Nowata’s post office opened in 1889, and 19% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 56% of U.S. towns · #44 of 131 in Oklahoma. What drives it
Its Register listings are the Nowata County Courthouse and the United States Post Office Nowata. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1894 on, and the census since 1900.
The Nowata post office opened in 1889, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Metz (1887), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 498 in 19002020 census: 3,517137 years
How historic is Nowata?
B
More historic than 56% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Nowata post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Nowata’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Nowata is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #44 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 Nowata’s overall grade.
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 Nowata’s 5.6 sits near the middle of its state (52% of Oklahoma towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.2 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 Nowata’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
1894Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
On the map
Nowata on the map, 1901 to 1985
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Nowata. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1901Nowata sheet · 1:125,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Nowata.
The first community established at this site was named Metz, named for its first postmaster, Fred Metzner. The name was changed even before the railroad was built in 1889.
Nowata served as a train stop for Native Americans from the East being forced to resettle by the United States government. Some controversy exists about the meaning of the town name. Lenape tribesmen who passed through named it "nuwita," meaning "friendly" or "welcome." In the Cherokee language, the town is called ᎠᎹᏗᎧᏂᎬᎬ (A-ma-di-ka-ni-gunh-gunh, roughly), which means, "water is all gone," translating what it sounded like the word meant: No Water.
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.
Nowata’s post office has been open since 1889. Another post office, Metz, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Metz
1887–1889
Nowata
1889–today
18801950today
7cemeteries and burying grounds inside Nowata
Armstrong - JourneycakeBratcherFamily Number 12Family Number 13LincolnNowata County Relocated CemeteriesNowata Memorial
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Nowata’s history
What year was Nowata founded?
The Nowata post office opened in 1889, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Nowata rank for history?
Nowata is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #44 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 Nowata?
Two places: the Nowata County Courthouse (listed 1984) and the United States Post Office Nowata (2009).
How old are the homes in Nowata?
19% of Nowata’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.2 points), against a typical 7.0% for an Oklahoma town; the median home was built in 1967.
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 (6), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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.
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