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Huntingdon is a borough in and
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania Huntingdon County is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 44,092. Its county seat is Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, Hu ...
, in the Middle Atlantic states region of the Northeastern United States. It lies along the
Juniata River The Juniata River () is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed August 8, 2011 in central Pennsylvania. The river is ...
about east of larger Altoona and west of the state capital of
Harrisburg Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...
on the
Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...
. With a population of 6,827 in the 2020 U.S. Decennial Census, it is the largest population center near Raystown Lake, a winding, flood-control reservoir managed by the
United States Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wo ...
. The borough is on the main line of the
Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...
freight railway (formerly the longtime
Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR), legal name as the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, also known as the "Pennsy," was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At its ...
) in an agricultural and outdoor recreational region with extensive forests and scattered deposits of ganister rock, coal,
fire clay Fire clay is a range of refractory clays used in the manufacture of ceramics, especially fire brick. The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines fire clay very generally as a "mineral aggregate composed of hydrous silicates of alumi ...
, and
limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
deposits. Historically, the region surrounding Huntingdon was dotted with iron furnaces and forges, consuming limestone, iron ore and wood (for
charcoal Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, ca ...
production) throughout the 19th century. Dairy farms dominate the local agriculture. The town is a regular stop for the daily east-west
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
passenger train service which connects
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
to the west with
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
and New York City to the east and northeast. Huntingdon is also home to
Juniata College Juniata College () is a private liberal arts college in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1876 as a co-educational normal school, it was the first college started by members of the Church of the Brethren. It was originally founded as a cent ...
(founded 1876 by the
Church of the Brethren The Church of the Brethren is an Anabaptist Christian denomination in the Schwarzenau Brethren tradition ( "Schwarzenau New Baptists") that was organized in 1708 by Alexander Mack in Schwarzenau, Germany during the Radical Pietist revival. ...
).


History

The original inhabitants of Huntingdon and neighboring counties were the
Susquehannock The Susquehannock, also known as the Conestoga, Minquas, and Andaste, were an Iroquoian Peoples, Iroquoian people who lived in the lower Susquehanna River watershed in what is now Pennsylvania. Their name means “people of the muddy river.” T ...
. Through a combination of ongoing war with other indigenous nations, such as the
Haudenosaunee The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...
, disease brought by Europeans, and violence from settlers, the Susquehannock are currently thought to have been entirely wiped out or subsumed by other tribes. In 1768, Rev. William Smith began selling lots on the Standing Stone Tract along the Juniata, land he had recently acquired. The tracts' two prior owners had not attempted to lay out a town, so Dr. Smith is considered the founder. Huntingdon (the name by which he eventually called his town) sits at the site of corn fields that had been cultivated at a date now unknown, next to where Standing Stone Creek flows into the Juniata River. The 100th anniversary of its incorporation was marked by the erection of a "Standing Stone Monument" on Third Street, modeled on a tall, narrow shaft known to have existed before 1750, whose purpose is unclear but may have served as a trail marker. It may be significant that natural sandstone formations (popularly called Pulpit Rocks), which "stand erect", are on a nearby ridge. A story surfaced during the early 19th century that Smith had renamed Standing Stone Settlement to honor an Englishwoman,
Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon ( Shirley; 24 August 1707 – 17 June 1791) was an English Methodist leader who played a prominent part in the religious revival of the 18th century and the Methodist movement in England and Wales. She ...
. Smith's descendants vehemently denied the story, and there exists no evidence to support it, despite a wide circulation in published sources. More likely, the Anglican cleric named it after the town of the same name in England; doing so had become a pattern for naming Pennsylvania settlements,
Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district. Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...
,
Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...
and
York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
being nearby examples of the trend. In 1796, the little village was incorporated as a borough. Huntingdon long served as the junction of the Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad with the
Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR), legal name as the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, also known as the "Pennsy," was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At its ...
, and as an important port on the Main Line of Public Works of the Pennsylvania Canal. In past years, Huntingdon boasted of manufacturers of flour, heavy machinery, radiators, furniture, stationery, woolen goods, shirts, shoes, electronic components, finished lumber, fiberglass yarn, matting and underground storage tanks. In the 19th century, J. C. Blair, a native of Shade Gap and a stationer and businessman, popularized the writing tablet and began marketing it nationwide. His factory in downtown Huntingdon was later relocated to nearby
Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
. Huntingdon's Herncane Broom Factory was founded in 1863 by Benjamin F. Herncane. The 1897 ''Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley'' reported that the factory's output was twenty-five dozens per day and furnished "all the brooms used by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company." The company employed 14 workers and 3 traveling salesman. The building stood on Fourteenth Street from number 1416 to 1422. On 27 February 1903, the Everett Press reported that the "Herncane Broom Factory of Huntingdon was destroyed by fire last Saturday night. Loss about $1500." Brothers Walter S. and George B. Herncane, who worked with their father at the broom factory, went on to found the Herncane Bros. general store, which stood at the corner of 6th and Washington. The vicinity (but not much of the town proper) has been the subject of repeated flooding, in 1889, in 1936, and again in 1972. More recently in 2004, Hurricane Ivan resulted in major flooding close to Huntingdon, the worst since the remnants of
Hurricane Agnes Hurricane Agnes was the List of costliest Atlantic hurricanes, costliest hurricane to hit the United States at the time, causing an estimated $2.1 billion in damage. The hurricane's death toll was 128. The effects of Agnes were widespread, ...
stalled over the region in July 1972. The Huntingdon Borough Historic District was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1986. St Johns Episcopal Huntingdon PA.jpg, St. Johns Episcopal Church Huntingdon Co PA Shieriff's Office.jpg, Huntingdon County Sheriff's Office 4th and Washington Huntingdon PA.jpg, Mutual Benefit Building at 4th and Washington streets Huntingdon Post Office PA.jpg, Post office From June 8 to 11, 2017, Huntingdon celebrated its 250th anniversary.


