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Nanty Glo is a borough in
Cambria County, Pennsylvania Cambria 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 133,472. Its county seat is Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, Ebensb ...
, United States. It is part of the
Johnstown, Pennsylvania Johnstown is the largest city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,411 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located east of Pittsburgh, it is the principal city of the Metropolitan statistical area ...
metropolitan statistical area. The population was 2,734 at the 2010 census. The name comes from the Welsh ''Nant y Glo'', meaning "stream of coal".


Geography

Nanty Glo is located in west-central Cambria County at (40.472096, −78.834777), in the valley of the South Branch of Blacklick Creek, a west-flowing tributary of the
Conemaugh River The Conemaugh River is a tributary of the Kiskiminetas River in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Westmoreland, Indiana County, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Cambria County, Pennsylvania, Cambria counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The ...
and part of the
Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
basin. Ebensburg, the Cambria County seat, is to the east, and Johnstown is to the southwest. 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 of Nanty Glo has a total area of , of which , or 0.06%, is water.


Demographics

The 2010 census found the population of the town to be 2,734 people. The borough population growth from 2000 to 2010 was -10.5% (down from 3,054 people to 2,734 people). 21.3% of Nanty Glo borough residents were under 18 years of age. Census 2010 race data for Nanty Glo show a racial breakdown of 0.4% black, 0.1% Asian, and 0.9% Hispanic. There were 1,289 housing units in Nanty Glo borough, 91.0% of which were occupied. As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 3,054 people, 1,272 households, and 856 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 1,362 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 99.41%
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 ...
, 0.23%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.03% Native American, 0.03% from other races, and 0.29% 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 0.29% of the population. 15.3% were of
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
, 12.0%
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
, 11.1%
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...
, 9.9% Irish, 9.0% Slovak, 9.0% American and 7.0% English ancestry according to Census 2000. There were 1,272 households, out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.95. The population distribution by age was as follows: 21.4% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $25,500, and the median income for a family was $37,727. Males had a median income of $30,192 versus $20,302 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the borough was $14,184. About 11.3% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.


Notable people

* John Brophy, labor leader * James Anthony "Ripper" Collins, major league baseball player * Charlie Metro, major league baseball player/manager * Boyd David "Buzz" Wagner, first flying ace of World War Two * Levi Swanson, original founder


