The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗The area was first explored by French settlers in the late 18th century, but did not see any major economic development until 1883, when the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis Railroad built their main line through the area. A post office was established in 1891, and the town formally incorporated ten years later.
The community building, still in use, was dedicated in 1960. Ray Ellis was mayor at that time.
Return to the Land (RTTL), an ethnically exclusive (Identitarian) organization seeking to build segregated communities solely open to those of European descent, owns 160 acres near Ravenden as part of its flagship development. As of July 2025, the community is home to 40 inhabitants.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Start Ravenden’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Ravenden’s history is told.
0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people close to Ravenden
See all 28 →
Ravenden, decade by decade
2000
Nothing in Ravenden is on the National Register yet
That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Ravenden has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is Dr. John Octavius Hatcher House in Imboden, 5.1 miles away.
Ravenden and the nearest listed places
Closest to Ravenden
How a place gets listed
Then & now
When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.
Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (6). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.