Founding year: the first Crosbyton post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1917.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Crosbyton’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Crosbyton is more historic than 20% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Crosbyton’s overall grade.
Few Texas towns list much on the Register (a typical Texas town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Crosbyton’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (34% of Texas 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 (±5.0 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1917 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 Crosbyton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The city was named for land office commissioner Stephen Crosby.
In 1902, the C. B. Livestock Company purchased 90,000 acres. By 1912, a 10,000-acre demonstration farm, managed by Judge L. Gough, showcased the area's potential for cotton cultivation, leading to significant land sales from 1907 to 1915.
The town's foundation began in 1908 when the C. B. Livestock Company surveyed a townsite, subsequently opening Crosbyton for settlement. The Crosbyton post office was established in July 1908. The Crosbyton Inn, a three-story hotel, was erected the same year.
In 1910, Crosbyton secured the county seat designation after winning a vote against Emma. The Crosbyton-South Plains Railroad commenced operations on April 10, 1911.
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Questions about Crosbyton’s history
What year was Crosbyton founded?
The Crosbyton post office opened in 1908, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1917.
How does Crosbyton rank for history?
Crosbyton 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.
How old are the homes in Crosbyton?
11% of Crosbyton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.0 points), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 1965.
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 (5), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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