Marshall’s post office opened in 1839, and 14 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 81% of U.S. towns · #27 of 642 in Texas. What drives it
Most of Marshall was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1969. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1850.
The Marshall post office opened in 1839, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1841. Another post office, Port Caddo (1839), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 1,189 in 18502020 census: 23,392187 years
How historic is Marshall?
A−
More historic than 81% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Marshall post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1841.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Marshall’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Marshall is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns, #27 of 642 in Texas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Marshall’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 Marshall’s 13.0 sits above most of its state (88% of Texas towns have fewer) while its 31 historic buildings outnumber those of 82% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share (±2.0 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1841 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 Marshall’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost half of its people between 1860 and 1870, then grew more than tenfold.
18 censuses, 1850–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Marshall’s Wikipedia page.
Every building
Marshall, building by building, 1885–1915
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.
Marshall was founded in 1841 as the seat of Harrison County after failed attempts to establish a county seat on the Sabine River. It was incorporated in 1843. The Republic of Texas chose the land donated for the seat by Peter Whetstone and Isaac Van Zandt after Whetstone proved that the hilly location had a good water source.
Marshall quickly became a major city in the state because of its position as a gateway to Texas; it was on the route of several major stagecoach lines. Later, one of the first railroad lines constructed into Texas ran through it.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The Marshall post office opened in 1839, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1841.
How does Marshall rank for history?
Marshall is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns, #27 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 Marshall?
14 listings: 13 buildings, among them the Old Pierce House (listed 1973, the first), and 1 historic district, the Ginocchio Historic District, with 10 contributing buildings. 31 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Marshall?
10% of Marshall’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.0 points), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 1969.
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), the Library of Congress (3), the National Register of Historic Places (14), 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.
1937
1937
1939
1939
