The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Ralston was incorporated in 1900. It was named for William Chapman Ralston, a California banker.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Start Ralston’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Ralston’s history is told.
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By decade
Ralston, decade by decade
Before
2000
2000
No old photos in the archives yetWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
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National Register of Historic Places
1 historic place in Ralston
1 place in Ralston is on the National Register of Historic Places, the country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
#186
In Iowaby listings · most towns there have none
1place listed1 district
0National Historic LandmarksNone here yet
1historic building protectedcounting each building in a district
1993first listedLincoln Highway-West Greene County Rural Segment
Where they are
Tap a dot for a photo and link. Districts show at their center.
Districts
When they were listed
The Register began in 1966.
60s
70s
80s
190s
00s
10s
20s
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places (05/22/2026) · styles from the National Archives catalog · photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place
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.