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History · Tipton

Tipton’s post office opened in 1854, and 21% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1920 on and old-book passages.

1854first post office
0on the National Register
21%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Tipton began

When was Tipton founded?

1854

The Tipton post office opened in 1854, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 826172 years
Founding year: the first Tipton post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about Tipton’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 Tipton are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19203 editions of the USGS map, 1920 to 1972. Watch Tipton change.Old housesHalf of Tipton’s homes were built before 1964.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Tipton’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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On the map

Tipton on the map, 1920 to 1972

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

Tipton on the 1920 USGS mapTipton on the 1963 USGS mapTipton on the 1972 USGS map1920Altoona 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 Tipton.

The story so far

Tipton, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Tipton yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Tipton is a census-designated place (CDP) in Antis Township, Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,083 at the 2010 census. It was a stop on the former Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line between Tyrone and Altoona.

Its first post office opened in 1854. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 1,083 to 826 (-24%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Tipton in 1911

Passages that mention Tipton, cut from the printed page as they were published.

The Blair county union Was organized at Tipton in September, 1884, with Miss Sallie Dysart of Tipton as the first president. The county organization is composed of delegates representing eight local unions existing in as many different towns of the county, including that of Altoona. The present off…
Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania1911 · page 354Read the page →
Read the text

The Blair county union Was organized at Tipton in September, 1884, with Miss Sallie Dysart of Tipton as the first president. The county organization is composed of delegates representing eight local unions existing in as many different towns of the county, including that of Altoona. The present officers are ; President, Mrs. Harvey E. Ressler; vice presi-

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Adie Allen Stevens was a babe of one year when his father died. He was carefully reared by his capable and judicious mother and was educated at Tipton, Charlottesville and Altoona, where he resided at the time Altoona was first laid out as a town. He was a volunteer of the Civil War, enlisting in t…
Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania1911 · page 794Read the page →
Read the text

Adie Allen Stevens was a babe of one year when his father died. He was carefully reared by his capable and judicious mother and was educated at Tipton, Charlottesville and Altoona, where he resided at the time Altoona was first laid out as a town. He was a volunteer of the Civil War, enlisting in the First Pa. Vol. Inf., and reenlisting in the 15th Pa.

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.

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Famous people

Famous people close to Tipton

Nobody well known was born in Tipton itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Fred WaringAmerican musician · b. 1900
E
Ethan StiefelAmerican ballet dancer · b. 1973
Farran ZerbeAmerican numismatist · b. 1871
Dick SmithMajor League Baseball infielder · b. 1926
Raymond M. FuossUS chemist · b. 1905
R
Richard IrvinAmerican politician · b. 1971

Questions about Tipton’s history

What year was Tipton founded?

The Tipton post office opened in 1854, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
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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 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.