Clarkston dates to 1862, and 25% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 67% of U.S. towns · #30 of 285 in Washington. What drives it
Its Register listings are the Clarkston Public Library and the US Post Office-Clarkston Main. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1901 on, and the census since 1910.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1897.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Clarkston’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Clarkston is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #30 of 285 in Washington. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Clarkston’s overall grade.
Few Washington towns list much on the Register (a typical Washington town has 0.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Clarkston’s 2.8 sits above most of its state (68% of Washington 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 B− to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.8 points). Two sources give 1862.
Founding year: Wikidata (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 Clarkston’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
Clarkston was first settled in 1862 by Robert Bracken, and was officially incorporated on August 14, 1902. Before becoming an official town, the area was known by various names, including Jawbone Flat, and Concord (after Concord, Massachusetts).
The name Clarkston is a reference to William Clark, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition fame. Directly east across the Snake River is Lewiston, named for Meriwether Lewis and the larger and older of the two cities. The expedition passed westbound through the area by canoe in 1805 on October 10; neither Lewis nor Clark ever visited the Clarkston side of the river. Eastbound, they returned to the area in early May 1806.
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.
In 1862, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Clarkston’s post office opened in 1897, and the census of 1910 counted 1,257 people here.
How does Clarkston rank for history?
Clarkston is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #30 of 285 in Washington. 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 Clarkston?
Two places: the Clarkston Public Library (listed 1982) and the US Post Office-Clarkston Main (1991).
How old are the homes in Clarkston?
25% of Clarkston’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.8 points), against a typical 4.3% for a Washington town; the median home was built in 1955.
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 (16), Wikidata (2), 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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