Most of Okaton Township was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1997. Below: maps from 1951 on and the census since 2000.
Okaton had its start in 1906 by the building of the Milwaukee Railroad through that territory. It had a post office, but this closed in 2013; postal service is now provided from Murdo. There was also, until recently, a "western town" tourist attraction with a petting zoo and a functioning store. The town's entire business district had been on the town road furthest from the interstate highway, which bypassed the town; but which was closest to the railroad tracks. The closure of the railroad, followed by the interstate's placement, largely accounted for the town's dwindling.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Okaton Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1951Okaton SW sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Okaton Township.
People over time
Okaton Township, census by census
Between 29 and 36 people in every census since 2000.
3 censuses, 2000–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Okaton Township’s Wikipedia page.
Places that used to be
Old corners and places now gone
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Okaton
Gone or out of use
Toledolocale
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
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). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via 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.
2004
