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History · Emlenton

Emlenton dates to 1820, and 46% of its homes were built before 1940

1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 317 buildings. Below: 8 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1870.

1820founded
1on the National Register
46%homes built before 1940
8old photos & papers
5famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Emlenton’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Emlenton began

When was Emlenton founded?

1820

Emlenton dates its founding to 1820 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1870.

First census: 488 in 18702020 census: 614206 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1833.The full story ↓

What stands out about Emlenton’s past

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

A historic districtThe Emlenton Historic District takes in 317 historic buildings.Boom and bustPeaked at 1,190 in 1900; 614 people lived here in 2020.Mapped building by building5 fire insurance maps, 1886 to 1910, drew every building in Emlenton.On the map since 19073 editions of the USGS map, 1907 to 1972. Watch Emlenton change.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

1 listing protects 317 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
317
each building in a district counts
first listed
1997
Emlenton Historic District
Emlenton Historic District
Districts

Architectural styles listings

Italianate1
Greek Revival1
Gothic Revival1
Late Gothic Revival1
Second Empire1
Colonial Revival1
Emlenton Historic DistrictItalianate

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Emlenton, census by census

02004006008001,0001,20018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 1,190

Peaked at 1,190 in 1900; 614 people lived here in 2020.

16 censuses, 1870–2020.

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

Every building

Emlenton, building by building, 1886–1910

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.

Emlenton fire insurance map, 1886, sheet 11886Sheet 1 of 2
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

The story

How Emlenton came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Emlenton.

Read it all →

Emlenton is named for Hannah Emlen Fox, the wife of Joseph Mickle Fox, one of its founders and original land owner.

The Emlenton Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

Since 1979, Emlenton has been home to Kobzarska Sich an annual intensive two-week Ukrainian Bandura music camp along the banks for the Allegheny River. The camp was founded and run for many years by renowned composer Hryhory Kytasty, who was posthumously rewarded the title of Hero of Ukraine by President Viktor Yushchenko in 2008.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Emlenton in 1890

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

Emlenton Union Agricultural Society, the only association of this nature in the county outside of the county seat, was organized March 27, 1858. The first election of officers resulted as follows: President, Henry Kohlmire, of Allegheny township, Butler county.
History of Venango County, Pennsylvania. Its past and present, including ..1890 · page 219Read the page →
Read the text

Emlenton Union Agricultural Society, the only association of this nature in the county outside of the county seat, was organized March 27, 1858. The first election of officers resulted as follows: President, Henry Kohlmire, of Allegheny township, Butler county.

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

Emlenton, 1820 to 1908

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1820
    FoundingEmlenton is established
  3. 1833Post officeThe Emlenton post office opens
  4. 1861Born hereGeorge Crawford is born here
  5. 1866In the archiveOil region of Venango County, Pennsylvania
  6. 1873Born hereClaude Ritchey is born here
  7. 1893Born hereGeorge N. Wade is born here
  8. 1897In the archiveEmlenton, Venango County Pennsylvania, 1897
  9. 20th century
  10. 1900CensusPopulation peaks at 1,190
  11. 1906Born hereBob Way is born here
  12. 1907On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  13. 1908In the archiveMain St., looking west from 3rd St
By decade

Emlenton, decade by decade

3 decades in the archive, from the 1860s to the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1860s–1890s5 items
Oil region of Venango County, Pennsylvania1866Oil region of Venango County, PennsylvaniaEmlenton, Venango County Pennsylvania, 18971897Emlenton, Venango County Pennsylvania, 1897Emlenton, Venango County Pennsylvania, 18971897Emlenton, Venango County Pennsylvania, 1897Emlenton, Venango County, Pennsylvania 18971897Emlenton, Venango County, Pennsylvania 1897Emlenton, Venango County, Pennsylvania 18971897Emlenton, Venango County, Pennsylvania 1897
1900s3 items
Main St., looking west from 3rd St1908Main St., looking west from 3rd StMain St., looking west from 6th St1908Main St., looking west from 6th StEast Main St., looking west from 1st St1908East Main St., looking west from 1st St
1910s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today3 recent
Bridge at Mineral Springs Park2009Bridge at Mineral Springs ParkAllegheny Tangle2009Allegheny TangleAllegheny River at2009Allegheny River at
On the map

Emlenton on the map, 1907 to 1972

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

Emlenton on the 1907 USGS mapEmlenton on the 1963 USGS mapEmlenton on the 1972 USGS map1907Foxburg 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 Emlenton.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Oil region of Venango County, Pennsylvania
Retake this viewOil region of Venango County, Pennsylvania, 1866

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Emlenton’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

5 famous people were born in Emlenton

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Claude RitcheyMajor League Baseball second baseman · b. 1873
B
Bob WayAmerican baseball player · b. 1906
G
George CrawfordAmerican businessman · b. 1861
G
George N. WadeAmerican politician · b. 1893
T
Ted RosequistAmerican football player · b. 1908
Help out

Finish Emlenton’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewOil region of Venango County, Pennsylva…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Richland TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townRichland TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townScrubgrass TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Emlenton’s history

What year was Emlenton founded?

In 1820, according to Wikidata. Emlenton’s post office opened in 1833, and the census of 1870 counted 488 people here.

What is on the National Register in Emlenton?

One place: the Emlenton Historic District (listed 1997).

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 (8), the Library of Congress (3), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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), 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.