The Stanfield post office opened in 1909, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1910. Two smaller post offices, Meadowville (1867) and Foster (1883), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
2020 census: 2,144117 years
How historic is Stanfield?
D
More historic than 12% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Stanfield post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1910.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Stanfield’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Stanfield is more historic than 12% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Stanfield’s overall grade.
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 Stanfield’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (18% of Oregon towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to C−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.9 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1910 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
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 Stanfield’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The location was originally named "Foster" for John R. Foster, of Portland, who was an associate of Allen & Lewis. The firm had interests in the Umatilla area and purchased 4,000 acres northeast of Echo. They established a large ranch there and a store and small community followed; they were all named for Foster. In 1882, the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company siding and stop was named "Fosters". A post office with the name of Foster was established in 1883; the name was changed to Stanfield in 1909 for Robert N. Stanfield Jr., who later became a U.S. senator from Oregon.
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.
The Stanfield post office opened in 1909, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1910.
How does Stanfield rank for history?
Stanfield is more historic than 12% 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.
How old are the homes in Stanfield?
7% of Stanfield’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.9 points), against a typical 5.3% for an Oregon town; the median home was built in 1976.
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), 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.
1916
2013
2009
2009
2004