Geography

Huntingdon is located north of the center of Huntingdon County at (40.495187, −78.013147), on the northeast side of the
Juniata River The Juniata River () is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed August 8, 2011 in central Pennsylvania. The river is ...
, an east-flowing major tributary of the
Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...
. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the borough has a total area of , of which are land and , or 2.50%, are water.


Adjacent municipalities

The following municipalities are also located in Huntingdon County, bordering on the borough: * Smithfield Township to the south and west, across the Juniata River * Henderson Township to the east * Oneida Township to the north and east


Climate

Huntingdon has a
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Dfa''), with warm summers and moderately cold winters.


Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 7,093 people, 2,674 households, and 1,461 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 2,911 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 94.61%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.93% Black or African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.51% Asian, 0.31% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 1.49% of the population. There were 2,674 households, out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.2% were married couples living together, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.4% were non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.82. In the borough the population was spread out, with 17.7% under the age of 18, 24.4% from 18 to 24, 19.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $35,057, and the median income for a family was $54,621. The per capita income for the borough was $19,070. About 6.3% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over.


Recreation

In adjoining Smithfield Township (across the Juniata River) are the regional headquarters of the Pennsylvania Game Commission (Southcentral Division) and the Bureau of Forestry (Rothrock State Forest). State Game Lands 322 extends north from Huntingdon Borough in the direction of Petersburg. Public parks are the George N. Weaver Memorial Park (ball field and playground) at the end of 16th Street, Portstown Park along the Juniata River, and Blair Field bordering Standing Stone Creek. Historic Blair Park, directly across the same stream, is owned and managed by a nonprofit group; it contains a gazebo and a level hiking and biking trail. A vintage chapel within the park is used by the congregation of Epiphany of Our Lord Orthodox Church. Huntingdon is the nearest town to the Allegrippis Trail system, ranked 15th on the list of "The BEST Mountain Bike Trails in the World."


Rankings

In 2009, Huntingdon was named by ''Budget Travel'' magazine's readers as the 5th Coolest Small Town in the United States. Results were announced on ''
The Early Show ''The Early Show'' is an American morning television show that aired on CBS from November 1, 1999, to January 7, 2012, replacing the original incarnation of '' CBS This Morning'', and the ninth attempt at a morning news-talk program by the n ...
'' on April 15, 2009, by ''Budget Travels editor in chief Nina Willdorf and show host Harry Smith. In 2015, Huntingdon was chosen by ''Niche.com'' as the 7th Best City to Retire in Pennsylvania.


Education


Higher education

*
Juniata College Juniata College () is a private liberal arts college in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1876 as a co-educational normal school, it was the first college started by members of the Church of the Brethren. It was originally founded as a cent ...
(1700 Moore Street)


Public education

* Huntingdon Area Senior High School – opened in 1960 (renovated 2004) – Grades 9–12 (2400 Cassady Avenue) * Huntingdon Area Middle School – opened in 2012 – Grades 6–8 (2500 Cassady Avenue) * Southside Elementary School – opened in 1997 – Grades K-5 (10906 Station Road) * Standing Stone Elementary School – opened in 1999 – Grades K-5 (10 West 29th Street)


Private education

* Calvary Christian Academy – Grades K-12 (300 Standing Stone Avenue)


