On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Dickson City is more historic than 52% of U.S. towns, #718 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Dickson City’s overall grade.
Pennsylvania towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Pennsylvania town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Dickson City’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (25% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.3 points). Two sources give 1859.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). 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 Dickson City’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Dickson City was once known as Priceburg. It was the newest village in the valley and one of the most progressive. German immigrants then founded the village of Priceville in 1863, in honor of Eli Price. This section of the town developed rapidly after 1880, when John Jermyn sank the shaft which is now known as the Johnson shaft. Here the population had grown from 329 to 841.
In June 1875, Dickson City was incorporated as a borough, including at the time all of the present borough of Throop. Dickson City received its name from Thomas Dickson, founder of the Dickson Manufacturing Company.
Passages that mention Dickson City, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Jubilee history commemorative of the fiftieth anniversary of the creation of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania ..1928 · page 897Read the page →
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don has been tax collector of Dickson City. He is a director of the Olyphant Bank and a director of the Lawrence and Matthews Iron Manufacturing Company of Dickson City.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Jubilee history commemorative of the fiftieth anniversary of the creation of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania ..1928 · page 959Read the page →
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A. Skonieczka, general merchant, is well and favorably known in Dickson City, where he has engaged in business for 20 years. He was born in Poland, Nov. 23, 1879. Mr. Skonieczka was educated in the schools of his native land and when 17 years of age emigrated to the United States and settled at Olyphant. He spent seven years in the coal mines of Lackawanna County and since 1907 has conducted a general mercantile business at Dickson City. In 1926 he erected a fine new store building which is located at
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
Dickson City, 1859 to 1932
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
Jermyn Number Five Colliery BreakerbuildingStorrs Shaftmine
7cemeteries and burying grounds inside Dickson City
Dickson City JewishEvergreenFirst Primitive Methodist ChurchSaint Adalbert Polish National CatholicSaint AnthonysSaint Mary's Old VisitationVisitation of Blessed Virgin Mary
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1859, according to Wikidata. the census of 1870 counted 391 people here.
How does Dickson City rank for history?
Dickson City is more historic than 52% of U.S. towns, #718 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. 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.
How old are the homes in Dickson City?
37% of Dickson City’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.3 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1946.
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 Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.
2026