Natrona, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Natrona is an unincorporated community
in Harrison Township
, Allegheny County
in the U.S. state
of Pennsylvania
. It is located in Western Pennsylvania
within the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, approximately 24 miles (38.6 km) northeast of Downtown Pittsburgh. Natrona is situated along the Allegheny River
at Lock and Dam Four, Pools Three and Four between Brackenridge
, Natrona Heights
, Karns
, Allegheny Township
, and Lower Burrell
.
of Natrona – then known as East Tarentum – was built as a company town
by the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company in the 1850s
.
had a train station
in Natrona at Vine and Federal streets; its rail line began running through the town in the mid-19th century. Later, the Pennsylvania Railroad merged with rival New York Central Railroad
in 1968 to form the Penn Central Transportation Company. The Interstate Commerce Commission
required that the ailing New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
be added in 1969. The Consolidated Rail Corporation
replaced the Penn Central Transportation Company and operated freight service through Natrona from 1976 until 1999 when it was divided between two companies. The Norfolk Southern Railway
then operated trains through the town. Amtrak
has detoured passenger service through Natrona on occasion; its nearest station is Penn Station
in Downtown Pittsburgh.
The West Penn Railways
provided electric street car service to Natrona from 1906 until 1937.
Local factories, beginning with the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company's Natrona Works, also operated trains through Natrona. As of 2011, Allegheny Technologies
uses a track to transport materials between departments at its Allegheny Ludlum Brackenridge Works
.
mines
at Natrona.
is located within the Highlands School District
. Highlands High School
and Highlands Middle School are located in Natrona Heights. Air pollution
levels (particularly chromium
) measured in Natrona area schools are among the worst in the United States.
(1981
) by George A. Romero
starring Ed Harris
used scenes shot on Garfield Street in Natrona (1980) for the movie. Most of the film was shot in nearby Fawn Township
.
(1993
) starring Bruce Willis
and Sarah Jessica Parker
uses a sequence where boats jump over the dam at Natrona; the Tarentum Bridge can be seen just above the dam over Jacks Island, although the structure was added there later through editing. The bridge is officially named the George D. Stuart Bridge
(part of Pennsylvania Route 366
) and actually located about 2.5 miles (4 km) downstream
spanning the river between Tarentum
and New Kensington
.
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 Harrison Township
Harrison Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Harrison Township is a township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 10,461 at the 2010 census. Pennsylvania Route 28 passes through Harrison Township connecting Kittanning to the northeast and Pittsburgh to the southwest. Allegheny Technologies has extensive steel...
, Allegheny County
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,223,348; making it the second most populous county in Pennsylvania, following Philadelphia County. The county seat is Pittsburgh...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. It is located in Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
within the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, approximately 24 miles (38.6 km) northeast of Downtown Pittsburgh. Natrona is situated along the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
at Lock and Dam Four, Pools Three and Four between Brackenridge
Brackenridge, Pennsylvania
Brackenridge is a borough in Allegheny County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, along the Allegheny River. It is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area.The town is named for Henry Marie Brackenridge. The borough once had glass factories...
, Natrona Heights
Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania
Natrona Heights is an unincorporated community in Harrison Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States; it is located in Western Pennsylvania within the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, approximately northeast of Pittsburgh...
, Karns
Karns, Pennsylvania
Karns is an unincorporated community in Harrison Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA; it is located in Western Pennsylvania within the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, approximately northeast of Pittsburgh. Karns is situated along the Allegheny River at Pool 4 across from Jacks...
, Allegheny Township
Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny Township is a township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,002 at the 2000 census. The municipality borders the townships of Harrison, Upper Burrell, and Washington; and the boroughs of Oklahoma, Vandergrift, Leechburg, West Leechburg, Lower Burrell,...
, and Lower Burrell
Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania
Lower Burrell is a city in Westmoreland County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Located approximately 18 miles northeast of Downtown Pittsburgh, Lower Burrell is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area...
.
History
The original villageVillage
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of Natrona – then known as East Tarentum – was built as a company town
Company town
A company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...
by the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company in the 1850s
1850s
- Wars :* Crimean war fought between Imperial Russia and an alliance consisting of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Second French Empire, the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Ottoman Empire...
.
Canal
The Pennsylvania Canal once passed through Natrona and nearby communities in the early- to mid-19th century.Railroads
The Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
had a train station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
in Natrona at Vine and Federal streets; its rail line began running through the town in the mid-19th century. Later, the Pennsylvania Railroad merged with rival New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
in 1968 to form the Penn Central Transportation Company. The Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
required that the ailing New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
be added in 1969. The Consolidated Rail Corporation
Consolidated Rail Corporation
The Consolidated Rail Corporation, commonly known as Conrail , was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeast U.S. between 1976 and 1999. The federal government created it to take over the potentially profitable lines of bankrupt carriers, including the Penn Central Transportation Company and...
replaced the Penn Central Transportation Company and operated freight service through Natrona from 1976 until 1999 when it was divided between two companies. The Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
then operated trains through the town. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
has detoured passenger service through Natrona on occasion; its nearest station is Penn Station
Union Station (Pittsburgh)
Union Station is a historic train station at Grant Street and Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States.-History:Unlike many union stations built in the U.S...
in Downtown Pittsburgh.
The West Penn Railways
West Penn Railways
West Penn Railways, one part of the West Penn System, was an interurban electric railway headquartered in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. It was part of the region's power generation utility.-History:...
provided electric street car service to Natrona from 1906 until 1937.
