On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Montour is more historic than 95% of U.S. towns. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Montour’s overall grade.
New York towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New York town has 12.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Montour’s 105 sits above most of its state (76% of New York towns have fewer) while its 27 historic buildings outnumber those of 81% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.5 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Montour’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The Seneca village of Queanettquaga, also known by colonial settlers as Catherine's Town, was destroyed by the Sullivan Expedition in 1779. These colonial forces ranged throughout western New York, destroying Iroquois villages as well as their stores of crops. They were destitute when winter arrived.
The Town of Montour was first settled by European Americans around 1794 after the American Revolutionary War. They first settled the current village of Montour Falls, named after a waterfall along one edge. This was known by the Seneca as Che-qua-gah, or "roaring water."
The Chemung Canal was completed in 1833 and passed through the town, connecting it to other waterways. This declined in use after railroads were built through the state.
Passages that mention Montour, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Historical and biographical annals of Columbia and Montour counties, Pennsylvania, containing a concise history of the two counties and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families ..1915 · page 899Read the page →
Read the text
John Auten, a descendant of the Hollander above, came to Montour county jjetween 1780 and 1800, and settled on Chillisciuaque creek, about nine miles from its mouth. Here, in 181 2, he built a small sawmill, and cut the lumber for his house and barn. In 1814 he added a gristmill. These mills have never , been replaced. John Auten married Jane;
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Historical and biographical annals of Columbia and Montour counties, Pennsylvania, containing a concise history of the two counties and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families ..1915 · page 855Read the page →
Read the text
health, declining the commission as captain he was in general practice at Washingtonville, which had been sent him. He has the distinc- Pa., in 1905 coming to Danville, where he tion of being the highest retired Civil war ofhas since continued. Professionally he beficial in Montour county. longs to the Montour County Medical Society, On his retirement from the army Mr. Rank the Pennsylvania State Medical Society and came back to his old home in Montour county, the American Medical Association, and is an Avhere he remained for several years, recuperex-president of the first named organization, ating, being unfit for any sustained effort at Fraternally he belongs to the Odd Fellows,
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.
Timeline
Montour, 1802 to 1898
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Montour is more historic than 95% of U.S. towns. 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 Montour?
4 listings: 3 buildings and 1 historic district, the Montour Falls Historic District, with 24 contributing buildings. 27 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Montour?
33% of Montour’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.5 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1963.
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 the National Register of Historic Places (4), Wikipedia, 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 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.
