More historic than 27% of U.S. towns · #271 of 642 in Texas. What drives it
Most of Grand Saline was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1971. Below: maps from 1904 on and the census since 1910.
The Grand Saline post office opened in 1874, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Jordan's Saline (1849), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 1,065 in 19102020 census: 3,107152 years
How historic is Grand Saline?
C
More historic than 27% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Grand Saline post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Grand Saline’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Grand Saline is more historic than 27% of U.S. towns, #271 of 642 in Texas. 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 Grand Saline’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 Grand Saline’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 (±4.7 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 Grand Saline’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Grand Saline's first settlers were the ancient Caddo and Cherokee Indian tribes, who discovered and made use of a large salt prairie south of the town. The Native Americans used evaporated salt, from the brine stream that flows over the flats, as a commodity they traded for other needed goods. In the mid-19th century, the tribes moved southeast, having been forced out of the area by Mirabeau B. Lamar, second president of the Republic of Texas, and by general anti-Indian sentiment. Only a few years after the Indians left the salt prairie behind, a new group of settlers arrived. A settler named John Jordan and other newcomers brought their families and set up a primitive salt works. The community named Jordan's Saline quickly became the center of Van Zandt County and was, for a while, the county seat.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Grand Saline. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1959Grand Saline 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 Grand Saline.
Every building
Grand Saline, building by building, 1904–1909
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
Grand Saline’s post office has been open since 1874. Another post office, Jordan's Saline, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Jordan's Saline
1849–1872
Grand Saline
1874–today
18401930today
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Grand Saline’s history
What year was Grand Saline founded?
The Grand Saline post office opened in 1874, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Grand Saline rank for history?
Grand Saline is more historic than 27% of U.S. towns, #271 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 Grand Saline?
8% of Grand Saline’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.7 points), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 1971.
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 (6), 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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