More historic than 10% of U.S. towns · #465 of 642 in Texas. What drives it
Most of Denver City was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1975. Below: maps from 1971 on and the census since 1950.
Founding year: the first Denver City post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Denver City’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Denver City is more historic than 10% of U.S. towns, #465 of 642 in Texas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Denver City’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 Denver City’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 (±4.9 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 Denver City’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Denver City traces its origins to the development of the Wasson oil pool. Oil-leasing activities in the area trace back to 1927, gaining momentum with a significant strike in 1935. In 1939, C. S. Ameen and Ben Eggink founded the town, combining "Denver" from Denver Productions, where Ameen's friend worked, with "City" to express confidence in its future.
Incorporated on March 26, 1940, Denver City swiftly organized its governance with a mayor and city council. The city established the Denver City Volunteer Fire Department, ordering a fire truck, and formed utility services, such as a water company and gas company.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Denver City. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1971Denver City 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 Denver City.
People over time
Denver City, census by census
Between 1,858 and 5,145 people in every census since 1950.
8 censuses, 1950–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Denver City’s Wikipedia page.
Questions about Denver City’s history
What year was Denver City founded?
The Denver City post office opened in 1939, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Denver City rank for history?
Denver City is more historic than 10% of U.S. towns, #465 of 642 in Texas. 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 Denver City?
3% of Denver City’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.9 points), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 1975.
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 (10), 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.
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