Junction’s post office opened in 1894, and 12% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 57% of U.S. towns · #106 of 642 in Texas. What drives it
Its Register listings are the State Highway 27 Bridge at the South Llano River and the Kimble County Courthouse. Below: maps from 1921 on and the census since 1890.
The Junction post office opened in 1894, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Denman (1876) and Junction City (1877), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 449 in 18902020 census: 2,451132 years
How historic is Junction?
B
More historic than 57% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Junction post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Junction’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Junction is more historic than 57% of U.S. towns, #106 of 642 in Texas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Junction’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 Junction’s 8.1 sits above most of its state (85% of Texas towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B+. 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 Junction’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The community was founded in 1876 after the organization of Kimble County earlier that year. The original town site was named "Denman" after Marcellus Denman, who had surveyed and platted the new community. The name was quickly changed to "Junction City". In late 1876, Junction City won the designation of county seat from the unsuccessful and flood-prone settlement of Kimbleville. By 1879, a drugstore, livery stable, sawmill, and a few general stores were active in the community. Around 300 people were living in Junction City in 1882. The West Texas, Kimble County's first newspaper, began publishing in 1882. The county courthouse and its records were lost to a fire in 1884. A second, two-story brick and stone courthouse was partially destroyed in an 1888 fire, but was repaired and remained in use until 1929, when the present courthouse was constructed. In 1894, Junction City became know…
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Junction. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1932Junction sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Junction.
Every building
Junction, building by building, 1921–1926
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.
The Junction post office opened in 1894, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Junction rank for history?
Junction is more historic than 57% of U.S. towns, #106 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.
What is on the National Register in Junction?
Two places: the State Highway 27 Bridge at the South Llano River (listed 1996) and the Kimble County Courthouse (2021).
How old are the homes in Junction?
12% of Junction’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 1970.
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), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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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