Somerset County, the sixth in size in the state of Pennsylvania has an area of 1002 sq. miles. It is situated in the southwestern part of the state, almost entirely on the west slope of the secondary axis of North America and belongs to the Mississippi Basin through the Susquehanna and Monongahela basins. This region of territory was first traversed by the tribe of Indians known as the “Six Nations.” At an early period in our history the Indian chief Nemicolon was commissioned to lay out a route from where Pittsburg now stands to what is now Cumberland Maryland. In so doing he traversed part of Somerset County, laying farthest to the south, and established a post at what is now Somerfield Addison Twp. This path was long used as the only important trail across the mountains.
This tribe of Indians ceded Somerset County together with other territory to an Englishman named Forbes; but at the breaking out of an Indian insurrection it was reoccupied by the Indians. In this way it was ceded and taken a number of times, when in 1754 Thomas and Richard Penn paid 10,000 pounds for a tract of land embracing Somerset County. The general belief to-day is that the first white settlement made in Somerset County was in what is now known as the Turkey Foot district.
It was made by followers of Roger Williams. Admitting this the next settlement was more early in the center of the county in what is now known as Brothers Valley township, by a people of Scotch Irish extraction. From this seen sprang the christian denomination known as the “Brethren”. Settlements began to multiply and by the close of the century wat is now Somerset County was organized into a county called Bedford, including what is now Bedford county.
In 1794, April 17 the state legislature passed a bill creating Somerset county. In the same year a commission was appointed, to select a location for a courthouse in one of the three small towns- Meyersdale, Berlin, or Somerset. The site reported was in Somerset borough, the present site of the bar of justice. From such a beginning the county has grown and developed.
The county is mountainous throughout, having the Laurel Hill mountains on the West and the Allegheny mountains on the East. In the southern part of the county are the Negro mountains. The county is drained chiefly two rivers, Youghiogheny and the Conemaugh. The tributaries of the Youghiogheny are - Casselman river, Laurel Hill creek, Middle creek, Coxe’s creek, of the Conemaugh – Stony creek, Quenialioning creek and Shade creek. The county is underlaid with coal, ore, and limestone, in great abundance, and a strata of millstone rock and petroleum. The winters are often severe. The summers are warm. The climate is very healthful much of which is due to the excellence of the waters and the purity of the air.
There are two large Sanitariums within the county – Markleton, and Highlands Inn. The streams abound in fish such as speckled Trout and Bass. The streams also furnish much power for operating saw and grist mills, woolen mills and dynamos. These streams are not navigable. The B.&O. R. R. passes through the southern part of the
In 1894 the town of Listie was founded in the center of a mining district, later in 1896 the new town of Berwind was laid out in the heart of the coal fields in the northern part of the county. It is probably that mining will develop in extent of area as railroad facilities increase.
Along the east slope of Coxe’s creek are quarried and slipped large quantities of sandstone used for building purposes. Especially used in cities for cobble stones and by the railroads for abutments. In the districts along the valleys and away from the mountains are farming communities in which are many thrifty farmers, who depend for a livelihood upon dairy products, stock raising and grain growing.
There are 26 townships and 16 boroughs, in the county, of these boroughs three – Somerset, Berlin and Meyersdale, have each about 2,000 inhabitants. Somerset situated on the Somerset and Cambria R.R. and on the Mt. Pleasant overland route, is the county seat. It has five Hotels, five churches, two school buildings, one opera house and one court house and a fine jail. The town is well equipped with electric lights and water works.
Meyersdale, the metropolis of the county is southeast of the county seat, 20 miles, and is situated on the B.&O. R.R., in the heart of a farming and mining district. It contains ten beautiful churches, five hotels, an opera house, a very fine school building and many fine residences. Confluence in the south of the county, at the junction of the Casselman, Laurel Hill and Youghiogheny rivers, contains a large armery employing several hundred men. Other leading boroughs are Rockwood, Urisa, Salisburg, Berlin, Stoystown, Hooversville, and New Centerville. The population of the county is about 40,000 people. It has a very small foreign element. Its schools which number about 300 are not up to modern times. The average term is 6 mo. There is no High School in the county.