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History · Red Creek

Red Creek’s post office opened in 1821, and 61% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1911 on, and the census since 1880.

1821first post office
0on the National Register
61%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Red Creek began

When was Red Creek founded?

1821

The Red Creek post office opened in 1821, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1852.

First census: 525 in 18802020 census: 495205 years
Founding year: the first Red Creek post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1852.The full story ↓

What stands out about Red Creek’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Red Creek’s homes were built before 1938.Boom and bustPeaked at 689 in 1960; 495 people lived here in 2020.Deep rootsA post office since 1821: 205 years of Red Creek.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Red Creek’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Red Creek’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewRed Creek (Village); Red Creek Business…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Red Creek came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Red Creek.

Read it all →

The village was permanently settled circa 1811 and was originally called "Jacksonville" after Andrew Jackson. The name was changed to "Red Creek" in approximately 1836.

The name change was attributed to the creek which passes through its entirety. Originally, Big Red and Little Red Creeks were believed to be named from the waters color, which was tainted from passing over iron ore that richly runs throughout the water bed.

Local lore explains the origin of the name Red Creek. At one time, a tannery occupied the spot on the north side of the falls. As part of the tanning process, dye was used to tan skins. Dye was disposed of in the pond which then flowed over the dam's falls, discoloring it red.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

People over time

Red Creek, census by census

010020030040050060070018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 689

Peaked at 689 in 1960; 495 people lived here in 2020.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

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

Timeline

Red Creek, 1874 to 1960

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1874In the archiveRed Creek (Village); Red Creek Business Notices
  3. 1890Born hereGeorge Mangus is born here
  4. 20th century
  5. 1943On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1960CensusPopulation peaks at 689
By decade

Red Creek, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1870s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1870s1 item
Red Creek (Village); Red Creek Business Notices1874Red Creek (Village); Red Creek Business Notices
On the map

Red Creek on the map, 1943 to 1985

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

Red Creek on the 1943 USGS mapRed Creek on the 1954 USGS mapRed Creek on the 1985 USGS map1943Red Creek sheet · 1:31,680

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

Every building

Red Creek, building by building, 1911–1917

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Red Creek fire insurance map, 1911, sheet 11911Sheet 1 of 2
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Red Creek (Village); Red Creek Business Notices
Retake this viewRed Creek (Village); Red Creek Business Notices, 1874

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Red Creek’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Wolcott1 historic placeASterling3 historic placesA

Questions about Red Creek’s history

What year was Red Creek founded?

The Red Creek post office opened in 1821, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1852.

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 Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.