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History · Howard

Howard dates to 1770, and 40% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1921 on, and the census since 1870.

1770founded
0on the National Register
40%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Howard began

When was Howard founded?

1770

Howard dates its founding to 1770 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1870.

First census: 334 in 18702020 census: 687256 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1828.

What stands out about Howard’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Howard’s homes were built before 1951.Older than the countryEstablished in 1770, 6 years before the Declaration of Independence.On the map since 19214 editions of the USGS map, 1921 to 1973. Watch Howard change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Howard’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story so far

Howard, in brief

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

Howard is a borough in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 687 at the 2020 census.

Howard was established in 1770. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 720 to 687 (-5%).

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

Timeline

Howard, 1770 to 1921

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1770
    FoundingHoward is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1828Post officeThe Howard post office opens
  5. 1846Born hereWilliam E. Fuller is born here
  6. 1874In the archiveAtlas of Centre County, Pennsylvania
  7. 1896Born hereFrances Tipton Hunter is born here
  8. 20th century
  9. 1921On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Howard, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1870s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1870s1 item
Atlas of Centre County, Pennsylvania1874Atlas of Centre County, PennsylvaniaMap
Today11 recent
Howard, Pennsylvania2013Howard, PennsylvaniaHoward, Pennsylvania2013Howard, PennsylvaniaHoward, Pennsylvania2013Howard, PennsylvaniaHoward, Pennsylvania2013Howard, PennsylvaniaHoward, Pennsylvania2013Howard, PennsylvaniaHoward, Pennsylvania2013Howard, PennsylvaniaHoward, Pennsylvania2013Howard, PennsylvaniaHoward, Pennsylvania2013Howard, PennsylvaniaHoward, Pennsylvania2013Howard, PennsylvaniaHoward, Pennsylvania2013Howard, PennsylvaniaHoward, Pennsylvania2013Howard, Pennsylvania
On the map

Howard on the map, 1921 to 1973

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

Howard on the 1921 USGS mapHoward on the 1944 USGS mapHoward on the 1967 USGS mapHoward on the 1973 USGS map1921Howard 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 Howard.

People over time

Howard, census by census

020040060080018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 838

Between 334 and 838 people in every census since 1870.

16 censuses, 1870–2020.

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

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Howard

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

See all →
William E. FullerAmerican politician · b. 1846
Frances Tipton HunterAmerican illustrator · b. 1896

Questions about Howard’s history

What year was Howard founded?

In 1770, according to Wikidata. Howard’s post office opened in 1828, and the census of 1870 counted 334 people here.

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
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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 (12), 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) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.