Saxton, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Saxton, Pennsylvania
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Borough
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6th Street (PA 913) looking north in Saxton
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Location of Saxton in Bedford County, Pennsylvania.
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 Saxton, Pennsylvania
Location in Pennsylvania
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Bedford |
| Settled | 1855 |
| Incorporated | 1867 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Borough Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.41 sq mi (1.05 km2) |
| • Land | 0.41 sq mi (1.05 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,716 ft (523 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 726 |
| • Estimate
(2021)
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718 |
| • Density | 1,677.34/sq mi (646.96/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Zip code |
16678
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| Area code(s) | 814 |
| FIPS code | 42-68072 |
Saxton is a small town, also called a borough, located in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, United States. In 2020, about 726 people lived there.
Where is Saxton?
Saxton is in the northwestern part of Bedford County. It's nestled in a place called Woodcock Valley. The town sits along the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River. Locals often call this river "The River." It helps supply Saxton with drinking water. This river flows into Raystown Lake just north of the town.
To the east of Saxton, you'll see Saxton Mountain, a small, steep ridge. Beyond it is the Broad Top plateau. About a mile west of Saxton is Tussey Mountain, which stretches from south to north.
Saxton is next to the community of Stonerstown on its western side. Pennsylvania Route 913 goes through Saxton. This road leads west through Stonerstown to Pennsylvania Route 26. It also goes east to Broad Top City. Using PA-26, it's about 22 miles (35 km) south to Everett and 27 miles (43 km) north to Huntingdon.
The United States Census Bureau says Saxton covers a total area of 1.05 square kilometers (0.41 square miles). All of this area is land.
Saxton's Past
Saxton was officially started in 1855 by James Saxton. However, people have lived in this area for hundreds of years. Long before European settlers arrived, Native Americans used to camp along the river here. As the United States grew, more settlers built homes, farms, and mills in the valley.
The region had a lot of bituminous coal. Because of this, a railroad was built to transport the coal. Saxton became a central point for the Huntingdon and Broad Top Railroad (H&BT). For nearly 100 years, coal was shipped from Saxton to places like Bedford, Huntingdon, and Everett. From there, it went to big industrial cities like Pittsburgh or Baltimore.
The busy railroad brought many workers and their families to Saxton. In its busiest times, Saxton had a bowling alley, a toy factory, a candy factory, and even a 7 Up bottling plant! There were also many other businesses, like a pig iron furnace, coke ovens, a tannery, and brickyards.
However, this good time didn't last. After World War II, the coal mines started to run out. This, along with an economic slowdown in 1949, caused the railroad to close in 1955. Many of the railroad's buildings were left empty and slowly fell apart.
Saxton was also home to the Saxton Nuclear Generating Station. This was the fourth nuclear power plant in the United States, opening in 1961. It was an important test site for using plutonium for peaceful purposes. It also tested cooling methods that could help prevent meltdowns, like the one at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011. The plant stopped operating in 1972, and its radioactive core was removed in 2005.
Saxton's Population
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 318 | — | |
| 1880 | 369 | 16.0% | |
| 1890 | 712 | 93.0% | |
| 1900 | 937 | 31.6% | |
| 1910 | 1,195 | 27.5% | |
| 1920 | 1,165 | −2.5% | |
| 1930 | 1,128 | −3.2% | |
| 1940 | 1,152 | 2.1% | |
| 1950 | 1,093 | −5.1% | |
| 1960 | 977 | −10.6% | |
| 1970 | 858 | −12.2% | |
| 1980 | 814 | −5.1% | |
| 1990 | 838 | 2.9% | |
| 2000 | 803 | −4.2% | |
| 2010 | 736 | −8.3% | |
| 2020 | 726 | −1.4% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 718 | −2.4% | |
| Sources: | |||
The population of Saxton has changed over the years. In 1870, there were 318 people. The population grew quite a bit around the turn of the century, reaching over 1,100 people in 1910. Since then, the number of people living in Saxton has slowly decreased. In 2020, the population was 726.
According to the 2000 census, there were 803 people living in Saxton. Most of the people were White. About 27.5% of homes had children under 18 living there. The average age of people in Saxton was 38 years old. About 24.2% of the population was under 18.
Famous People from Saxton
- Billy Clapper, a head coach for men's basketball at Penn State Altoona.
- Justin Jordan, a writer and creator of comic books.
See also
In Spanish: Saxton (Pensilvania) para niños
