Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1900 on and the census since 1890.
The Platea post office opened in 1850, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1870. Another post office, Lockport (1840), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
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 Platea’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Platea. 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 Platea.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Platea yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Platea is a borough in Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 443 at the 2020 census.
Its first post office opened in 1850. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 430 to 442 (+3%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Passages that mention Platea, cut from the printed page as they were published.
James L. Porter, of Platea, is an old and respected citizen, who, in his earlier life, was engaged in farming and as a railroad lineman in Erie county. Still later, he became a contractor on the Erie canal and on the pioneer railroads of this section of northwestern Pennsylvania, and now in his seventy-sixth year has been living in deserved retirement for some time. He is the last survivor of the well known Porter family of pioneers, which originally comprised four sisters and two brothers.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
the Bessemer Railroad at Albion. Eventually he reached the foremanship of the air brake department and a car inspectorship, but in 1907 abandoned his fair prospects in the railroad line for the more independent career of a farmer, purchasing his present homestead near Platea, in 1907. Mr. McDonald wields a good and a strong influence in his ho,me community, through his stalwart character and his earnest social, charitable and religious work. He is a faithful member of the Methodist church, being steward of the Platea organization ; is presi-
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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereErastus J. Turner is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyBetween 220 and 492 people in every census since 1890.
14 censuses, 1890–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Platea’s Wikipedia page.
Platea had its own post office from 1850 to 1965. Another post office, Lockport, opened and closed inside today’s town.
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 Platea post office opened in 1850, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1870.
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 (5), 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 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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