Hesston, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hesston, Pennsylvania
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 Hesston, Pennsylvania
Location in Pennsylvania
Hesston, Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Huntingdon |
| Township | Penn |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
16647
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| Area code(s) | 814 |
Hesston is a small, unincorporated community located in Penn Township, within Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It's a place where you can find the beautiful Raystown Lake and the exciting Hesston Speedway. This community was once known by other names, like Pleasant Grove and Grafton, before it became Hesston.
Contents
Discovering Hesston's Past
Hesston has a rich history, starting from when railroads first came to the area.
Early Days of the Railroad
In the mid-1800s, a company called the Huntingdon and Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company was formed. On August 13, 1855, trains began running through Penn Township. This helped connect Huntingdon to Bedford.
How Hesston Began
The land where Hesston now stands used to belong to Jacob Fink and John Peightal. However, it was Andrew F. Grove who built the very first house here. On May 26, 1869, he named the new settlement New Pleasant Grove.
Thanks to Mr. Grove's hard work, the community soon got important services. These included a railroad station, an express office for sending packages, and a post office.
Changing Names: From Pleasant Grove to Grafton
To avoid confusion with other places when sending mail, the Postmaster General changed the name of Pleasant Grove to Grafton on April 14, 1873.
By this time, the village had grown quite a bit. It had about twenty houses, a church, a general store, and several workshops. These included a tannery (for making leather), a wagon-shop, a harness-shop, and a blacksmith shop. There was also a steam flouring mill, a small food tavern, and a shoe-shop.
Industry and Communication Grow
In 1885, a company called Robert Hare Powel & Company built a special track. This track connected their quarries near Grafton to the Huntingdon & Broad Top railroad line. They used it to ship limestone to their furnace in Saxton.
In the 1890s, the first telephones arrived in the village. The Raystown Branch Telephone Company installed these new communication lines.
Community Life and Services
As more people moved to the area, the number of one-room schoolhouses and churches grew. The community also had a doctor who was available 24 hours a day. This doctor traveled by horse and buggy to help people. There was also a midwife who helped deliver many babies.
Becoming Hesston
On June 16, 1925, the Grafton Post Office changed its name to its current name: Hesston.
In 1947, electricity finally came to the village. The Valley Rural Electric Cooperative installed the first power lines through Penn Township, bringing modern power to homes.
The End of the Railroad Era
The Huntingdon and Broad Top Railroad stopped running on March 31, 1954. This marked the end of an important era for the community.
Raystown Lake and New Beginnings
In the 1970s, the Raystown Lake Dam was built. This dam was created to help control floodwaters on the Juniata River. Building the dam meant that many families living in the Raystown Branch valley and on nearby mountain ridges had to move.
More than four hundred graves were carefully moved and reburied. They were reinterred at Jacob's Church Cemetery, Stone Church, and other cemeteries. Today, Raystown Lake is a popular spot for summer visitors. People come to enjoy Seven Points on the lake, various campgrounds, and rental houses in Penn Township. One of the oldest rental properties in Hesston is Aunt Susie's Country Vacations.
The United States Post Office of Hesston has been in the village since 1869. It is currently located in the old general store building.
Quick Facts About Hesston
Here are some helpful facts about Hesston:
