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History · Wattsburg

Wattsburg’s post office opened in 1826, and 39% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1970 on, and the census since 1840.

1826first post office
0on the National Register
39%homes built before 1940
4old photos & papers
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Wattsburg’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Wattsburg began

When was Wattsburg founded?

1826

The Wattsburg post office opened in 1826, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1828.

First census: 131 in 18402020 census: 353200 years
Founding year: the first Wattsburg post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1828.The full story ↓

What stands out about Wattsburg’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 4 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 513 in 1980; 353 people lived here in 2020.Old housesHalf of Wattsburg’s homes were built before 1952.Deep rootsA post office since 1826: 200 years of Wattsburg.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Wattsburg’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo2 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewHistoric American Buildings Survey, Wil…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Wattsburg, census by census

01002003004005001850190019502000Peak: 513

Peaked at 513 in 1980; 353 people lived here in 2020.

19 censuses, 1840–2020.

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

The story

How Wattsburg came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Wattsburg.

Read it all →

Incorporated in 1833, Wattsburg was once a thriving stagecoach center.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Wattsburg, 1884–1896

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

The important bridges are aa follows: Over French Creek, the Newman covered bridge, on the Wattsburg & Waterford road. Over LeBceiif Creek, the Himrod bridge, on the cross-road from Greene to the plank road; the Benson, near the sink-hole; the Lattimore, on the Colt Station road; the two of the P. …
History of Erie county, Pennsylvania1884 · page 671Read the page →
Read the text

The important bridges are aa follows: Over French Creek, the Newman covered bridge, on the Wattsburg & Waterford road. Over LeBceiif Creek, the Himrod bridge, on the cross-road from Greene to the plank road; the Benson, near the sink-hole; the Lattimore, on the Colt Station road; the two of the P. & E. Railroad, one at the Greene line and the other near Waterford Station; the Station, on the Station road; the Judson, on the Flats roads, and the Outlet bridge on the Meadville pike. All of the above are wooden, and all are open with the exception of the Newman and station bridges.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
in 1826, is the successor of the old Middlebrook society, the history of which is given in the sketch of Venango township. The first church was built in Wattsburg about 1828, and the second in 1855. In November, 1833, the Wattsburg church was recognized by the Presbytery as a separate organization.
Nelson's biographical dictionary and historical reference book of Erie County, Pennsylvania1896 · page 363Read the page →
Read the text

in 1826, is the successor of the old Middlebrook society, the history of which is given in the sketch of Venango township. The first church was built in Wattsburg about 1828, and the second in 1855. In November, 1833, the Wattsburg church was recognized by the Presbytery as a separate organization.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The main roads are the Waterford and Wattsburg, along the south side of French creek ; the Lake Pleasant and Wattsburg, which is merged into the former on Baldwin's flats; the Union and Wattsburg; the Beaver Dam and Wattsburg ; the Corry and Wattsburg ; the Lake Pleasant and Union ; and the Lake Pl…
Nelson's biographical dictionary and historical reference book of Erie County, Pennsylvania1896 · page 290Read the page →
Read the text

The main roads are the Waterford and Wattsburg, along the south side of French creek ; the Lake Pleasant and Wattsburg, which is merged into the former on Baldwin's flats; the Union and Wattsburg; the Beaver Dam and Wattsburg ; the Corry and Wattsburg ; the Lake Pleasant and Union ; and the Lake Pleasant, Hatch Hollow and Union.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Wattsburg road, is a place of less size than Milltown. In addition to the mills and schoolhouse, there is a Methodist Episcopal Church, a frame structure, -which was completed and dedicated in 1859. The congregation was organized some years prior to 1835, and has, excepting a short period, been an …
History of Erie county, Pennsylvania1884 · page 835Read the page →
Read the text

Wattsburg road, is a place of less size than Milltown. In addition to the mills and schoolhouse, there is a Methodist Episcopal Church, a frame structure, -which was completed and dedicated in 1859. The congregation was organized some years prior to 1835, and has, excepting a short period, been an appointment on the Wattsburg Circuit, of which it now forms a part.

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.

Timeline

Wattsburg, 1826 to 1980

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1826Post officeThe Wattsburg post office opens
  3. 1830Born hereEdward A. Wilcox is born here
  4. 1836In the archiveMap of Wattsburgh, Venango Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania
  5. 20th century
  6. 1970On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  7. 1980CensusPopulation peaks at 513
By decade

Wattsburg, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1830s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1830s2 items
Map of Wattsburgh, Venango Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania1836Map of Wattsburgh, Venango Township, Erie County, Pen…MapMap of Wattsburgh, Venango Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania1836Map of Wattsburgh, Venango Township, Erie County, Pen…Map
Date unknown2 to date
Historic American Buildings Survey, William J. Bulger, Photographer October 30, 1936 EXTERIOR (FRONT ELEVATION). - Howa…Date?Historic American Buildings Survey, William J. Bulger…Historic American Buildings Survey, William J. Bulger, Photographer, 1936 EXTERIOR (FRONT ELEVATION). - Chaffe House, W…Date?Historic American Buildings Survey, William J. Bulger…
Today8 recent
Wattsburg, PA post office, June 20242024Wattsburg, PA post office, June 2024Wattsburg, PA Hose Company, June 20242024Wattsburg, PA Hose Company, June 2024PA 8-89 nb in Wattsburg, June 20242024PA 8-89 nb in Wattsburg, June 2024PA 8-89 nb entering Wattsburg, June 20242024PA 8-89 nb entering Wattsburg, June 2024PA 8-89 nb entering Venango Twp., Erie Co., June 20242024PA 8-89 nb entering Venango Twp., Erie Co., June 2024PA 8-89 nb at PA 474, June 20242024PA 8-89 nb at PA 474, June 20242022-06-05 08 51 18 View east along Pennsylvania State Route 474 (Jamestown Street) at Center Street in20222022-06-05 08 51 18 View east along Pennsylvania Stat…Pennsylvania State Route 82000Pennsylvania State Route 8
On the map

Wattsburg on the map in 1970

The U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Wattsburg.

Wattsburg on the 1970 USGS map1970Wattsburg sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Wattsburg.

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.

Historic American Buildings Survey, William J. Bulger, Photographer October 30, 1936 EXTERIOR (FRONT ELEVATION). - Howa…
Retake this viewHistoric American Buildings Survey, William J. Bulger, Photographer October 30, 1936 EXTERIOR (FRONT ELEVATION). - Howa…

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

Retake this view · +15
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Venango Township1 historic placeA−

Questions about Wattsburg’s history

What year was Wattsburg founded?

The Wattsburg post office opened in 1826, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1828.

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 Wikimedia Commons (12), 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 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.