Mount Union

Mount Union

Mount Union is a charming borough located along the Juniata River approximately 12 miles southeast of Huntingdon. Mount Union has always offered many employment opportunities for individuals looking to earn a good living, while residing in a place that offers plenty of activities. The area is comprised of rich natural resources like bituminous coal, ganister rock, fire clay, and some timber. At one time, it the world’s largest producer of refractory material (silica brick), with three plants – General Refractories, United States Refractories, and Harbison Walker. The refractory business in Mount Union lasted from 1899 to about 1972, with limited production into the early 1990s. Other industries included two tanneries, a tanning extract plant, coal yards, an explosives and munitions plant (Aetna), foundry, and machine shops. Mount Union was the northern terminus for the narrow gauge East Broad Top Railroad, connecting to the Main Line of the Middle Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad (now Norfolk Southern). The East Broad Top maintained a large dual-gauge yard and coal cleaning plant in Mount Union and supplied coal to the refractory plants. The EBT ceased operations in 1956, but the track is still in place and owned by the railroad.

History

From 1998 to 2010, the Mount Union Connecting Railroad attempted to reactivate the East Broad Top main track through Mount Union and rehabilitate it, but only a couple cars were serviced, and none moved over the East Broad Top trackage. The Mount Union Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994, with 300 significant historic structures, buildings, and homes. The population tally in 1900 was 1,086 which rose to 3,338 in 1910.

Today

One of the most well-known hiking destinations in Pennsylvania, the Thousand Steps of the Standing Stone Trail, is located in the Jacks Narrows about 2 miles west of the town along U.S. Route 22. Additionally, Mount Union is the site of the PA Lions Beacon Lodge Camp, a summer camp for people with visual impairments and special needs, founded by Carl Shoemaker in 1948.

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