Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The New Columbus post office opened in 1849, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1859.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how New Columbus’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of New Columbus. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of New Columbus.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyFrom Wikipedia’s history of New Columbus.
A small farming town that is located in western Luzerne County (just south of Ricketts Glen State Park), New Columbus was first settled in 1819. It was later incorporated as a borough in 1859.
The community has changed little since its founding; farming is still a major way of life for most of the borough.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention New Columbus, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Register is a postoffice midway on the road from New Columbus to Huntington Mills. Here is a gristmill, store and blacksmith shop. This is a nice hamlet and has considerable trade.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Huntington Mills was at one time known as Hublerville. The paper mill there was erected in 1872, wrapping paper being its specialty. Following the example of New Columbus, an educational institution of good foundation was opened at Huntington Mills in 1878. The Huntington Mills Educational Society opened its first term as an academy in 1878 with one hundred pupils, under Prof. J. W. Swingle.
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.
Between 127 and 267 people in every census since 1860.
17 censuses, 1860–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on New Columbus’ Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in New Columbus itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
New Columbus had its own post office from 1849 to 1918.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The New Columbus post office opened in 1849, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1859.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (6), Wikipedia, 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.
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