History

What is now Nanty Glo borough originated in the 1890s and was called "Glenglade." By 1896, the community was a
lumber camp A logging camp (or lumber camp) is a transitory work site used in the logging industry. Before the second half of the 20th century, these camps were the primary place where lumberjacks would live and work to fell trees in a particular area. Many ...
run by Levi Swanson. It contained houses built on both sides of the southern branch of Blacklick Creek, which forms the border of Blacklick Township on the north side and Jackson Township on the south side. A post office opened for Glenglade on November 21, 1894, with Merton A. Davis as the first postmaster. Three Davis brothers took turns as postmaster: Merton A., from 1894 until 1900; Montell, 1900 until 1911, and Everett C., 1911–1916. According to oral history, the town name was changed to "Nant-y-glo" during the term of Montell Davis, through the intervention of Levi Swanson. Glenglade became Nant-y-glo on February 20, 1901. Whether the Swansons' had the small town of the same name in
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
in mind or just thought the melodic-sounding Welsh phrase fit the town is not known. The name of "Blacklick" for the creek that bisects the town and the adjacent township probably means much the same as "brook of coal", a lick being a common synonym for brook and the "black" referring to outcroppings of coal seams on the stream banks and bed. By 1899 the huge coal deposits in the settlement had attracted additional settlers, and 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 ...
installed a spur line through the community that year. Commercial mining was initiated in 1896 by Dr. James W. Dunwiddie of Pine Flats, Indiana County, who opened up what was then called Nanty Glo No. 1. Nanty Glo was described in the 1940 Pennsylvania guide as being "a valley coal town wrapped in a mist of sulphurous gas. Four large
bituminous coal Bituminous coal, or black coal, is a type of coal containing a tar-like substance called bitumen or asphalt. Its coloration can be black or sometimes dark brown; often there are well-defined bands of bright and dull material within the coal seam, ...
mines support the town, which was founded in 1888 as a lumber camp. Rows of yellow shacks extend back from the central mine. Some, flanked by mine heaps, cling to the mountain sides." Heisley Mine (1915) was by far the largest, most profitable, and longest-lived Nanty Glo mine. It was originally owned and operated by Coleman-Weaver Company as Heisley Mine No. 3 until 1922, when Coleman-Weaver dissolved and partner John Heisley Weaver, a
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 ...
industrialist, acquired sole ownership. Colman-Weaver Company also originally owned the mines in Revloc and Colver and launched the Cambria and Indiana Railroad (C&I), which served most Cambria County mines through most of the 20th century. Weaver also owned the mines in Heilwood, Indiana County, which was renamed from Possum Glory to Heilwood after Weaver's nickname, "Heil", from Heisley. Weaver died in 1934, and his company sold Heisley to Bethlehem Mines in 1948. Bethlehem renamed the mine Monroe Mine No. 131 and later renamed it Bethlehem Mine 31 and moved its main entrance from Nanty Glo to Jackson Township (Leidy Portal). The mine closed in the 1980s. Other mines in what is now Nanty Glo and their starting dates included Lincoln (1900); Springfield, owned by the Peale, Peacock and Kerr Company (1907); Emma Coal Company (1909); and Webster, later owned by the Pennsylvania Coal & Coke Company, Ivory Hill, and the Warren Colliery. "House coal" mines on a much smaller scale (selling coal by the truckload directly to homeowners for house heating) included Lorraine, Bech, Johnson, Cornely, Dorsch, Yobbagy, and Ebandjieff.


Schools

Formal education came to Nanty Glo about 1898 with a school opening on what was then the Jackson side of the settlement. Later, a school was opened on the Blacklick or northerly side of the creek. Over the years, there were numerous one-room school houses, and in 1918 a fourth-class school district was established. The first four-year high school class was graduated in 1925. In 1957 the school district merged with that of nearby Vintondale, and in 1967 Blacklick Township became part of a triple jointure to form the present Blacklick Valley School District. The Blacklick Valley Junior-Senior High School (grades seven through 12) is at 555 Birch Street, Nanty Glo. The Blacklick Valley Elementary Center (pre-kindergarten through grade six) is at 1000 W. Railroad, Nanty Glo.


Nanty Glo's churches, hotels, theaters, industries, media, fire company, and public library

The first house of worship in Nanty Glo was the
Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself nationally. In 1939, th ...
, now
United Methodist The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...
, established in 1901. Other places of worship in the community, past and present, include St. Mary's
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
(1902), First
Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
(1913), St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic (1919), Church of God (1920), Christian & Missionary Alliance and Holy Ascension Ukrainian Orthodox (1921),
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. ...
(1922) and
Church of the Nazarene The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged in North America from the Wesleyan-Holiness movement within Methodism during the late 19th century. The denomination has its headquarters in Lenexa, Kansas. and it ...
(1935). In the 1920s, a Kingdom Hall of
Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...
, a Finnish
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
Church, and a Jewish
synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...
were started, all three of which no longer exist. Over the years, Nanty Glo had several hotels, including the Home, St. James, Commercial, and Jackson. At one time Nanty Glo had three movie houses, two of which have been destroyed by fires. The third, the Liberty, is now being remodeled as the Blacklick Valley's historical museum. In addition to coal mining, Nanty Glo had at various times a chemical works, soft drink bottling plant, plastic factory, and a dress manufacturing firm. All of these industries, along with all of the underground mines, have ceased operation. Nanty Glo was incorporated as a borough in 1918, taking in parts of Blacklick Township and Jackson Township. After the city of Johnstown, Nanty Glo was the largest municipality in Cambria County, with a population of over 5,000, for most of the 20th century.


