Morrisons Cove facts for kids
Morrisons Cove, also called Morrison Cove, is a unique valley in central Pennsylvania, USA. It is located in Blair and Bedford counties. This valley stretches from Evitts Mountain in the south up to Williamsburg in the north.
The valley is about 10 to 15 miles wide. It sits between Tussey Mountain on the east and a group of mountains on the west. These western mountains include Dunning, Loop, and Lock Mountains. Morrisons Cove is almost completely surrounded by these mountains.
There are only a few ways to enter or leave the cove. These openings are at Loysburg Gap in the south, McKee Gap in the west, and at Williamsburg in the north. The valley floor is mostly flat and has many large, rich farm fields.
Water flows out of the valley in two main directions. The southern part drains into the Raystown Branch Juniata River through Yellow Creek at Loysburg Gap. The northern part drains into the Frankstown Branch Juniata River through Clover Creek.
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Towns and Communities
Morrisons Cove is home to several towns and townships. These communities are important parts of the valley's life.
Boroughs in the Cove
Four main towns, called boroughs, are located within Morrisons Cove:
Townships in the Cove
Seven townships are also part of Morrisons Cove:
- South Woodbury Township, Bedford County
- Woodbury Township, Bedford County
- Bloomfield Township, Bedford County
- Taylor Township, Blair County
- North Woodbury Township, Blair County
- Huston Township, Blair County
- Woodbury Township, Blair County
Even though Claysburg is just over Dunning Mountain, it shares a similar culture with Morrisons Cove.
Transportation and Travel
The Altoona–Blair County Airport is found right in Morrisons Cove. Pennsylvania Route 36 is the main road that runs north and south through the valley. It goes from Loysburg Gap to McKee Gap. Another important road, Pennsylvania Route 866, branches off PA-36 at Woodbury and goes to Martinsburg.
History of Morrisons Cove
Morrisons Cove has a long history. It was often mentioned in old documents and important records from early times. Other nearby valleys, like Wills Creek Valley, were also well-known to the first settlers in this area.
The 1949 Tornado
On May 22, 1949, a powerful storm system hit Morrisons Cove. This same storm also caused a tornado in nearby Altoona. The tornado in Morrisons Cove was rated as an F1 on the Fujita Scale.
The tornado first touched down south of Curryville. There, it knocked down many large trees and destroyed a barn. It then moved northeast, hitting the towns of Henrietta and Millerstown. Several homes lost their roofs, and more barns were destroyed in both areas. One of the destroyed barns was a very old stone barn, about 150 years old.
Near Henrietta, a chicken house, 300 feet long, was picked up and thrown a long distance before it was destroyed. A car was also ruined, and a church had its chimney ripped off and windows blown out. A 17-year-old girl in Henrietta was hurt when a window she was standing near shattered. The tornado ended about 1 mile east of Martinsburg. It downed several willow trees in the Clover Creek and Fredericksburg areas. The damage from this tornado suggests that winds were between 105 and 110 miles per hour.
A map made in 1974 by Dr. Ted Fujita, a famous meteorologist, showed this tornado as an F1. The Fujita Scale measures how strong tornadoes are based on the damage they cause.
