History of Portage
"The etymology of the word "Portage" is from the French word porter meaning "to carry." Noah Webster defines Portage as "carrying something overland from one body of water to another."
Nestled in the mountains of the southeastern part of Cambria County can be found the community of Portage. It is situated on the mouth of Trout Run near the Little Conemaugh River. The creeks and rivers that flow from the Portage area eventually drain into the Ohio River system. These are the Little Conemaugh, Bens Creek, Trout Run and Cain Run.Portage sits on the edge of the Appalachia Plateau. It is an area of many ridges and valleys. Prior to the settlement of this area, there was a dense forest of pine trees along the Little Conemaugh. Nearby on the hillsides could be found an abundance of ash, maple, white oak, and red oak trees. The area also contained hickory, black cherry, hemlock, beach, walnut and birch trees.
American Indians were the first to live in these mountains. In the early 1930s, a rock was found in Portage which bore ancient carvings. Known as the Achannessink rock, it provided a link with the area's Indian past. It is thought that the carvings on this rock indicate that Portage had been the headquarters of the Turtle Clan, a division of the Delaware Indian Tribe.
About 1820, settlements started to appear in Bedford County. These early residents would use Cambria and Blair Counties for hunting. During this early period, this area wasn't readily accessible due to the dense forests and the rugged terrain. The natural waterways and the Indian trails were used by anyone passing through.
Since the commercial and banking center of Pennsylvania during the early 1800's was located in Philadelphia, in the eastern section of Pennsylvania, it appeared advantageous to complete a transportation system that would link the Philadelphia area with the Pittsburgh area. The natural waterway from the Columbia and Philadelphia Railroad existed across the southeastern counties of Pennsylvania, the Schuylkill River, the Susquehanna River, and the Juniata River to Hollidaysburg. In the western section of the state the natural waterway started in Johnstown on the Conemaugh River. It progressed to the Kiskimenetas Rivers and the Allegheny River. From the Allegheny River the boats could progress to the Pittsburgh area and the Ohio River. It was in 1826 that the Pennsylvania Board of Canal Commissioners was given approval by the General Assembly to begin building the Pennsylvania Canal." (2) The railroad soon followed. For further information, visit "The History of Portage".
The former PRR station is now the Portage Station Museum: It is located at: 400 Lee Street, P.O. Box 45, Portage, PA 15946; 814-736-9223
For further information on Portage, visit PortagePA.com . Also, Visit the web site "Two Generations on the Portage Railroad" by Chris Lewie
Map of Portage
The "Portage" Dragging Equipment detector is located at milepost 258.8. NY tower once stood at milepost 259.1 and controlled train movements on several branches between Wilmore and Lilly.The Portage Industrial track was formerly named the "BC Secondary". The track diverges at "NY", which can be reached by following South Railroad Street westward along the Portage Industrial Track from PA route 164.
Signal Masts at South Railroad Avenue. "NY" Interlocking. 12-7-00 Signal Masts at South Railroad Avenue. "NY" Interlocking. 12-7-00 Signal Masts at South Railroad Avenue. "NY" Interlocking. 12-7-00
NOTE: The industrial track was the original alignment of the mainline until 1896. It cut through town and rejoins the main line at "BC" (milepost 256.8). The realignment between "NY" and "BC" shortened the distance but increased the grade to more than 1% (the steepest grade on the west slope).
Photos of the Portage, PA Area
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Looking East. From the Alley Behind the Station. 12-7-00 |  |
Looking west. From the Alley Behind the Station. 12-7-00 |
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Looking East. From the Alley Behind the Station. 12-7-00 |  |
Looking west. From the Alley Behind the Station. 12-7-00 |
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Looking west. From the Alley Behind the Station. 12-7-00 |  |
Looking west. From the Alley Behind the Station. 12-7-00 |
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Looking East. From the Alley Behind the Station. 12-7-00 |
For further information on the history of Portage-Gallitzin as well as the PRR, see the following locations:
- Visit the Portage Station Museum: Location: 400 Lee Street Mail: P.O. Box 45 Portage, PA 15946 814-736-9223
- For further information on Portage, visit PortagePA.com .
- Visit the web site "Two Generations on the Portage Railroad" by Chris Lewie
- Cambria County Historical Society
Photographs are by Chris Behe unless otherwise noted.
(2) from Chapter 1, "The Early Years", publication and author unknown."
