Spangler, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Spangler, Pennsylvania was a town, since merged, and former borough
located in the northwest corner of Cambria County, Pennsylvania
, United States
. It is nestled in the valley of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River
between hills of the Appalachian Mountains
of the Eastern United States
. The area was first settled by Europeans in the early-to-middle 19th century. The presence of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River
allowed loggers to move their harvest down river. Small farms developed and the town came into existence in 1893 when bitumenous coal mining
of extensive coal fields in the area became the dominant industry. The mining companies required skilled workers and many came from Great Britain
and Eastern Europe
. Railroads were built to transport the coal and the town flourished from economic activity.
to create the Borough of Northern Cambria
. The local public school district is the Northern Cambria School District
, whose athletic teams play under the nickname "Colts" and wear black and gold as the school colors. The current zip code of Northern Cambria is 15714.
Spangler is located at 40°39'21" North, 78°46'46" West (40.655813, -78.779472).
is from Spangler, Pennsylvania
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
located in the northwest corner of Cambria County, Pennsylvania
Cambria County, Pennsylvania
Cambria County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It comprises the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 143,679....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is nestled in the valley of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
between hills of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
of the Eastern United States
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
. The area was first settled by Europeans in the early-to-middle 19th century. The presence of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River
West Branch Susquehanna River
The West Branch Susquehanna River is one of the two principal branches, along with the North Branch, of the Susquehanna River in the northeastern United States. The North Branch, which rises in upstate New York, is generally regarded as the extension of the main branch, with the shorter West Branch...
allowed loggers to move their harvest down river. Small farms developed and the town came into existence in 1893 when bitumenous coal mining
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,...
of extensive coal fields in the area became the dominant industry. The mining companies required skilled workers and many came from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
. Railroads were built to transport the coal and the town flourished from economic activity.
1922 mining disaster
A mining disaster occurred on November 6, 1922 at Reilly No. 1 Mine. 79 miners were killed when an explosion occurred at 7:20 a.m. as 112 men had begun work. The explosion blew out some stoppings and overcasts and also the side and end walls of the fan housing. Help was called from other mines and from the Bureau of Mines at Pittsburgh. The fan housing was patched and the fan started, making the concrete-lined, 112 foot shaft an intake. Recovery workers without apparatus encountered a live man making his way out to fresh air and brought him and four others out. All were badly affected by mine gases, as were 18 of the rescuers. Apparatus crews were then admitted, and 22 other survivors were rescued. Five other men made their way out unassisted. Seventy-six bodies were found, and three of the rescued men died. The reasons for the explosion were explained. The mine had been rated gaseous in 1918, but at the insistence of the new operators it was rated as non-gaseous although a fireboss was employed and men burned by gas on at least four occasions. The low-volatile dust of the coal helped to spread the explosion. Gas that had accumulated in one or more rooms through open doors and deficient ventilation was ignited by the miners' open lights. Fireboss examinations were neglected and incomplete. A monument constructed to the memory of those lost in this disaster stands in a park near the center of the town.Town planning
Because the town of Spangler was laid out with only one main street close to the Susquehanna's riverbed and only one to three parallel streets the town adopted the motto: "The Longest Little Town in the World". Spangler existed from 1893 until January 1, 2000 when it merged with the adjacent borough of BarnesboroBarnesboro, Pennsylvania
Barnesboro, Pennsylvania was a borough located in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, USA. The area was first settled by Europeans in the early-to-middle 19th century. The presence of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River allowed loggers to move their harvest down stream...
to create the Borough of Northern Cambria
Northern Cambria, Pennsylvania
Northern Cambria is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, USA. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,199 at the 2000 census....
. The local public school district is the Northern Cambria School District
Northern Cambria School District
The Northern Cambria School District is a public school district located in northwestern Cambria County in Pennsylvania. It geographically comprises the borough of Northern Cambria and the townships of Barr and Susquehanna....
, whose athletic teams play under the nickname "Colts" and wear black and gold as the school colors. The current zip code of Northern Cambria is 15714.
Spangler is located at 40°39'21" North, 78°46'46" West (40.655813, -78.779472).
Notable residents
Film Director Chris ColumbusChris Columbus (filmmaker)
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Columbus is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Columbus had his largest success with the first two films in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, along with Home Alone, the last...
is from Spangler, Pennsylvania