Haydentown, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Haydentown
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Northbound PA 857 through Haydentown
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 Haydentown
Location in Pennsylvania
Haydentown
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Pennsylvania |
| County | Fayette |
| Borough | Smithfield |
| Elevation | 1,125 ft (343 m) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code |
15478
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| Area code(s) | 724 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1176686 |
Haydentown is a small, unincorporated community. This means it's not a city or a town with its own local government. It is located in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. You can find it along Route 857.
Contents
History of Haydentown
Early Settlers and Discoveries
The story of Haydentown began in 1778. A man named John Hayden arrived in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. He had just finished serving for six months in the Revolutionary War. John Hayden was a blacksmith, which is someone who works with metal.
He soon found something very important: "stone coal" (which is hard coal) and excellent iron ore. These natural resources were very valuable. At that time, some Scottish Americans had already settled nearby. Their settlement was first called Hardbargain, then Georgetown.
How Haydentown Got Its Name
Around the same time, some Germans started a settlement called Berlin. The area known as Georgetown later changed its name to Haydenberg. John Hayden officially patented this land in 1787. After that, the community was renamed Haydentown, which is the name it still has today.
John Hayden's Iron Ore Find
About two years after patenting the land, John Hayden made another important discovery. He was digging in a creek bed near the Georges River. He thought he was finding limestone, but when he tried to burn it, it wouldn't catch fire. He took a piece to his blacksmith shop. There, he realized it was actually very high-quality iron ore. This discovery was a big deal for the area.
Land and Legacy
John Hayden was later made a captain of a local militia. This group was formed from the settlements of Berlin, Georgetown, and Hardbargain. Their job was to deal with conflicts with local Native American tribes. For his actions, John Hayden was promised a large amount of land, about 9,000 acres.
However, many land records were lost during the War of 1812. Because of this, the United States Congress never passed a law allowing Hayden to sell or give away all his land. The only part of his land promise that was officially recognized was a piece he gave for a cemetery. This cemetery is now known as the White Rock Cemetery.
Haydentown's Iron Production
By 1910, Haydentown had become a very important place for iron production. It produced more iron ore than even the big city of Pittsburgh at that time. This shows how rich the area was in natural resources and how important it was for the iron industry.
