More historic than 21% of U.S. towns · #324 of 642 in Texas. What drives it
Most of Sinton was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1971. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1922 on, and the census since 1920.
Founding year: the first Sinton post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Sinton’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Sinton is more historic than 21% of U.S. towns, #324 of 642 in Texas. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Sinton’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 Sinton’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 C− to C. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.0 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 →
Sinton was established in the late 19th century after the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway extended into San Patricio County in 1886. Colonel George W. Fulton, representing the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company, donated land along Chiltipin Creek for the creation of a new town, which was named after David Sinton, a major shareholder in the company. A post office was opened in 1888, though it was discontinued just 4 years later. By 1894, the town had been officially organized and chosen as the county seat.
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 Sinton post office opened in 1888, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Sinton rank for history?
Sinton is more historic than 21% of U.S. towns, #324 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 Sinton?
3% of Sinton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.0 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 (1), the Library of Congress (5), 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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