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AHistory
History · Palouse

Palouse dates to 1869, and 50% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 87% of U.S. towns. What drives it

3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 19 buildings. Below: 12 old photos and papers, maps from 1910 on, and the census since 1880.

1869founded
3on the National Register
50%homes built before 1940
12old photos & papers
3famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Palouse’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Palouse began

When was Palouse founded?

1869

Palouse dates its founding to 1869 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 148 in 18802020 census: 1,015157 years

How historic is Palouse?

A

More historic than 87% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1873.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Palouse’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Palouse is more historic than 87% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Palouse’s overall grade.
Founding era1869, from Wikipedia: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194050.4% of homes (±7.9) · typical WA town 4.3% · U.S. 8.4%A+National Register3 listings, 20 historic buildings, 174 per 10,000 residents · typical WA town 0.1 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 87%
NewerOlder

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 Palouse’s 174 sits above most of its state (98% of Washington towns have fewer) while its 20 historic buildings outnumber those of 79% 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 (±7.9 points). Two sources give 1869.

Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Palouse’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Old housesHalf of Palouse’s homes were built before 1938.Boom and bustPeaked at 1,549 in 1910; 1,015 people lived here in 2020.On the map since 19103 editions of the USGS map, 1910 to 1982. Watch Palouse change.A town in postcards12 old photos, postcards and papers, 1900–1910.
★ What stands out · The story

How Palouse came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Palouse.

Read it all →

Palouse was first settled in 1869 by William Ewing. The townsite was founded in 1875 by W.P. Breeding.

Palouse is named for the region of farmland in which it is situated, and was incorporated in 1888.

The town made national news in 1974 when the city's school was able to let its children produce, film and telecast its students' TV programs on Channel 9 of the Palouse cable TV system.

Palouse adopted a city flag on August 27, 2019, following a campaign started by a local resident. The flag consists of a green field with a gold and blue knot that represents the city's people, commerce, and the Palouse River.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

People over time

Palouse, census by census

02004006008001,0001,2001,4001,60018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 1,549

Peaked at 1,549 in 1910; 1,015 people lived here in 2020.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Palouse’s Wikipedia page.

On the map

Palouse on the map, 1910 to 1982

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Palouse. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Palouse on the 1910 USGS mapPalouse on the 1964 USGS mapPalouse on the 1982 USGS map1910Pullman sheet · 1:125,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Palouse.

Timeline

Palouse, 1869 to 1932

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1869
    FoundingPalouse is established
  3. 1873Post officeThe Palouse post office opens
  4. 1893Born hereCharles Morris Ankcorn is born here
  5. 20th century
  6. 1900In the archiveClaiborne Kenedy, Palouse, Washington, circa 1900 - DPLA - 2c1e6b12ccde09eeea7f777189ec88…
  7. 1910In the archiveChurch Street, Palouse, Washington, circa 1910 - DPLA - d72c2ef1d83c86619ed83fa3f5daea93
  8. 1910On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  9. 1910CensusPopulation peaks at 1,549
  10. 1924Born hereDonald W. Meinig is born here
  11. 1932Born hereMouse Davis is born here
By decade

Palouse, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1900s to the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1900s10 items
Claiborne Kenedy, Palouse, Washington, circa 1900 - DPLA - 2c1e6b12ccde09eeea7f777189ec88f1c. 1900Claiborne Kenedy, Palouse, Washington, circa 1900 - D…Unidentified women and girl, Palouse, Wash., ca. 1900c. 1900Unidentified women and girl, Palouse, Wash., ca. 1900Christmas postcard, Palouse, Washington, cira 1905 - DPLA - b767ebce72d18bd4387672d004cdffbfc. 1905Christmas postcard, Palouse, Washington, cira 1905 - …PostcardBirds eye view of Palouse, Washington, circa 1907 - DPLA - 6d86953d99aebfb9a6392b4d25ea12d5c. 1907Birds eye view of Palouse, Washington, circa 1907 - D…PostcardBirds eye view of Palouse, Washington, circa 1907 - DPLA - 9049d81ea2841de51f0d785c87a6e2c3c. 1907Birds eye view of Palouse, Washington, circa 1907 - D…PostcardPanorama of Palouse, Washington, circa 1907 - DPLA - 84ab90a07fb0281d3ff85d218eaea26dc. 1907Panorama of Palouse, Washington, circa 1907 - DPLA - …PostcardSouth Side School, Palouse, Washington, circa 1907 - DPLA - 153a68e15544da3253a8292b36bb1c3ec. 1907South Side School, Palouse, Washington, circa 1907 - …PostcardPanorama of Palouse, Washington (circa 1907)c. 1907Panorama of Palouse, Washington (circa 1907)South Side & North Side Schools, Palouse, Washington, circa 1908 - DPLA - 71dad565c339c2d0ec0289b26fda859ec. 1908South Side & North Side Schools, Palouse, Washington,…PostcardAerial view, Palouse, Washington, circa 1909 - DPLA - 8dda02d2794b587b9e3fa3f60f9504251909Aerial view, Palouse, Washington, circa 1909 - DPLA -…Postcard
1910s2 items
Church Street, Palouse, Washington, circa 1910 - DPLA - d72c2ef1d83c86619ed83fa3f5daea93c. 1910Church Street, Palouse, Washington, circa 1910 - DPLA…PostcardFootball game in Palouse, Washington, 1910 - DPLA - e14286ece951859cba0905851b8c66c01910Football game in Palouse, Washington, 1910 - DPLA - e…Postcard
1920s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Claiborne Kenedy, Palouse, Washington, circa 1900 - DPLA - 2c1e6b12ccde09eeea7f777189ec88f1
Retake this viewClaiborne Kenedy, Palouse, Washington, circa 1900 - DPLA - 2c1e6b12ccde09eeea7f777189ec88f1, c. 1900

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Palouse’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

3 listings protect 20 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
3
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
20
each building in a district counts
first listed
1982
F Street Bridge
Holy Trinity Episcopal ChurchF Street BridgePalouse Main Street Historic District
BuildingsDistrictsStructures

Architectural styles listings

Late Victorian1
Gothic1
Holy Trinity Episcopal ChurchLate Victorian
All 3 listings
F Street BridgeStructure · listed 1982Palouse Main Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1986

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

3 famous people were born in Palouse

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
D
Donald W. MeinigAmerican geographer · b. 1924
M
Mouse DavisAmerican football player and coach · b. 1932
C
Charles Morris AnkcornUnited States Army general · b. 1893
Help out

Finish Palouse’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewClaiborne Kenedy, Palouse, Washington, …: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Palouse’s history

What year was Palouse founded?

In 1869, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Palouse’s post office opened in 1873, and the census of 1880 counted 148 people here.

How does Palouse rank for history?

Palouse is more historic than 87% of U.S. towns. 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 Palouse?

Three places: the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (listed 2005), the F Street Bridge (1982) and the Palouse Main Street Historic District (1986).

How old are the homes in Palouse?

50% of Palouse’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.9 points), against a typical 4.3% for a Washington town; the median home was built in 1938.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (12), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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) 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.