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B+History
History · Cushing

Cushing’s post office opened in 1891, and 27% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 73% of U.S. towns · #14 of 131 in Oklahoma. What drives it

7 places in town are on the National Register. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1903 on, and the census since 1900.

1891first post office
7on the National Register
27%homes built before 1940
4old photos & papers
5famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Cushing’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Cushing began

When was Cushing founded?

1891

The Cushing post office opened in 1891, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 226 in 19002020 census: 8,327135 years

How historic is Cushing?

B+

More historic than 73% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Cushing post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Cushing’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Cushing is more historic than 73% of U.S. towns, #14 of 131 in Oklahoma. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Cushing’s overall grade.
Founding era1891, from the first post office: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194027.3% of homes (±4.6) · typical OK town 7.0% · U.S. 8.4%A−National Register7 listings, 10 historic buildings, 12.0 per 10,000 residents · typical OK town 5.9 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 73%
NewerOlder
Oklahoma towns of 2,500+ (131)Ahead of 90%

Oklahoma towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Oklahoma town has 5.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Cushing’s 12.0 sits above most of its state (69% of Oklahoma towns have fewer) while its 10 historic buildings outnumber those of 76% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.6 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.

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 →

What stands out about Cushing’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 4 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Mapped building by building5 fire insurance maps, 1903 to 1924, drew every building in Cushing.Landmarks on the Register7 places on the National Register.Old housesHalf of Cushing’s homes were built before 1958.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Cushing’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewCushing OK - Cushing Public Library (NB…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Every building

Cushing, building by building, 1903–1924

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.

Cushing fire insurance map, 1903, sheet 11903Sheet 1 of 3
Edition
BrickWoodStone

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

On the National Register

7 historic places in Cushing

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
7
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
10
each building in a district counts
first listed
1994
Cushing Armory
Cushing ArmoryLuke D. Berry HouseUsher, Christian K., Lustron HouseBassett House, TheGillespie Drilling Company BuildingCushing American Legion BuildingHotel Cushing
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Works Progress Administration1
Italian Renaissance Revival1
Lustron1
American International1
Organic1
Mission Revival1
Cushing ArmoryWorks Progress Administration
Luke D. Berry HouseItalian Renaissance Revival
Usher, Christian K., Lustron HouseLustron
Bassett House, TheAmerican International
Gillespie Drilling Company BuildingOrganic
All 7 listings
Cushing American Legion BuildingBuilding · listed 2003Hotel CushingBuilding · listed 2026

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How Cushing came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Cushing.

Read it all →

The area that became Cushing was part of the Sac and Fox Nation. With the Land Run of 1891, a former government trader for the tribe, William Rea "Billy" Little, built a house, established his claim, and laid out town lots. The town got a post office on November 10, 1891, and was named for Marshall Cushing, private secretary to U.S. Postmaster General John Wanamaker.

In 1902, the Eastern Oklahoma Railway line to Cushing was built. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway added service on its own line built in 1903.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Cushing, 1891 to 1954

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1891Post officeThe Cushing post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1908On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 1932Born hereJohn M. Imel is born here
  6. 1941In the archiveCushing OK - Cushing Public Library (NBY 431053)
  7. 1944Born herePaul Blair is born here
  8. 1953Born hereLee Denney is born here
  9. 1954Born hereBob Shirley is born here
By decade

Cushing, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1940s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1940s4 items
Cushing OK - Cushing Public Library (NBY 431053)1941Cushing OK - Cushing Public Library (NBY 431053)PostcardCushing OK - Cushing Public Library (NBY 431054)1941Cushing OK - Cushing Public Library (NBY 431054)PostcardCushing OK - General Air View (NBY 431122)1941Cushing OK - General Air View (NBY 431122)PostcardCushing OK - General Air View (NBY 431123)1941Cushing OK - General Air View (NBY 431123)Postcard
1950s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today8 recent
Skydiving over2010Skydiving overEnbridge tank farm2010Enbridge tank farmEnbridge tank farm2010Enbridge tank farmEnbridge tank farm2010Enbridge tank farmCity Hall2010City HallBassett Home2010Bassett Home2010 Census Urban Cluster Reference Map for20102010 Census Urban Cluster Reference Map forBookFormer Montgomery Ward2007Former Montgomery Ward
On the map

Cushing on the map, 1908 to 1975

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

Cushing on the 1908 USGS mapCushing on the 1975 USGS map1908Agra 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 Cushing.

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.

Cushing OK - Cushing Public Library (NBY 431053)
Retake this viewCushing OK - Cushing Public Library (NBY 431053), 1941

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

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Cushing, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,0001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 9,301

Between 226 and 9,301 people in every census since 1900.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

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

Famous people

5 famous people were born in Cushing

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

See all →
Paul BlairAmerican baseball player and coach · b. 1944
Bob ShirleyAmerican baseball player · b. 1954
Lee DenneyAmerican politician · b. 1953
J
John M. ImelAmerican lawyer · b. 1932
R
Richard E. TurnerAmerican fighter pilot · b. 1920

Questions about Cushing’s history

What year was Cushing founded?

The Cushing post office opened in 1891, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

How does Cushing rank for history?

Cushing is more historic than 73% of U.S. towns, #14 of 131 in Oklahoma. 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 Cushing?

7 listings: 7 buildings, among them the Cushing Armory (listed 1994, the first). 10 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Cushing?

27% of Cushing’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.6 points), against a typical 7.0% for an Oklahoma town; the median home was built in 1958.

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).

From Wikimedia Commons (12), the National Register of Historic Places (7), 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 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.