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History · Stapleton

Stapleton’s post office opened in 1912, and 35% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1972 on and the census since 1920.

1912first post office
0on the National Register
35%homes built before 1940
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Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
Quick answers

How Stapleton began, and where its name came from

When was Stapleton founded?

1912

The Stapleton post office opened in 1912, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 401 in 19202020 census: 267114 years

How did Stapleton get its name?

Stapleton was named for Mr. Stapleton whose donation was instrumental in starting the town.

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

What stands out about Stapleton’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 Stapleton are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Stapleton’s homes were built before 1957.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Stapleton’s collection

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

From Wikipedia’s history of Stapleton.

Read it all →

Stapleton was established in 1912 when the Union Pacific Railroad was extended to that point. It was named for Mr. Stapleton whose donation was instrumental in starting the town. In 2022, Stapleton passed a town ordinance banning abortion, the aiding & abetting of abortion, and the possession of abortion-inducing drugs.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Stapleton, decade by decade

Today4 recent
Stapleton, Nebraska Third from H2010Stapleton, Nebraska Third from HStapleton, Nebraska Main from Fifth 22010Stapleton, Nebraska Main from Fifth 2Stapleton, Nebraska Main from Fifth 12010Stapleton, Nebraska Main from Fifth 1NEMap-doton-Stapleton2005NEMap-doton-Stapleton
On the map

Stapleton on the map, 1972 to 1985

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

Stapleton on the 1972 USGS mapStapleton on the 1985 USGS map1972Stapleton 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 Stapleton.

People over time

Stapleton, census by census

0100200300400192019401960198020002020Peak: 431

Between 267 and 431 people in every census since 1920.

11 censuses, 1920–2020.

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

Places that used to be

Places now gone

Stapleton’s post office has been open since 1912.

Gone or out of use
Stapletonlocale

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

Questions about Stapleton’s history

What year was Stapleton founded?

The Stapleton post office opened in 1912, 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 (4), 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.