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–Not graded
History · Oval
Oval’s post office opened in 1855, and 15% of its homes were built before 1940
Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers
How Oval began
When was Oval founded?
1855
The Oval post office opened in 1855, the earliest record of the town by name.
2020 census: 366171 years
Founding year: the first Oval post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).
What stands out about Oval’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Oval. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1923Williamsport 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 Oval.
The story so far
Oval, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Oval yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Oval is a census-designated place (CDP) in Limestone Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 361. Oval is not a separately incorporated community, but is a part of Limestone Township (which is a municipality under Pennsylvania law). Oval is on Pennsylvania Route 44 in the north-central part of Limestone Township, in southwest Lycoming County. PA-44 leads northwest 7 miles (11 km) to Jersey Shore and U.S. Route 220, and southeast over North White Deer Ridge 16 miles (26 km) to Allenwood and U.S. Route 15. Williamsport, the Lycoming county seat, is 13 miles (21 km) to the northeast via PA-654. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, t…
Its first post office opened in 1855. Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 361 in 2010, 366 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Oval in 1892
Passages that mention Oval, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania1892 · page 606Read the page →
Read the text
CollomsviUe, located in the eastern end of the valley, is a postvillage of about 200 inhabitants. A postofiice, under the name of CollomsviUe, was established here December 20, 1841, and Jesse Bower was appointed postmaster, and Henry Clark, June 1, 1854. The office was discontinued February 19, 1855. Oval was then established to take the place of CollomsviUe, June 18, 1855, and George Clark was appointed postmaster. He served until May 15, 1862, when Oval was changed to CollomsviUe, and George Eonte was appointed postmaster. His successors have been David A. Clark, appointed December 7, 1876, and Hugh Denworth, December
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.
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
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 U.S. Geological Survey historical maps 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.
