founded?

The Randolph post office opened in 1887, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1889.

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 (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.