Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 20% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Most of Rogue River was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1984. Its Register listing is the Charles and Elizabeth Hatch House.
The Rogue River post office opened in 1912, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Woodville (1876), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
More historic than 20% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Rogue River is more historic than 20% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
Oregon towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Oregon town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Rogue River’s 4.5 sits near the middle of its state (53% of Oregon towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Rogue River’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Rogue River.
In the early days the gold seekers forded the Rogue River, and during high water they swam across by holding the tails of their horses. Thus the river crossing near the present City of Rogue River, became known as Tailholt.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Rogue River’s post office has been open since 1912. Another post office, Woodville, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The Rogue River post office opened in 1912, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Rogue River is more historic than 20% of U.S. towns. 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.
One place: the Charles and Elizabeth Hatch House (listed 2011).
4% of Rogue River’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.5 points), against a typical 5.3% for an Oregon town; the median home was built in 1984.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