Public services


Emergency services

* Huntingdon Borough Police Department (530 Washington Street) * Huntingdon Ambulance Services (530 Washington Street) * Huntingdon County Sheriff's Office (241 Mifflin Street)


Health care

* Penn Highlands Huntingdon (1225 Warm Springs Avenue) * J.C. Blair Convenient Care Center (7651 Raystown Shopping Center Drive) * Huntingdon Health & Wellness Association (HHWA) (313 Fourth Street) * Huntingdon Health Care, Inc. (814 Washington Street)


Postal services

* Huntingdon Post Office (401 Washington Street) * Huntingdon Post Office at Juniata College (1700 Moore Street)


Public library

* Huntingdon County Library (330 Penn Street)


Transportation

* Huntingdon station (Amtrak) (Fourth & Allegheny streets)


Water source

The source of the city water for Huntingdon borough and Smithfield Township is Standing Stone Creek, with the water treatment facility being located in the east end of the borough.


Media


Newspapers

* ''The Daily News'' * ''The Valley Log''


Radio

Huntingdon's only radio stations are WHUN WOWY 103.5 FM, Bigfoot Country 106.3 FM, but radio broadcasts from other markets can also be heard:


Television

Huntingdon receives all television programming from the Johnstown- Altoona- State College media market.


Annual events

* Mayfest – historically themed festival covering five city blocks in downtown Huntingdon, held annually on last Saturday of April *
Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It i ...
parade – held annually on last Monday of May (Memorial Day observed) * Hauntingdon – compilation of events leading up to Halloween, such as the annual Halloween parade and trick or treat night *
Veterans Day Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces. It coincides with holidays in several countries, i ...
Parade – during the month of November to honor veterans * Tree Lighting Ceremony – during the first week of December at the 700 block of Washington Street * Christmas Parade – held on a Saturday night during the month of December * Cultural District Walking Tours – free tours provided by volunteers during the summer months


Non-profit organizations

*
Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest Service club, service organizations in the world. The self-declared mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, go ...
of Huntingdon (10305 Raystown Road) * Kiwanis Club of Huntingdon (2506 Shadyside Avenue) * Stone Creek Valley
Lions Club Lions Clubs International, is an international service organization, currently headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois. , it had over 46,000 local clubs and more than 1.4 million members (including the youth wing Leo clubs, Leo) in more than 200 ge ...
(5303 Cold Springs Road) *
The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...
(2514 Shadyside Avenue) * Huntingdon Food Pantry (5th & Mifflin streets) * Huntingdon House Domestic Violence Shelter (401 7th Street) * Huntingdon County Humane Society (11371 School House Hollow Road)


Notable people

* Adaline Hohf Beery (1859–1929), American author, newspaper editor * Stan Belinda, professional baseball pitcher. * Jackson Berkey, composer, pianist and singer, with Mannheim Steamroller * Hugh Brady, military commander * Christina Crosby, author, professor * Joseph Dysart, Iowa farmer and politician * Jean Geissinger, professional baseball player * Chuck Knox, football coach with NFL teams * Dylan Lane, game show host *
Michael Norell Michael Alden Norell (October 4, 1937 – May 12, 2023) was an American screenwriter, actor, and executive producer who starred as Captain Henry "Hank" Stanley on the television series ''Emergency!'', produced by Jack Webb from 1972 to 1978. L ...
screenwriter, actor, and executive producer * Horace Porter,
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
general and US diplomat * Chris Raschka, children's books artist and author * Joseph Saxton (1799–1873), inventor, watchmaker, machinist * Richard Murray Simpson, U.S. congressman * William Rudolph Smith (1787–1868), Pennsylvania State Representative and Senator * Robert Elliott Speer, religious leader * William Andrew Wallace (1827–1892), state and U.S. Senator * George Benjamin Wittick, photographer (1845–1903) *
Curtis Wright Curtis Blaine Wright (born June 6, 1955) is an American country music artist. He first played in the 1970s and 80s as a member of the Super Grit Cowboy Band before becoming a solo artist in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Wright charted three s ...
, country songwriter and former member of Shenandoah * Samuel Zimmerman, businessman, founder of
Niagara Falls, Ontario Niagara Falls is a city in Ontario, Canada, adjacent to, and named after, Niagara Falls. As of the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census, the city had a population of 94,415. The city is located on the Niagara Peninsula along the western bank of the ...


See also

* Huntingdon (disambiguation)


References


External links


Borough of Huntingdon official website

Community website
{{authority control County seats in Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1767 Boroughs in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania 1767 establishments in Pennsylvania