The Elkhart post office opened in 1874, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Elkheart (1850), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
2020 census: 1,287152 years
How historic is Elkhart?
C
More historic than 28% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Elkhart post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Elkhart’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Elkhart is more historic than 28% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Elkhart’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 Elkhart’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 still be C. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.1 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 Elkhart’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Elkhart's early history includes Daniel Parker's Pilgrim Predestinarian Baptist Church, formed in Crawford County, Illinois, in 1833, because the government of Mexico would not allow the Baptist church's organization within their borders. Daniel and his father, John Parker, led their congregation to Texas, settling in Austin's Colony in 1834. While John Parker's group settled and established Fort Parker (Limestone County), Daniel's group settled first in the territory that became Grimes County and later moved to the area around Fort Houston (Anderson County). Daniel Parker spent his time traveling and preaching in the homes of his scattered congregation. In 1836, the threats of General Santa Anna's troops in April 1836 and the attack of Fort Parker in May 1836 sent the remnant of John Parker's group to seek protection near Fort Houston. The Pilgrim Church resumed meetings in February 18…
Elkhart’s post office has been open since 1874. Another post office, Elkheart, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Elkheart
1850–1854
Elkhart
1874–today
18501940today
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Elkhart’s history
What year was Elkhart founded?
The Elkhart post office opened in 1874, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Elkhart rank for history?
Elkhart is more historic than 28% 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 Elkhart?
8% of Elkhart’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.1 points), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 1974.
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 (3), Wikipedia, 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.
2017
2016
2004