Leetonia, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leetonia, Pennsylvania
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Unincorporated community
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Along Leetonia Road in 2012
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 Leetonia, Pennsylvania
Location in Pennsylvania
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Tioga |
| Elevation | 1,263 ft (385 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP |
17727
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| Area code(s) | 570 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1179132 |
Leetonia is a small, quiet community in Pennsylvania, United States. It is an unincorporated community, meaning it does not have its own local government like a city or town. Leetonia is nestled within the beautiful Tioga State Forest in Tioga County. You can find it along Leetonia Road, between two main roads: Pennsylvania Route 414 and U.S. Route 6.
Several streams flow through Leetonia, including Cedar Run, Slide Island Draft, and Frying Pan Run. Cedar Run is an important stream because it eventually flows into a larger one called Pine Creek.
Contents
Exploring Leetonia's Past
Leetonia has a rich history, especially related to its early industries and the people who lived there. The community was named after an important person who started a business in the area.
How Leetonia Got Its Name
The community was named for W. Creighton Lee. In 1879, he built a tannery along Cedar Run. A tannery is a factory where animal hides are turned into leather. This tannery was about 7 miles (11 km) upstream from where Cedar Run meets Pine Creek, near the village of Cedar Run.
Connecting the Communities
In the 1880s, daily stagecoaches carried mail and passengers between Leetonia and Cedar Run. Wagons also hauled lumber and tanned leather from Leetonia. These goods were taken to the Cedar Run station, which was on the New York Central Railroad line running through the Pine Creek Gorge.
In 1899, a new train line called the Leetonia Railroad was built. This line connected Leetonia more directly to the New York Central line at Tiadaghton. Tiadaghton was about 10 miles (16 km) north of Cedar Run along Pine Creek. Special Shay locomotives, which are designed for steep and winding tracks, were used on this mountainous railway.
A Company Town's Story
In 1903, the Central Pennsylvania Lumber Company bought the land, the tannery, and a sawmill that processed hemlock trees. Leetonia then became a company town. In a company town, most of the houses and businesses are owned by one company. The houses in Leetonia were almost identical and all painted red.
Timber cutting in the region continued for many years. However, eventually, there were very few trees left to cut down. By 1921, the sawmill and tannery had to close. Without these jobs, most of Leetonia's residents moved away to find work elsewhere.
The Civilian Conservation Corps in Leetonia
Between 1933 and 1941, Leetonia was home to a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp, known as Camp S-90-Pa. The CCC was a program during the Great Depression that put young men to work on conservation projects.
Company 328, made up of 193 men, arrived at the camp. They built their own barracks, which are like dorms, and then started working on important projects. Their tasks included:
- Forest conservation
- Making trails
- Protecting wildlife
- Building state parks
After a big flood on the West Branch Susquehanna River in 1936, the men from the Leetonia CCC camp were sent to the nearby city of Williamsport. For 19 days, they helped clean and disinfect buildings that had been damaged by the floodwaters.
