–Not graded

History · Decatur

Decatur’s post office opened in 1820, and 28% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1904 on and the census since 1820.

1820first post office

0on the National Register

28%homes built before 1940

2famous people

Add an old photo Share a memory

Quick answers

How Decatur began

When was Decatur founded?

1820

The Decatur post office opened in 1820, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 926 in 18202020 census: 374206 years

Founding year: the first Decatur post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Decatur’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 Decatur are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 1,110 in 1830; 353 people lived here in 2010.On the map since 19044 editions of the USGS map, 1904 to 1994. Watch Decatur change.Deep rootsA post office since 1820: 206 years of Decatur.

★ What stands out · Help out

Start Decatur’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Decatur’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

Decatur, census by census

Peaked at 1,110 in 1830; 353 people lived here in 2010.

20 censuses, 1820–2010.

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

On the map

Decatur on the map, 1904 to 1994

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

1904Richmondville sheet · 1:62,500

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

The story

How Decatur came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Decatur.

Read it all →

Early settlers began arriving in 1790, settling at the present Decatur village. Decatur was formed from part of the Town of Worcester in 1808. Its surface is hilly, broken by narrow valleys. The principal streams are Oak and Parker Creek, a tributary to the Schenevus. The first settlement was made in 1790 by Jacob Kinney near the present village of Decatur. The first merchant in the town was Nahum Thompson, who was a member of the assembly in 1844. The first supervisor was David Tripp, and the first town clerk was Lemuel Fletcher. Samuel Turber taught the first school in about the year 1798. The first grist mill was erected by John Champion, the grandfather of S.B. Champion, editor of the Stamford Mirror. James Stewart built the first carding mill.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Decatur, 1878–1915

Passages that mention Decatur, cut from the printed page as they were published.

Mr. Walden farms on an extensive scale three miles and a half from Decatur, and controls and sells more farming lands than any firm in the real estate business in Decatur. His fatlier, it should be mentioned, was located in Decatur in 1818, and represented Morgan County for four years in the State … — Historical and statistical review and mailing and shipping guide of North Alabama (illustrated) embracing the cities of Birmingham, Anniston, Gadsden, Huntsville, Decatur, Tuscaloosa and Bessemer, with their manufacturing and mercantile industries ... and1888 · page 275Read the page →
Read the text
Mr. Walden farms on an extensive scale three miles and a half from Decatur, and controls and sells more farming lands than any firm in the real estate business in Decatur. His fatlier, it should be mentioned, was located in Decatur in 1818, and represented Morgan County for four years in the State Legis-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

**History of Decatur County, Iowa, and its people**1915 · page 21Read the page →
Read the text
"Now to correct an error in regard to the second term of the District Court of Decatur County being held in Decatur City. From my personal knowledge it was not held in Decatur City, but was held in a log cabin some three miles east and south of Decatur City.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

**History of Otsego County, New York. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers**1878 · page 141Read the page →
Read the text
The first settlement of Decatur was made in about the year 1790, by Jacob Kinney, near the village of Decatur. Jacob Brown was a pioneer. He came from Columbia county in 1797, and located on lands now owned by B, 11.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

to 1863; Ira B. Ryan in 1864 and 1865; and then Woodbury was re-elected and served from 1866 to 1869. ^lajor Kellogg was representative in 1860, Capt. John Andrews in 1864, T. H. Brown in 1866 and Colonel Peck in 1868. C. G. Bridges of Decatur City served as state senator from 1864 to 1868. Bridges… — **History of Decatur County, Iowa, and its people**1915 · page 187Read the page →
Read the text
to 1863; Ira B. Ryan in 1864 and 1865; and then Woodbury was re-elected and served from 1866 to 1869. ^lajor Kellogg was representative in 1860, Capt. John Andrews in 1864, T. H. Brown in 1866 and Colonel Peck in 1868. C. G. Bridges of Decatur City served as state senator from 1864 to 1868. Bridges could make a fair speech and was recognized as a man of ability. He was admitted to the bar and practiced law for a time at Decatur City. He was prominently identified with a railroad project which was to have
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Decatur, 1820 to 1906

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

19th century
1820Post officeThe Decatur post office opens
1826Born hereJohn Van Voorhis is born here
1830CensusPopulation peaks at 1,110
1836Born hereLewis Waterman is born here
20th century
1904On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
1906Post officeThe Decatur post office closes

By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.

Add from your album

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Decatur

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →

Lewis WatermanAmerican inventor · b. 1836

John Van VoorhisLawyer and Congressman · b. 1826

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Decatur had its own post office from 1820 to 1906.

Decatur

1820–1906

18201920today

Hamlets and corners on the map

FurnacevilleGothicville

Gone or out of use

School Number 2schoolSchool Number 4schoolSchool Number 6school

2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Decatur

DecaturFerris

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

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Roseboom2 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town Worcester2 historic placesA⁺WestfordIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town SewardIts storyB⁺

Questions about Decatur’s history

What year was Decatur founded?

The Decatur post office opened in 1820, 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 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 old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

Post to Decatur

Check your email