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Eau Claire, Pennsylvania (15398981643)Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0
–Not graded
History · Eau Claire

Eau Claire dates to 1848, and 35% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1910 on and the census since 1910.

1848founded
0on the National Register
35%homes built before 1940
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Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answers

How Eau Claire began

When was Eau Claire founded?

1848

Eau Claire dates its founding to 1848 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1910.

First census: 347 in 19102020 census: 307178 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1866.

What stands out about Eau Claire’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 Eau Claire are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 428 in 1970; 307 people lived here in 2020.On the map since 19104 editions of the USGS map, 1910 to 1972. Watch Eau Claire change.Old housesHalf of Eau Claire’s homes were built before 1954.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Eau Claire’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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People over time

Eau Claire, census by census

0100200300400192019401960198020002020Peak: 428

Peaked at 428 in 1970; 307 people lived here in 2020.

12 censuses, 1910–2020.

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

On the map

Eau Claire on the map, 1910 to 1972

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

Eau Claire on the 1910 USGS mapEau Claire on the 1944 USGS mapEau Claire on the 1963 USGS mapEau Claire on the 1972 USGS map1910Hilliards sheet · 1:62,500

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

The story so far

Eau Claire, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Eau Claire yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Eau Claire is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, Eau Claire had a population of 307. The name means "Clear Water" in French, and is pronounced as the French pronunciation.

Eau Claire was established in 1848. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 316 to 307 (-3%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Eau Claire in 1927

Passages that mention Eau Claire, cut from the printed page as they were published.

Eau Claire, formerly called Farmington, in Venango Township, was surveyed in 1848 on John Rosenberry’s farm, and in June, 1849, William H. Tebay built and occupied the first house at this place.
History of Butler County Pennsylvania1927 · page 561Read the page →
Read the text

Eau Claire, formerly called Farmington, in Venango Township, was surveyed in 1848 on John Rosenberry’s farm, and in June, 1849, William H. Tebay built and occupied the first house at this place.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Eau Claire was organized prior to 1851, in which year a small church building was erected. The present church was erected in 1872.
History of Butler County Pennsylvania1927 · page 693Read the page →
Read the text

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Eau Claire was organized prior to 1851, in which year a small church building was erected. The present church was erected in 1872.

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

Eau Claire, 1848 to 1970

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1848
    FoundingEau Claire is established
  3. 1866Post officeThe Eau Claire post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1910On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1970CensusPopulation peaks at 428
By decade

Eau Claire, decade by decade

Today3 recent
Pennsylvania State Route 582014Pennsylvania State Route 58Pennsylvania State Route 582014Pennsylvania State Route 58Eau Claire, Pennsylvania2014Eau Claire, Pennsylvania
Famous people

Famous people close to Eau Claire

Nobody well known was born in Eau Claire itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Jane WolfeAmerican silent film character actress and Thel… · b. 1875
Joe PageAmerican baseball player · b. 1917
Ben Van DykeAmerican baseball player · b. 1888
J
Janet AndersonProfessional golfer · b. 1956
Bob GlennMajor League Baseball pitcher · b. 1894
B
Brice SchwabCollege football player · b. 1990
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Venango TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townCherry ValleyIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Eau Claire’s history

What year was Eau Claire founded?

In 1848, according to Wikidata. Eau Claire’s post office opened in 1866, and the census of 1910 counted 347 people here.

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
Start a conversation
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 (3), 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.