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History · Chilton

Chilton’s post office opened in 1882, and 37% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 1 old photo or paper.

1882first post office
0on the National Register
37%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Chilton’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Chilton began

When was Chilton founded?

1882

The Chilton post office opened in 1882, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 776144 years
Founding year: the first Chilton post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about Chilton’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Chilton’s homes were built before 1961.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Chilton’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Chilton’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewPirateFieldChiltonTX: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story so far

Chilton, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Chilton yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Chilton is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated community in Falls County, Texas, United States. It had a population of 776 at the 2020 census. Chilton is located in western Falls County. U.S. Route 77 forms the western edge of the community, leading north 20 miles (32 km) to Waco and south 16 miles (26 km) to Rosebud. Texas State Highway 7 passes through the center of Chilton, leading east 10 miles (16 km) to Marlin, the county seat, and west 12 miles (19 km) to Bruceville-Eddy.

Its first post office opened in 1882. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 911 to 776 (-15%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

Chilton, decade by decade

Date unknown1 to date
PirateFieldChiltonTXDate?PirateFieldChiltonTX
Today1 recent
Featherston Field, Chilton, TX IMG 62092012Featherston Field, Chilton, TX IMG 6209
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

PirateFieldChiltonTX
Retake this viewPirateFieldChiltonTX

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Chilton’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

Famous people close to Chilton

Nobody well known was born in Chilton itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Jennifer Love HewittAmerican actress and singer · b. 1979
S
Steve MartinAmerican comedian, actor, musician and writer · b. 1945
Ashlee SimpsonAmerican singer and actress · b. 1984
C. Wright MillsAmerican sociologist · b. 1916
E. Donnall ThomasAmerican hematologist · b. 1920
Rip TornAmerican actor · b. 1931

Questions about Chilton’s history

What year was Chilton founded?

The Chilton post office opened in 1882, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (2), 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.