Let it not he presumed, however, that we notice these capitalists from any adoration of their wealth or homage to the men, but merely because their history is partially identified with the valley, and to show in what a singular manner the blind goddess will sometimes lavish her favors; for hundreds of men without money, but with brighter intellects and nobler impulses than ever were possessed by Zimmerman, Law, or Shoenberger, have gone down to the grave "unwept, unhonored, and unsung," in the Juniata Valley. Neither will the soughing of the west wind, as it sweeps through the valley, disturb their repose any more than it will that of the millionaires when resting from "life's fitful fever" in their splendid mausoleums.
Less than ten years ago a railroad from Huntingdon to Broad Top was deemed impracticable. Since then, or, we may say, within the last four years, a substantial railroad has been built, reaching from the borough of Huntingdon to Hopewell, in Bedford county, a distance of thirty-one miles; and the cars are now engaged in bringing coal from a region which, but a few years ago, was unexplored. In addition to the main track, there is a branch, six miles in length, extending to Shoup's Run. The coal-field contains eighty square miles of territory; and from the openings made at Shoup's Run and Six Mile Run semi-bituminous coal has been taken the quality of which cannot be surpassed by any coal-fields in the world. Along the line of the road quite a number of villages have sprung up. The first is Worthington, some thirteen miles from Huntingdon. The next is Saxton, twenty-six miles from Huntingdon. Coalmont is the name of a flourishing village growing up on Shoup's Run, about a mile below the lowest coal-veins yet opened. Barret is located about two miles farther up; and Broad Top City is located upon the summit of the mountain, at the terminus of the Shoup's Run Branch, at which place a large three-story stone hotel has been built, and a number of lots disposed of, on which purchasers are bound to build during the summer of 1856.
Less than eight years ago the author of these pages, while on a gunning expedition, travelled over the ground where Altoona now stands. It was then almost a barren waste. A few fields, a solitary log farm-house and its out-buildings, and a school-house, alone relieved the monotony of the scene; yet now upon this ground stands a town with between three and four thousand inhabitants, where the scream of the engine is heard at all hours of the day and night,—where the roar of fires, the clang of machinery, and the busy hum of industry, never cease from the rising to the setting of the sun, and where real estate commands a price that would almost seem fabulous to those not acquainted with the facts. But of this enough.
Let us now proceed to examine the products of the valley. The lower end of it is a grain-growing region, the upper an iron-producing country; and it is owing to the mineral resources alone that the valley maintains the position it does and boasts of the wealth and population it now possesses. The Juniata iron has almost a worldwide reputation; yet we venture to say that many of our own neighbors know little about the immense amount of capital and labor employed in its manufacture. The following is a list of the iron establishments in the valley:—
| BEDFORD COUNTY. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name. | Location. | Owner. |
| Bloomfield Furnace | Middle Woodbury | John W. Duncan. |
| Lemnos Furnace | Hopewell | John King & Co. |
| Lemnos Forge | Hopewell | John King & Co. |
| Bedford Forge | Hopewell | John King & Co. |
| Bedford Foundry and Machine-shop. | Bedford | Michael Bannon. |
| Keagy's Foundry | Woodbury | Snowden & Blake. |
| West Providence Foundry | Bloody Run | George Baughman. |
| BLAIR COUNTY. | ||
| Alleghany Furnace | Logan township | Elias Baker. |
| Blair Furnace | Logan township | H.N. Burroughs. |
| Elizabeth Furnace | Antes township | Martin Bell. |
| Bald Eagle Furnace | Snyder township | Lyon, Shorb & Co. |
| Etna Furnace and Forge | Catharine township | Isett, Keller & Co. |
| Springfield Furnace | Woodberry township | D. Good & Co. |
| Rebecca Furnace | Houston township | E.H. Lytle. |
| Sarah Furnace | Greenfield township | D. McCormick. |
| Gap Furnace | Juniata township | E.F. Shoenberger. |
| Frankstown Furnace | Frankstown | A. & D. Moore. |
| Harriet Furnace | Alleghany township | Blair Co. Coal & Iron Co. |
| Hollidaysburg Furnace | Gaysport | Watson, White & Co. |
| Chimney Rock Furnace | Hollidaysburg | Gardener, Osterloh & Co. |
| Gaysport Furnace | Gaysport | Smith & Caldwell. |
| Portage Works (rolling-mill, &c.) | Duncansville | J. Higgins & Co. |
| Maria Forges (two) | Juniata township | J.W. Duncan. |
| Lower Maria Forge | Juniata township | D. McCormick. |
| Gap Forge | Juniata township | Musselman & Co. |
| Elizabeth Forge | Antes township | John Bell. |
| Tyrone Forges (two) | Snyder township | Lyon, Shorb & Co. |
| Cove Forge | Woodberry township | J. Royer. |
| Franklin Forge | Woodberry township | D.H. Royer. |
| Cold Spring Forge | Antes township | Isett & Co. |
| Alleghany Forge | Alleghany township | E.H. Lytle. |
