Barnesboro, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Barnesboro, Pennsylvania was a small town, called a borough, located in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It existed for over 100 years before joining with a nearby town.

How Barnesboro Started

Barnesboro began as a large area of land filled with trees and lots of coal. In 1835, this land was given to Edward C. Fisher. Two early settlers, David Ralston and Peter Garman, cleared the trees and sold the wood. Much of the timber was sent down the West Branch Susquehanna River. Logging was a big business for many years.

Later, Daniel Stannard bought 420 acres from Peter Garman for farming. When railroads were built, the area became important for coal mining. Thomas Barnes and Alfred Tucker were key people who opened coal mines there. Other mining companies like Delta, Empire, and Maderia also opened mines in 1893.

Why People Moved to Barnesboro

The fast growth of the coal industry brought many miners to Barnesboro. People came from nearby towns like Houtzdale and Philipsburg. Immigrants also arrived from places as far away as Great Britain and Eastern Europe. This happened mostly from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Many families today still celebrate their heritage from these immigrants.

To help the community grow, houses were built for the workers. This area is now known as North Barnesboro.

Becoming a Town and Growing

The town officially became a borough on May 5, 1894. It was named Barnesboro after Thomas Barnes. By this time, Mr. Barnes had teamed up with Alfred Tucker to form the Barnes and Tucker Company.

In 1898, the Barnes and Tucker Company built the first power plant. This plant provided electricity to both the town and the mines. The town didn't get a good water supply until 1907, after several big fires. A reservoir was built in the western part of town.

What Was Life Like in Barnesboro?

As the coal industry grew, so did the town's business area. It offered many services for the increasing number of people. Barnesboro soon became the main shopping center for Northern Cambria County.

In the early 1900s, a major attraction was the opera house. It offered many nights of fun as traveling groups often visited to perform. A very popular event was the yearly local talent shows, directed by Michael Durkin.

Mining and lumbering were the only big industries until 1930. That year, Phillips-Jones Corp. opened a shirt factory. This factory was an important employer until it closed in 2004.

Barnesboro Today

Barnesboro existed from 1894 until 2000. In 2000, it joined with the nearby borough of Spangler. Together, they created a new town called Northern Cambria.

The local public school district is the Northern Cambria School District. Their sports teams are called the "Colts," and their school colors are black and gold.

The Zip Code for Northern Cambria is 15714. The area code for phone numbers is 814, with exchanges 948 and 951.

Barnesboro was located at 40°39'21" North, 78°46'46" West.

Famous People from Barnesboro

• J. Irving Whalley – A Republican who served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania.
• Joe Maross – An actor.
• Nicola Paone – A singer and songwriter.
• David Wilkerson – A pastor.
• Jennifer Haigh – A writer.