Evanston dates to 1868, and 12% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 62% of U.S. towns · #12 of 28 in Wyoming. What drives it
7 places in town are on the National Register, among them three historic districts with 77 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1887 on and the census since 1870.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1870.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Evanston’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Evanston is more historic than 62% of U.S. towns, #12 of 28 in Wyoming. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Evanston’s overall grade.
Wyoming towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Wyoming town has 25.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Evanston’s 68.6 sits above most of its state (77% of Wyoming towns have fewer) while its 81 historic buildings outnumber those of 88% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.3 points). Two sources give 1868.
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 Evanston’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.
1887Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
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Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
On the National Register
7 listings protect 81 historic buildings
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.
Evanston was named after James A. Evans, a civil engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad. Another source maintains it is named for John Evans, second Governor of the Territory of Colorado. The town was founded during the construction of the first transcontinental railroad. The railroad arrived in the area in November 1868, and Harvey Booth opened a saloon/restaurant in a tent near what is now Front Street. By December the rails had reached Evanston and the first train arrived December 16. However, orders were later handed down by the railroad managers to move the end of the line 12 miles west, to Wahsatch. Within three days, most all of Evanston had moved to Wasatch. It appeared that Evanston would become another "end of the tracks" town. In June 1869 headquarters returned to Evanston and it continued to grow. Later in 1871, a machine shop and roundhouse were constructed, giving Evansto…
CityEvanston CityWyoming State Hospital Cemetery LowerWyoming State Hospital Cemetery Upper
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Evanston’s history
What year was Evanston founded?
In 1868, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Evanston’s post office opened in 1870, and the census of 1870 counted 77 people here.
How does Evanston rank for history?
Evanston is more historic than 62% of U.S. towns, #12 of 28 in Wyoming. 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 Evanston?
7 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Uinta County Courthouse (listed 1977, the first), and 3 historic districts, the Downtown Evanston Historic District, the Union Pacific Railroad Complex and the Wyoming State Insane Asylum, with 77 contributing buildings. 81 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Evanston?
12% of Evanston’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.3 points), against a typical 12% for a Wyoming town; the median home was built in 1983.
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 (5), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (7), 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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