Scotia, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Scotia was a village in Patton Township
, Centre County
, Pennsylvania
, at 40°47′59"N 77°56′46"W. Although the community was called Scotia, the name of the local post office was Benore (Ben being the Gaelic for "mountain [of]").
It got its start when Andrew Carnegie
, through the Edgar Thompson Steel Company, leased large tracts of iron ore in the township. Small-scale mining had taken place here since the late 18th century, but Carnegie organized a major effort to exploit the deposits in 1880. Ore was removed from a broad open pit, washed to separate it from clay, and loaded onto railcars. The Pennsylvania Railroad
had extended its Fairbrook Branch to the village in 1881, and hauled the ore to steel mills in Pittsburgh
. There was also an extensive narrow-gauge railroad in the pits to haul ore to the washer, and several artesian wells and a reservoir to supply water for ore washing.
Carnegie sold the ore deposits to the Bellefonte Furnace Company in 1899, feeling that they were no longer economical to work and ship to Pittsburgh. Immediately after the sale, the Bellefonte Central Railroad
built a new branch from Graysdale
to Scotia, allowing the ore to be shipped directly to the company's furnaces rather than take a roundabout route on the PRR. However, mining halted in about 1913, and all the assets of the Bellefonte Furnace Company were sold at foreclosure in 1914. The Bellefonte Central abandoned its line to Scotia in 1915, and the PRR in 1927. The village had already been vacated in 1922 or 1923.
There was a brief attempt to revive mining at Scotia during World War II
, and the Bellefonte Central received Reconstruction Finance Corporation
money to built a new branch from Alto to Scotia to serve the new facilities. However, the mine was only briefly in operation before the cessation of hostilities
, and soon ceased permanently. The area is now encompassed by Pennsylvania State Game Lands
No. 176.
Patton Township, Pennsylvania
Patton Township is a township in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 15,311 at the 2010 census, which is a 34.1% increase from the 2000 census...
, Centre County
Centre County, Pennsylvania
Centre County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 153,990....
, 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...
, at 40°47′59"N 77°56′46"W. Although the community was called Scotia, the name of the local post office was Benore (Ben being the Gaelic for "mountain [of]").
It got its start when Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
, through the Edgar Thompson Steel Company, leased large tracts of iron ore in the township. Small-scale mining had taken place here since the late 18th century, but Carnegie organized a major effort to exploit the deposits in 1880. Ore was removed from a broad open pit, washed to separate it from clay, and loaded onto railcars. The Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania 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 extended its Fairbrook Branch to the village in 1881, and hauled the ore to steel mills in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. There was also an extensive narrow-gauge railroad in the pits to haul ore to the washer, and several artesian wells and a reservoir to supply water for ore washing.
Carnegie sold the ore deposits to the Bellefonte Furnace Company in 1899, feeling that they were no longer economical to work and ship to Pittsburgh. Immediately after the sale, the Bellefonte Central Railroad
Bellefonte Central Railroad
The Bellefonte Central Railroad was a shortline connecting Bellefonte and State College, Pennsylvania. Constructed in the late 19th century to haul local iron ore to furnaces in the Bellefonte region, it later hauled freight traffic to Penn State and lime for steelmaking from local quarries...
built a new branch from Graysdale
Graysdale, Pennsylvania
Graysdale is an unincorporated community in Patton Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania, located at .The Red Bank Branch of the Bellefonte Central Railroad, from Mattern Junction to Red Bank, was built through the town around 1887. The branch was built to carry iron ore, the mining of which...
to Scotia, allowing the ore to be shipped directly to the company's furnaces rather than take a roundabout route on the PRR. However, mining halted in about 1913, and all the assets of the Bellefonte Furnace Company were sold at foreclosure in 1914. The Bellefonte Central abandoned its line to Scotia in 1915, and the PRR in 1927. The village had already been vacated in 1922 or 1923.
There was a brief attempt to revive mining at Scotia during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and the Bellefonte Central received Reconstruction Finance Corporation
Reconstruction Finance Corporation
The Reconstruction Finance Corporation was an independent agency of the United States government, established and chartered by the US Congress in 1932, Act of January 22, 1932, c. 8, 47 Stat. 5, during the administration of President Herbert Hoover. It was modeled after the War Finance Corporation...
money to built a new branch from Alto to Scotia to serve the new facilities. However, the mine was only briefly in operation before the cessation of hostilities
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
, and soon ceased permanently. The area is now encompassed by Pennsylvania State Game Lands
Pennsylvania State Game Lands
The Pennsylvania State Game Lands are lands managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission for hunting, trapping, and fishing. These lands, often not usable for farming or development, are donated to the PGC or purchased by the PGC with hunting license monies.The Pennsylvania Game Commission runs a...
No. 176.