On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Yamhill is more historic than 54% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Yamhill’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 Yamhill’s 15.7 sits above most of its state (78% of Oregon 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 (±5.7 points). Two sources give 1891.
Founding year: Wikidata (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 Yamhill’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Yamhill yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Yamhill is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. Located in the northern part of the county, it is situated at the intersection of Oregon Route 47 and Oregon Route 240. The population was 1,147 at the 2020 census. Originally named North Yamhill, it was incorporated under that name by the Oregon Legislative Assembly on February 20, 1891.
Yamhill was established in 1891. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 1,024 to 1,147 (+12%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Yamhill, 1851 to 1915
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Yamhill’s post office has been open since 1908. Another post office, North Yamhill, opened and closed inside today’s town.
North Yamhill
1851–1908
Yamhill
1908–today
18501940today
Gone or out of use
Yamhill Stationlocale
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Yamhill’s history
What year was Yamhill founded?
In 1891, according to Wikidata. Yamhill’s post office opened in 1851.
How does Yamhill rank for history?
Yamhill is more historic than 54% 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.
What is on the National Register in Yamhill?
Two places: the Lee Laughlin House (listed 1979) and the John Marion Bunn House (1979).
How old are the homes in Yamhill?
11% of Yamhill’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.7 points), against a typical 5.3% for an Oregon town; the median home was built in 1990.
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 (1), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.
2010