Hilliards, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Hilliards is an unincorporated village
in Washington Township
, Butler County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. The village of Hilliards started out as a mill town, known as Hilliards Mills (for the owner of the gristmill) and became known as Hilliards Station when the Shenango and Allegheny Railroad extended a small route to the community in 1876 to provide service to local coal and oil industries. The village of Hilliards became the southern terminal for the line and provided passenger service for the villages of Eau Claire
, Argentine, Annisville, North Washington, Higgins Corners, and Whiskerville until 1935.
Eventually, the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad
would assume control over the line and called it the Hilliards Branch. In the early 2000s the railroad was abandoned and removed. The headwaters of the popular Slippery Rock Creek
is formed in Hilliards, which continues through northern Butler County, then flows through the scenic McConnells Mill State Park
, until it is received by Connoquenessing Creek
in Ellwood City
. Today, the community is much quieter than from the railroad days, but is still serviced by a small church and post office.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Washington Township
Washington Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania
Washington Township is a township in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,419 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 25.0 square miles , of which, 25.0 square miles of it is land and...
, Butler County
Butler County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 174,083 people, 65,862 households, and 46,827 families residing in the county. The population density was 221 people per square mile . There were 69,868 housing units at an average density of 89 per square mile...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The village of Hilliards started out as a mill town, known as Hilliards Mills (for the owner of the gristmill) and became known as Hilliards Station when the Shenango and Allegheny Railroad extended a small route to the community in 1876 to provide service to local coal and oil industries. The village of Hilliards became the southern terminal for the line and provided passenger service for the villages of Eau Claire
Eau Claire, Pennsylvania
Eau Claire is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 355 at the 2000 census. The name means "Clear Water" in French, and the name is pronounced as though it were spelled "O'Clare."-Geography:...
, Argentine, Annisville, North Washington, Higgins Corners, and Whiskerville until 1935.
Eventually, the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad
Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad
The Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad is a class II railroad that operates in northwestern Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio.The railroad's main route runs from the Lake Erie port of Conneaut, Ohio to the Pittsburgh suburb of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, a distance of 139 miles...
would assume control over the line and called it the Hilliards Branch. In the early 2000s the railroad was abandoned and removed. The headwaters of the popular Slippery Rock Creek
Slippery Rock Creek
Slippery Rock Creek is a small stream in Western Pennsylvania, a tributary of Connoquenessing Creek. From its source in Hilliards in Butler County, it flows through McConnells Mill State Park before flowing into the Connoquenessing in Ellwood City. Then, the Connoquenessing flows into the Beaver...
is formed in Hilliards, which continues through northern Butler County, then flows through the scenic McConnells Mill State Park
McConnells Mill State Park
McConnells Mill State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Perry and Slippery Rock Townships, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park features a deep scenic gorge with the restored watermill and a covered bridge at the bottom, accessible by a roadway that winds between large,...
, until it is received by Connoquenessing Creek
Connoquenessing Creek
Connoquenessing Creek is a tributary of the Beaver River, approximately 50 mi long, in Western Pennsylvania in the United States.-Course:...
in Ellwood City
Ellwood City, Pennsylvania
Ellwood City is a borough in Beaver and Lawrence counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Ellwood City is 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh and some 8 miles south by southeast of New Castle...
. Today, the community is much quieter than from the railroad days, but is still serviced by a small church and post office.