Nanty Glo ''Journal''

Two newspapers have served the borough during its history. In late 1920 or early 1921, a small publication called the Nanty Glo ''Bulletin'' was published. That paper was purchased by Herman Sedloff, a Russian emigre working as a typesetter in New York who moved to Nanty Glo specifically to establish a labor-oriented weekly newspaper. He published the first edition of the Nanty Glo ''Journal'' on May 5, 1921, and continued as its publisher until his retirement in the 1960s. The ''Journal'' continues to serve under new ownership.


Fire department

In 1913, the Nanty Glo Volunteer Fire Company was chartered. That same year, a hand-drawn hose cart with of hose was purchased by the town's governing body, and the fire company remains strong to the present time, having an enrollment now of over 100 members. A ladies' auxiliary to the fire company was organized in 1927 by 44 women of the community.


Nanty Glo Public Library

It was launched in 1980. After outgrowing several earlier locations, it now occupies a spacious former store building at 942 Roberts Street.


Historical society

The Nant-Y-Glo Tri-Area Museum and Historical Society was established in May, 2000, to serve Nanty Glo Borough, Blacklick Township, Jackson Township, and Vintondale. The former Liberty Theater building has been acquired and is now being refurbished to display historical artifacts of the Blacklick Valley. In 2012 the Society acquired the former Nanty Glo News (previously, Hawksworth Hardware) Building and refurbished it as the Liberty Cafe, a nonprofit enterprise supporting the Historical Society. Jim Toth is the project manager and treasurer.


Points of interest

Just one mile north of U.S. Route 22, Nanty Glo is the major entry point to the
Ghost Town Trail The Ghost Town Trail is a rail trail in Western Pennsylvania that runs between Black Lick, Indiana County, and Ebensburg, Cambria County. Established in 1991 on the right-of-way of the former Ebensburg and Black Lick Railroad, the trail fo ...
, a biking and walking trail that traverses much of Cambria County and adjacent Indiana County along former railroad beds. Free parking is available next to the trail entrances on both sides of the Fire Hall in the town center. The Liberty Museum is nearing completion at the former Liberty Theater at the intersection of Shoemaker and Roberts streets.


Cultural references

Both ''Time'' and ''Life'' magazines did stories on Nanty Glo as their prime exhibit for their coverage of President
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
's taking control of the nation's coal mines after mine workers defied a congressional law by going on strike at the height of World War Two. The May 10, 1943, edition of ''Life'' features a photo essay by
Alfred Eisenstaedt Alfred Eisenstaedt (December 6, 1898 – August 23, 1995) was a German-born American photographer and photojournalist. He began his career in Germany prior to World War II but achieved prominence as a staff photographer for ''Life'' magazine af ...
of miners' everyday lives in Nanty Glo. The
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
has an extensive collection of photographs taken in a public works program of the mines and miners in Nanty Glo and nearby mining towns, taken during the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
. The figure of Levi Swanson is heavily praised, as he was the original founder.


Related outlying communities

Students attend public schools in Nanty Glo from Belsano, Cardiff/Nettleton, Twin Rocks, Vintondale, and rural Blacklick Township. Nanty Glo also serves as a major marketplace for Jackson and parts of Cambria Township.


International links

Nanty Glo has close links with its twinned sister town of
Nantyglo Nantyglo () is a village in the ancient parish of Aberystruth and county of Monmouth situated deep within the South Wales Valleys between Blaina and Brynmawr in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent. Governance An Wards and electoral divisions of ...
in Wales.


References

{{authority control Populated places established in the 1890s Boroughs in Cambria County, Pennsylvania Welsh-American culture in Pennsylvania Coal towns in Pennsylvania 1918 establishments in Pennsylvania Keystone symbol