Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Smithton

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
–Not graded
History · Smithton

Smithton’s post office opened in 1874, and 55% of its homes were built before 1940

1874first post office
0on the National Register
55%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Smithton began

When was Smithton founded?

1874

The Smithton post office opened in 1874, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1901.

2020 census: 351152 years
Founding year: the first Smithton post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1901.The full story ↓

What stands out about Smithton’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 Smithton are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Smithton’s homes were built before 1938.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Smithton’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Smithton’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Smithton came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Smithton.

Read it all →

In approximately 1801, a mill, known as Smith's Mill, was built at the location which became Smithton Borough. The town was incorporated as a borough in 1901. Smithton's early industry was in coal mining, coke ovens, and the transportation of goods produced in the valley of Jacobs Creek.

By 1906, four schools were located at Smithton, with 4 teachers serving 144 students. William B. Jones (grandfather of actress Shirley Jones) founded The Jones Brewing Company at Smithton in 1907. The company brewed Stoney's Beer in Smithton until 2002, when the brewing operation was moved to Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Smithton, decade by decade

Today6 recent
PA 981 sb in Smithton (2), May 20242024PA 981 sb in Smithton (2), May 2024PA 981 sb in Smithton (1), May 20242024PA 981 sb in Smithton (1), May 2024PA 981 sb entering Smithton, May 20242024PA 981 sb entering Smithton, May 2024Abandoned stone marker of Pennsylvania & Lake Erie RailRoad2020Abandoned stone marker of Pennsylvania & Lake Erie Ra…Smithton Pa 20112011Smithton Pa 2011Welcome to Smithton sign 20072007Welcome to Smithton sign 2007
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

South Huntingdon Township1 historic placeA−Rostraver TownshipIts storyB−

Questions about Smithton’s history

What year was Smithton founded?

The Smithton post office opened in 1874, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1901.

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (6), Wikipedia, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.