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History · Mattawana

Mattawana’s post office opened in 1872, and 62% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1919 on.

1872first post office
0on the National Register
62%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Mattawana began

When was Mattawana founded?

1872

The Mattawana post office opened in 1872, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 193154 years
Founding year: the first Mattawana post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about Mattawana’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 Mattawana are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Mattawana’s homes were built before 1938.On the map since 19193 editions of the USGS map, 1919 to 1961. Watch Mattawana change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Mattawana’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Mattawana’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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The story so far

Mattawana, in brief

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

Mattawana is a census-designated place located in Bratton Township, Mifflin County in the state of Pennsylvania, United States on the east bank of the Juniata River. The community is located near the junction of U.S. Route 522 and Pennsylvania Route 103, across the river from the borough of McVeytown. As of the 2010 census the population was 276 residents. Mattawana is a name derived from a Native American language purported to mean "river of shallows" Or "place of fine furs".

Its first post office opened in 1872. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 276 to 193 (-30%).

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

On the map

Mattawana on the map, 1919 to 1961

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

Mattawana on the 1919 USGS mapMattawana on the 1950 USGS mapMattawana on the 1961 USGS map1919Mattawana 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 Mattawana.

By decade

Mattawana, decade by decade

Today2 recent
Mattawana, Pennsylvania2016Mattawana, PennsylvaniaBrick house2016Brick house
Famous people

Famous people close to Mattawana

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

See all →
T
Trent HidlayAmerican wrestler · b. 1999
Adam HarrisAmerican politician · b. 1975
Frank Ross McCoyUnited States Army general · b. 1874
George L. FoxUS army chaplain killed in action · b. 1900
Joseph RothrockU.S. botanist. mycologist, lichenologist & cons… · b. 1839
Ralph BakerAmerican football player · b. 1942

Questions about Mattawana’s history

What year was Mattawana founded?

The Mattawana post office opened in 1872, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

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 (2) and U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.