Hannibal’s post office opened in 1859
Most of Hannibal was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1971.
How Hannibal began, and where its name came from
When was Hannibal founded?
The Hannibal post office opened in 1859, the earliest record of the town by name.
How did Hannibal get its name?
Hannibal was originally called "Baresville", named for the founder Jacob Bare.
A post office called Hannibal was opened and the town's name was soon changed to match.
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
Questions about Hannibal’s history
What year was Hannibal founded?
The Hannibal post office opened in 1859, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
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). How TownRatings grades history →