Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1967 on and the census since 1950.
The Metaline post office opened in 1906, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1948.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Metaline’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Metaline.
The Pend Oreille River was deepened at Box Canyon in 1906, allowing navigation to Metaline. The Metaline Mine then started producing lead from the Metaline Formation, a Middle Cambrian age limestone.
By 1951, the mine had produced over 10,000 pounds of lead, and almost 37,000 pounds of zinc. In 1955, Metaline had a population of 400.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Metaline. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Metaline.
Between 162 and 563 people in every census since 1950.
8 censuses, 1950–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Metaline’s Wikipedia page.
The Metaline post office opened in 1906, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1948.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