Local factories, beginning with the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company's Natrona Works, also operated trains through Natrona. As of 2011, Allegheny Technologies
Allegheny Technologies
Allegheny Technologies, Inc. is a specialty metals company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States. Allegheny Technologies is one of the largest and most diversified specialty metals producers in the world with revenue of $3.0 billion in 2009. ATI's key markets are...
uses a track to transport materials between departments at its Allegheny Ludlum Brackenridge Works
Brackenridge Works
Brackenridge Works is a steel mill facility owned by Allegheny Technologies and operated by subsidiary Allegheny Ludlum at Brackenridge and Natrona, Pennsylvania in the United States.-External links:**...
.
Mining
The Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company operated its Natrona No. 1 and Natrona No. 2 bituminous coalBituminous coal
Bituminous coal or black coal is a relatively soft coal containing a tarlike substance called bitumen. It is of higher quality than lignite coal but of poorer quality than Anthracite...
mines
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
at Natrona.
Education
The communityCommunity
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
is located within the Highlands School District
Highlands School District (Pennsylvania)
The Highlands School District is a small, suburban public school district covering Tarentum and Brackenridge boroughs, as well as Fawn and Harrison townships in Allegheny County, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Highlands School District encompasses approximately 22 square miles. According to...
. Highlands High School
Highlands High School (Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania)
Highlands High School is a suburban, public secondary school in the Natrona Heights neighborhood of Harrison Township in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania...
and Highlands Middle School are located in Natrona Heights. Air pollution
Air pollution
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....
levels (particularly chromium
Chromium
Chromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odorless, tasteless, and malleable...
) measured in Natrona area schools are among the worst in the United States.
Knightriders
The film KnightridersKnightriders
Knightriders is a 1981 film written and directed by George A. Romero. It was filmed entirely on location in Pennsylvania, especially in Fawn Township and Natrona...
(1981
1981 in film
-Events:*January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it....
) by George A. Romero
George A. Romero
George Andrew Romero is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter and editor, best known for his gruesome and satirical horror films about a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. He is nicknamed "Godfather of all Zombies." -Life and career:...
starring Ed Harris
Ed Harris
Edward Allen "Ed" Harris is an American actor, writer, and director, known for his performances in Appaloosa, Radio, The Rock, The Abyss, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, A History of Violence, and The Truman Show. Harris has also narrated commercials for The Home Depot and other companies...
used scenes shot on Garfield Street in Natrona (1980) for the movie. Most of the film was shot in nearby Fawn Township
Fawn Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Fawn Township is a township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,376 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all of it land.-Streams:...
.
Striking Distance
Also, the film Striking DistanceStriking Distance
Striking Distance is a 1993 thriller starring Bruce Willis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dennis Farina, and Tom Sizemore as Pittsburgh Police officers pursuing a serial killer. It was directed by Rowdy Herrington and written by Herrington and Marty Kaplan...
(1993
1993 in film
The year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:...
) starring Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
and Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker is an American film, television, and theater actress and producer.She is best known for her leading role as Carrie Bradshaw on the HBO television series Sex and the City , for which she won four Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Emmy Awards...
uses a sequence where boats jump over the dam at Natrona; the Tarentum Bridge can be seen just above the dam over Jacks Island, although the structure was added there later through editing. The bridge is officially named the George D. Stuart Bridge
George D. Stuart Bridge
The George D. Stuart Bridge is a steel deck truss bridge that carries vehicular traffic across the Allegheny River between New Kensington and Tarentum in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.-History:...
(part of Pennsylvania Route 366
Pennsylvania Route 366
Pennsylvania Route 366 is an long state highway located in Allegheny, and Westmoreland counties in Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at PA 28 in Tarentum. The eastern terminus is at PA 66 in Murrysville...
) and actually located about 2.5 miles (4 km) downstream
Downstream
-Science:* In geography, away from the source of a stream or river* In meteorology, away from the source of an air parcel or mass, along the normal direction of water or air flow* Downstream , in computer or telecommunications networks...
spanning the river between Tarentum
Tarentum, Pennsylvania
Tarentum is a borough in Allegheny County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is northeast of Downtown Pittsburgh, along the Allegheny River. Tarentum was an industrial center where plate glass and bottles were manufactured; bricks, lumber, steel and iron novelties, steel billets and sheets,...
and New Kensington
New Kensington, Pennsylvania
New Kensington is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania situated along the Allegheny River northeast of Pittsburgh. The population was 14,701 at the 2000 Census. The mayor of New Kensington is Tom Guzzo , elected in 2009. He succeeded Mayor Frank E. Link , elected in 2001.-History:New...
.
See also
- EnvironmentalismEnvironmentalismEnvironmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
– Natrona has a United States Environmental Protection AgencyUnited States Environmental Protection AgencyThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
SuperfundSuperfundSuperfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
site - Samuel Kier operated salt and oil wells in the 1800s at Natrona.
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
- Natrona Bottling CompanyNatrona Bottling CompanyNatrona Bottling Company is an independently-owned soft drink bottling company in Harrison Township, Pennsylvania that produces a line of soft drinks that uses cane sugar and is packaged in glass bottles...
– a local manufacturer of soft drink beverages - Rachel CarsonRachel CarsonRachel Louise Carson was an American marine biologist and conservationist whose writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement....
lived in nearby SpringdaleSpringdale, PennsylvaniaSpringdale is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Pittsburgh along the Allegheny River. The population was 3,405 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Springdale is located at ....
during her youth.