Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The Keystone post office opened in 1871, the earliest record of the town by name.
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 Keystone’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Keystone.
A large share of the early settlers being natives of Pennsylvania caused the name of Keystone to be selected, after the Keystone State.
The post office at Keystone has been in operation since 1871.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Keystone, cut from the printed page as they were published.
“Keystone State. — In the ‘Historical Magazine’ for 1857, page 279, W. D. inquires whether any one can give authentic information who it was that first used the phrase, Keystone of the Federal Arch’ in reference to Pennsylvania, — the occasion or place where and the time when it was so applied.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
veracious historian whose account is before us, Pennsylvania has no better or higher right to be called the ‘Keystone State’ than this : That when the city of Washington was laid out, a certain bridge near Georgetown had its arch fancifully inscribed with the names of the original thirteen States, and that Pennsylvania, having the central place in the arch, was called the keystone by the primitive citizens of those times, and has continued to be called so ever since. This is putting the cart before the horse
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Keystone. 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 Keystone.
Nobody well known was born in Keystone itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
The Keystone post office opened in 1871, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
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 Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2016