| Hollidaysburg Foundry and Machine-shop | Hollidaysburg | J.R. McFarlane & Co. |
| Gaysport Foundry and Machine-shop | Gaysport | McLanahan, Watson & Co. |
| Tyrone Foundry | Tyrone City | J.W. Mattern & Co. |
| Williamsburg Foundry | Williamsburg | Loncer & Hileman. |
| Martinsburg Foundry | Martinsburg | Crawford & Morrow. |
| Penn'a Railroad Foundry | Altoona | Penna. Railroad Co. |
| Duncansville Foundry | Duncansville | Mr. Gibboney. |
| Axe and Pick Factory | Alleghany township | J. Colclesser. |
| HUNTINGDON COUNTY. | ||
| Huntingdon Furnace | Franklin township | G.K. & J.H. Shoenberger. |
| Monroe Furnace | Jackson township | George W. Johnston & Co. |
| Greenwood Furnace | Jackson township | A. & J. Wright. |
| Rough and Ready Furnace | Hopewell township | Wood, Watson & Co. |
| Paradise Furnace | Tod township | Trexler & Co. |
| Mill Creek Furnace | Brady township | Irvin, Green & Co. |
| Edward Furnace | Shirley township | Beltzhoover & Co. |
| Rockhill Furnace | Cromwell township | Isett, Wigton & Co. |
| Matilda Furnace and Forge | Springfield township | Shiffler & Son. |
| Coleraine Forges (two) | Franklin township | Lyon, Shorb & Co. |
| Stockdale Forge | Franklin township | John S. Isett. |
| —— Forge | Franklin township | G.K. & J.H. Shoenberger |
| Elizabeth Forge | Franklin township | Martin Gates's heirs. |
| Rolling Mill and Puddling Forge | Porter township | S. Hatfield & Son. |
| Juniata Rolling Mill and Forge | West township | B. Lorenz, (Lessee.) |
| Barre Forge | Porter township | Joseph Green & Co. |
| Alexandria Foundry | J. Grafius. | |
| Water Street Foundry | Job Plympton. | |
| Spruce Creek Foundry | H.L. Trawly. | |
| Petersburg Foundry | H. Orlady. | |
| Huntingdon Foundry | J.M. Cunningham & Co. | |
| Shirleysburg Foundry | John Lutz. | |
| Eagle Foundry | Tod township | J. & D. Hamilton. |
| MIFFLIN COUNTY. | ||
| Lewistown Furnace | Lewistown | Etting, Graff & Co. |
| Hope Furnace | Granville township | W.W. Happer & Co. |
| Matilda Furnace | Wayne township | W. Righter. |
| Brookland Furnace | McVeytown | Huntingdon, Robison & Co. |
| Brookland Rolling Mill | McVeytown | Huntingdon, Robison & Co. |
| Freedom Forge | Derry township | J.A. Wright & Co. |
| Juniata Foundry and Machine-shop | Lewistown | Zeigler & Willis. |
| Logan Foundry | Lewistown | A. Marks & Co. |
| McVeytown Foundry | McVeytown | Faxon & Co. |
| Axe Factory | Near Reedsville | A. Mann. |
| Plough Foundry | Near Reedsville | J. & M. Taylor. |
In addition to these, there may be some few foundries in Juniata and Perry counties, but no furnaces or forges in that portion of them which lies in the valley proper.
It may be as well here to mention that the furnace of Watson, White & Co. is just completed; the Chimney Rock Furnace will be completed during the summer of 1856, as well as the furnace of Messrs. Smith & Caldwell, in Gaysport. These three furnaces follow the discovery of immense fossil ore-veins immediately back of Hollidaysburg, which are supposed to extend, in irregular strata, from the river east as far as the basin extends. In addition to this, in the Loop,—a basin lying between points of the Cove Mountain, south of Frankstown,—mines capable of the most prolific yield have also been opened. The ore, smelted with coke, is said to produce the best iron in market, and commands a ready sale at excellent prices. From the discoveries of ore-deposits already made, and those that will follow future explorations, it is but reasonable to infer that, during the next four or five years, the number of furnaces will be considerably augmented; and at this time there is a project on foot for building an extensive rolling-mill and nail-factory at Hollidaysburg.
The foregoing list of iron establishments numbers seventy-three, (and we are by no means certain that we have enumerated all,) and employ some six or seven thousand men, directly or indirectly, and the capital invested cannot possibly fall far short of five millions of dollars. And all this vast source of wealth and happiness is drawn from the bosom of mother earth in a valley a little over a hundred miles in length. We say it boldly, and challenge contradiction, that the iron-mines of the Juniata Valley have yielded more clear profit, and entailed more blessings upon the human family, than ever the same extent of territory did in the richest diggings of California.
But, great as the valley is, unquestionably half its resources have not yet been developed. Along the base of the mountain are vast seams of coal that have never been opened, and forests of the finest timber, which only await capital and enterprise to show the real extent of our coal and lumber region. Of the extent of the ore-fields of the valley no man can form any conception. Time alone can tell. Yet we are not without hope that ore will be found in such quantities, before the present generation shall have passed away, as shall make the valley a second Wales in its iron operations.
From De Bow's Census Compendium of 1850 we copy the following, set down as an accurate statement of the amount of capital, hands employed, and amount produced, in all the counties of the valley, by manufactures, in that year:—