Where the Loyalhanna Creek joins the Conemaugh River to form the Kiskiminetas River in southwestern Indiana County, Pennsylvania, the town of Saltsburg grew - and was named for - its role in the salt industry from 1798 to as late as the 1890s. Saltsburg's history as a frontier town was built initially upon its place on the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal during the first half of the 19th Century. Like many communities, Saltsburg has a significant railroad history, reflected today by an exceptional rail-trail. The town also has a legacy of surviving the Johnstown Flood of 1889.
Salt
Sometime between 1795 and 1798, a woman known only to history as Mrs. Deemer was boiling water from a spring near Saltsburg. As the water evaporated, she noticed a formation of salt crystals at the bottom of her kettle. Mrs. Deemer's discovery led to the birth of an industry that, over the next few decades, made the Conemaugh-Kiskiminetas Valley one of the leading salt producers in the nation.
Native American Villages
Of course, long before the European settlement of the area, native peoples lived along the rivers and streams. The Monongahela were prehistoric peoples known to have been in the area, and later the Senecas. Senecas invited Shawnee and Delaware into the region, and eventually, those two tribes became much more prominent as Senecas moved out. Many of these people continued to be pushed out of the area due to the Europeans' development and settlement of the frontier. Our surrounding mountains, rivers, and creeks were given names by these people, reflecting what they were, rather than names established as a means for personal immortality.
The Town
In 1816, Andrew and Jane Boggs purchased land at the confluence of the Loyalhanna Creek, Conemaugh, and Kiskiminetas Rivers and immediately began selling lots in the tiny pioneer town. Driven by the salt industry, businesses started springing up - coopers, blacksmiths, wagon makers, stone masons, and carpenters. The location had abundant timber and stone for building and plenty of good water.
Some say the first house was erected in 1819-1820 at the rear of the present Presbyterian Church lot on Salt Street. However, many log cabins were on the site as early as 1800.
The Canal and Railroad
It may be hard to visualize today, but before there were roads, highways, rail lines, and a canal system, it took 3-4 weeks to travel from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh by wagon. Imagine its impact on moving people and goods when the canal's construction made that journey possible in 4 days. The 104-mile Western Division of the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal ran through Saltsburg, connecting Johnstown with Pittsburgh. It was the lifeblood of Saltsburg for more than 30 years.
The canal - an artery of water 28 feet wide at the bottom of the prism, 4 feet deep and 40 feet wide at the water level - cut through Saltsburg in a graceful curve, following near the bank of the Conemaugh River and crossing the town's central streets. Saltsburg's interpretive Canal Park traces the authentic path of the canal. As you visit Canal Park, you'll note that homes along the west side of the canal have "original front entrances" facing the canal or "post canal entrances" facing Water Street.
Canal channels and tow paths, generally 62 feet wide, ran along the river. Mules were led along the canal path to pull the boats through the waterway. Lock #8, a canal boat basin, and a warehouse fronting the basin were located on the northern end of town. An interpretation of the lock can be found at the site at the end of Canal Park, where sign panels explain its form and function.
Eventually, railroad technology enabled the rail system to surpass the transportation efficiency of the canal. Railroad construction began to advance toward Saltsburg between 1845 and 1854. The Pennsylvania Railroad purchased the Saltsburg section of the canal system in 1857. A railroad bridge spanning the Kiskiminetas River - you can still see the piers just north of the Route 286 bridge - and a passenger and freight station were constructed in Saltsburg between 1855 and 1864. The station still stands and functions as the borough offices.
The first rail line through town ran parallel to the canal, as the canal hadn't yet been abandoned. In 1882, the decision was made to move the rails to the dried-up canal bed. With this accomplished, the tracks were laid, and a new station was constructed on Washington Street.
Lock #8 was filled in, and the gates on the north end of the lock were carefully lowered onto the floor, no doubt hoping that they would be discovered someday. In 1989, archaeologists doing exploratory digs on the canal found them. The large, fine-cut stones were removed and used to build the Soldiers Monument in the Edgewood Cemetery at the top of the hill above Saltsburg.
