Jacks Mountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jacks Mountain |
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Jacks Mountain highpoint
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,321 ft (707 m) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Parent range | Appalachian Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Barrville (PA) Quadrangle |
Jacks Mountain is a long, narrow ridge in central Pennsylvania, United States. It runs southeast of another ridge called Stone Mountain. Jacks Mountain helps separate different valleys like Kishacoquillas Valley from Ferguson and Dry Valleys. You can find this ridge in Mifflin, Huntingdon, Snyder, and Union Counties. Part of the ridge even forms the border between Huntingdon and Mifflin Counties.
The mountain gets its name from Jack Armstrong, who was a fur trader in the 1700s. In 1743, there was a disagreement involving Armstrong and a Native American named Mushemeelin. Sadly, Armstrong and two of his helpers died near the Juniata River in 1744. This specific spot became known as "Jack's Narrows."
Today, U.S. Route 22 (also known as the William Penn Highway) and the Norfolk Southern Railway's Pittsburgh Line both follow the Juniata River. They pass through a special area called the Jacks Narrows water gap, which is between Mapleton and Mount Union. Another road, U.S. Route 322, and a former railway line go through the Mann Narrows Water Gap. This gap is along the Kishacoquillas Creek near Reedsville.
Mountain Geology
Mountains like Jacks Mountain are formed by different layers of rock. Just below the top of Jacks Mountain, you can find two main types of rock. The older rock is called the Ordovician Juniata Formation. It's on the northwest side of the mountain. The younger rock, called the Silurian Tuscarora Formation, is much harder. This tough rock forms the steeper southeast side and the very top of the ridge.
Below the Juniata Formation, there's another rock layer called the Bald Eagle Formation. This layer creates a steep step on the slopes facing the Kishacoquillas Valley. Even further down, below the Bald Eagle Formation, you'll find the top sandstone layer of the Reedsville Formation. This rock layer is special because it contains brachiopods and other fossils from ancient sea creatures! The Reedsville Formation makes up the gentler lower slopes of the mountain.
Interestingly, if you look across the Kishacoquillas Valley to Stone Mountain, you'll see the same rock layers. However, they are in the opposite order because of how the land folded long ago.
