Ligonier Valley Rail Road Newspaper Articles
We have compiled over 1,400 newspaper articles that mention the Ligonier Valley Railroad, or related subjects. The articles were originally published starting in 1873 and our collection runs through 1995. Enjoy!
Ligonier Echo
Wednesday, January 1, 1908
Mountain Developments
The following story in substance was related to us in the Echo office last Christmas and we give it for the benefit of our readers: A man from the Somerset side of the mountains called and we said to him what do you know about the future of the lumber, coal and railroad industries of the mountain? There isn't much news in that line he remarked, but you know of course that all the timber on the Byers-Allen tract has been cut and all taken away but about forty cars of logs which I heard will not be brought down to the mill at Ligonier until next spring. Said he, I have also been told that the lumber mill at Ligonier will not be torn down, but arrangements will be make to have the timber of the mountain tract recently bought by the Blair Co., of Indiana county, from Seger Bros., of Ligonier, brought down the P. W. & S. railroad and cut on the mill at Ligonier. A branch road is being completed from this extensive timber tract to intersect with the P. W. & S. on the mountain top. The timber on the Indian Creek tract can also be brought to market the same way. As to the coal along the line of the P. W. & S. on the mountain it has not been a success.
He also said that he has information that leads to the belief that in the near future, the P. W. & S. or a branch of it will be built from Rector in Ligonier township up along the Loyalhanna creek to intersect with the road-bed of the south Penn. near Kregar, Donegal township, and take the line of the South Penn from there to Somerset. The P. W. & S.
now uses part of the grade of the South Penn. Going this way to Somerset, a much better country would be traversed and an easier grade by far obtained across the mountain. This would give an outlet to all the timber and coal along the mountain from Rector to Kregar and would bring a railroad near to Weaver's Mills, Harold, Stahlstown, Donegal, Jones' Mills and that section of the valley and would bring to market large quantities of timber, rock, coal and farm products.
Finally connection might be made with the Indian Creek railroad that has been recently built in Fayette county. There are large resources in these sections that only need a market for their proper development.