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A−History
History · Smethport

Smethport dates to 1807, and 47% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 76% of U.S. towns. What drives it

Below: 11 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1860.

1807founded
0on the National Register
47%homes built before 1940
11old photos & papers
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Smethport’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Smethport began

When was Smethport founded?

1807

Smethport dates its founding to 1807 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1860.

First census: 313 in 18602020 census: 1,436219 years

How historic is Smethport?

A−

More historic than 76% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1822.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Smethport’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Smethport is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Smethport’s overall grade.
Founding era1807, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194047.3% of homes (±9.6) · typical PA town 17.7% · U.S. 8.4%A+National RegisterNo listings counted · typical PA town 2.1 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 76%
NewerOlder

Pennsylvania towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Pennsylvania town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Smethport’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (25% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±9.6 points). Two sources give 1807.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Smethport’s past

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

Mapped building by building5 fire insurance maps, 1887 to 1909, drew every building in Smethport.Old housesHalf of Smethport’s homes were built before 1945.Deep rootsEstablished in 1807: 219 years of Smethport.
★ What stands out · Every building

Smethport, building by building, 1887–1909

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Smethport fire insurance map, 1887, sheet 11887Sheet 1 of 4
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

The story

How Smethport came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Smethport.

Read it all →

Smethport was founded in 1807 by Dutch land investors who were surveying a large tract of land they had purchased from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and was named in honor of a Dutch banking family, the De Smeths, who financed the land investments. The town's first business was a water-powered sawmill built by John Applebee in 1822. Smethport became the McKean County seat in 1826 and was incorporated as a borough in 1853. The sawmill's artificial pond is now the centerpiece of Hamlin Park. Smethport has ties to General Thomas L. Kane who organized the Bucktail Regiment during the Civil War; the borough is home to an active group of Bucktail re-enactors.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Smethport, 1807 to 1972

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1807
    FoundingSmethport is established
  3. 1822Post officeThe Smith Port post office opens
  4. 1834Born hereSarah Amelia Scull is born here
  5. 1858In the archiveMcKean County, Pennsylvania, Courthouse 1858
  6. 1872Post officeThe Smith Port post office closes
  7. 1872Post officeThe Smethport post office opens
  8. 1891Born hereBob Hill is born here
  9. 20th century
  10. 1906Born hereAlbert W. Johnson is born here
  11. 1925Born hereGlenn Everell Mencer is born here
  12. 1930In the archiveQuaker State Oil Refining Corporation, McKean Plant, Smethport, Pennsylvania (84867)
  13. 1933On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  14. 1972In the archivePotato Creek
By decade

Smethport, decade by decade

3 decades in the archive, from the 1850s to the 1970s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1850s1 item
McKean County, Pennsylvania, Courthouse 18581858McKean County, Pennsylvania, Courthouse 1858
1930s5 items
Quaker State Oil Refining Corporation, McKean Plant, Smethport, Pennsylvania (84867)c. 1930Quaker State Oil Refining Corporation, McKean Plant, …Smethport Country Club, Smethport, Pennsylvania (84869)c. 1930Smethport Country Club, Smethport, Pennsylvania (8486…Smethport McCoy Stadium, Smethport, Pennsylvania (84868)c. 1930Smethport McCoy Stadium, Smethport, Pennsylvania (848…Smethport Public School, Smethport, Pennsylvania (84866)c. 1930Smethport Public School, Smethport, Pennsylvania (848…St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Smethport, Pennsylvania (84870)c. 1930St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Smethport, Pennsylvania …
1940s–1960snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
1970s1 item
Potato Creek1972Potato Creek
1980s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Date unknown4 to date
Aerial shot of Smethport, PA taken by Pilot Jim LineDate?Aerial shot of Smethport, PA taken by Pilot Jim LineSmethportHighSchoolDate?SmethportHighSchoolBackus HouseDate?Backus HouseMedbury Place, 604 Main StreetDate?Medbury Place, 604 Main Street
Today30 recent
Smethport, Pennsylvania2012Smethport, PennsylvaniaSmethport, Pennsylvania2012Smethport, PennsylvaniaSmethport, Pennsylvania2012Smethport, PennsylvaniaSmethport, Pennsylvania2012Smethport, PennsylvaniaSmethport, Pennsylvania2012Smethport, PennsylvaniaSmethport, Pennsylvania2012Smethport, PennsylvaniaSmethport, Pennsylvania2012Smethport, PennsylvaniaSmethport, Pennsylvania2012Smethport, PennsylvaniaSmethport, Pennsylvania2012Smethport, PennsylvaniaSmethport, Pennsylvania2012Smethport, PennsylvaniaSmethport, Pennsylvania2012Smethport, PennsylvaniaSmethport, Pennsylvania2012Smethport, PennsylvaniaSmethport, Pennsylvania2012Smethport, PennsylvaniaSmethport, Pennsylvania2012Smethport, PennsylvaniaSmethport, Pennsylvania2012Smethport, PennsylvaniaSmethport, Pennsylvania2012Smethport, PennsylvaniaSmethport, Pennsylvania2012Smethport, PennsylvaniaSmethport, Pennsylvania2012Smethport, PennsylvaniaSmethport, Pennsylvania2012Smethport, PennsylvaniaSaint Elizabeth Cemetery Sign2012Saint Elizabeth Cemetery SignRose Hill Cemetery Sign2012Rose Hill Cemetery SignHamlin Park Island2012Hamlin Park IslandHamlin Park2012Hamlin ParkGeese at Hamlin Lake2012Geese at Hamlin LakeGeese - panoramio (3)2012Geese - panoramio (3)Ducks near Hamlin Lake2012Ducks near Hamlin LakeB. Hamlin Crypt Detail2012B. Hamlin Crypt DetailB. Hamlin Crypt2012B. Hamlin CryptUS Route 6 - Pennsylvania2006US Route 6 - PennsylvaniaUS Route 6 - Pennsylvania2006US Route 6 - Pennsylvania
On the map

Smethport on the map, 1933 to 1969

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

Smethport on the 1933 USGS mapSmethport on the 1969 USGS map1933Smethport 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 Smethport.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

McKean County, Pennsylvania, Courthouse 1858
Retake this viewMcKean County, Pennsylvania, Courthouse 1858, 1858

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Smethport’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Smethport, census by census

05001,0001,5002,000190019502000Peak: 1,883

Between 231 and 1,883 people in every census since 1860.

17 censuses, 1860–2020.

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

Famous people

4 famous people were born in Smethport

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

See all →
Albert W. JohnsonAmerican politician; U.S. representative from P… · b. 1906
B
Bob HillAmerican football player · b. 1891
Glenn Everell MencerUnited States federal judge · b. 1925
Sarah Amelia ScullAmerican educator and writer · b. 1834
Places that used to be

Lost post offices and burying grounds

Smethport’s post office has been open since 1872. Another post office, Smith Port, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Smith Port
1822–1872
Smethport
1872–today
18201920today
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Smethport
Rose HillSaint Elizabeth

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Smethport’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo4 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewMcKean County, Pennsylvania, Courthouse…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Smethport’s history

What year was Smethport founded?

In 1807, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Smethport’s post office opened in 1822, and the census of 1860 counted 313 people here.

How does Smethport rank for history?

Smethport is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Smethport?

47% of Smethport’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.6 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1945.

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
Start a conversation
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).

From Wikimedia Commons (39), the Library of Congress (2), Wikipedia, 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 Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.