McGill’s post office opened in 1891, and 49% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 82% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Its Register listings are the American Legion Hall, the McGill Drug Store and the Nevada Northern Railway-McGill Depot.
How McGill began
When was McGill founded?
The McGill post office opened in 1891, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Smelter (1907), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
How historic is McGill?
More historic than 82% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
What drives McGill’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, McGill is more historic than 82% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
Few Nevada towns list much on the Register (a typical Nevada town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so McGill’s 28.6 sits above most of its state (88% of Nevada towns have fewer) while its 3 listings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
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 →
3 historic places in McGill
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
Architectural styles listings
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Lost post offices
McGill’s post office has been open since 1891. Another post office, Smelter, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about McGill’s history
What year was McGill founded?
The McGill post office opened in 1891, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does McGill rank for history?
McGill is more historic than 82% of U.S. towns. 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.
What is on the National Register in McGill?
Three places: the American Legion Hall (listed 1994), the McGill Drug Store (1998) and the Nevada Northern Railway-McGill Depot (2015).
How old are the homes in McGill?
49% of McGill’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±15.2 points), against a typical 0.3% for a Nevada town; the median home was built in 1941.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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).
From the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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.