Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1942 on and the census since 1870.
Alba dates its founding to 1803 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1870.
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 Alba’s history is told.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Alba yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Alba is a borough in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The population was 135 at the 2020 census.
Alba was established in 1803. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 157 to 133 (-15%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyPassages that mention Alba, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Alba Borough.—Noah, Wilson’s settlement, in the northern part of the township on the Northern Central railroad, grew into a thriving village, and in the ’70’s and ’80’s contained important enterprises, manufacturing carriages, coaches and sleighs. In February, 1864, it was incorporated as Alba borough. The Alba post-office was established in 1827 with Trad Wilson postmaster.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
the forest from West Burlington. In 1807 a road was opened across the township from Sugar creek to Towanda ereek. A road, east and west, through the township from Towanda creek near West Franklin to the Wilson settlement at Alba, was laid out in 1811. A mail route was opened from Burlington in 1824 and the mail brought in once a week on horse-back.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
In 1828, through the exertions of Gen. Samuel McKean, then a member of Congress from this district, a mail route was established through this settlement from East Burlington to Alba, pony mail, once a week, and in 1829 a postoffice was established in the settlement, called " North Branch."
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The first permanent settlement was made at Alba " late on the afternoon of May 29, 1803," so Dr. Irad Wilson says, in his " Early Recollections of Alba," from which the following data has been gathered: Noah Wilson, the father of Dr. Wilson, left Addison township, in Addison Co., Vt., the birthplace of Dr. Wilson, some sixteen years after the close of the Revolutionary war, with a company of sixteen i men, to settle on the north bank of the St. Lawrence river
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 Alba. 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 Alba.
Between 121 and 222 people in every census since 1870.
16 censuses, 1870–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Alba’s Wikipedia page.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1803, according to Wikidata. Alba’s post office opened in 1827, and the census of 1870 counted 222 people here.
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), 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), 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.
2011