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History · Universal

Universal dates to 1911, and 44% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1950 on and the census since 1920.

1911founded
0on the National Register
44%homes built before 1940
1famous people
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Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Quick answers

How Universal began

When was Universal founded?

1911

Universal dates its founding to 1911 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1920.

First census: 1,570 in 19202020 census: 283115 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1912.The full story ↓

What stands out about Universal’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Universal are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Universal’s homes were built before 1949.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Universal’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Universal’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Universal came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Universal.

Read it all →

Universal was founded in 1911 as a mining community. The town took its name from the nearby Universal Mines. A post office has been in operation at Universal since 1912.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Universal, 1911 to 1950

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

  1. 20th century
  2. 1911
    FoundingUniversal is established
  3. 1912Post officeThe Universal post office opens
  4. 1916Born hereFred Vanzo is born here
  5. 1950On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Universal, decade by decade

Today2 recent
Universal-water-tower-in2020Universal-water-tower-inUniversal-trustee-office-in2020Universal-trustee-office-in
On the map

Universal on the map, 1950 to 1980

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

Universal on the 1950 USGS mapUniversal on the 1980 USGS map1950New Goshen sheet · 1:24,000

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

People over time

Universal, census by census

02004006008001,0001,2001,4001,600192019401960198020002020Peak: 1,570

Between 283 and 1,570 people in every census since 1920.

11 censuses, 1920–2020.

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

Questions about Universal’s history

What year was Universal founded?

In 1911, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Universal’s post office opened in 1912, and the census of 1920 counted 1,570 people here.

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
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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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (2), 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.