TYRONE
Tyrone is one of the youngest boroughs in the County of Blair, being established on July 27, 1857. The community was named for County Tyrone in Ireland. Legend states that early in the history of the area, John Logan, a resident Native American elder, lived there with his wife, Vastina, near the Big Spring. Vastina was a beautiful woman, but a plague caused her death along with five of the family’s six children. Logan remained in this location for some years.
Jacob Burley was the first White man to build a home on the bank of Bald Eagle Creek. He became a merchant in partnership with Reverend John Stewart. The Pennsylvania Railroad came through what would become Tyrone circa 1850 and, by 1856, the Tyrone and Pennsylvania Railroad operated the line. In 1868, the Pennsylvania Railroad established shops in Tyrone and soon, an ornate train station was constructed to serve a burgeoning passenger service.
In Tyrone, the towering brick smokestacks are a constant reminder of how past and present are intertwined. The borough flourished in the following decades thanks to the growth of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Accessibility to the rails permitted the town’s paper industry to reach new heights. Founded in 1878, the Tyrone Paper Mill became one of the largest such plants in the United States. In 1899, the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company took charge of the facility. In subsequent years, the factory expanded with a chemical division–with ownership shifting to MeadWestvaco, and ultimately, to American Eagle Paper Mills.
Only blocks away, customers are reminded of a sweeter episode of Tyrone’s history. Gardner’s Candies was founded in 1897 by sixteen-year-old James “Pike” Gardner. Before opening a small downtown store, he operated a horse-drawn wagon to sell treats at local fairs and carnivals. Gardner’s gained fame for being one of the first to create a heart-shaped box for Valentine’s Day. Located between the company's candy store and ice cream parlor, a small museum highlights both the candy industry and the history of Tyrone.
The most unusual exhibit showcases a train wreck that occurred on Memorial Day 1893. The Walter L. Main Circus was traveling from Houtzdale to Lewistown when it approached a dangerous stretch of track outside Tyrone. Five miles outside town, the train coming from Houtzdale derailed at McCann's Crossing. Many of the wild animals were killed or escaped into the woods. Five men were killed and many others injured. Tyrone residents came to the rescue of those who needed food and shelter. The circus was reorganized, new equipment was purchased, new personnel recruited, and new animals bought by Walter Main with the assistance of Tyrone people. Locals naturally grew worried when many of the animals were unable to be found at the wreck site. Residents approaching the crash noted boa constrictors dangling from trees and exotic birds flying through the air.
Most famous of all was the tiger that darted into the nearby woods. The creature soon after attacked and killed a cow that was being milked by a young girl. Given this threat to public safety, hunters set out and eventually killed the majestic beast. Tyrone residents turned out in droves to pay tribute to the fallen animals and their handlers as burials commenced. Despite the dramatic loss of life, the Walter L. Main Circus was on the rails once more just nine days later.
The St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936 affected almost all of the business district and more than half of the residential district. Floodwaters ranging from three to sixteen feet roared through the main streets. Recovery began immediately. Channeling of the river and creek has done much to eliminate flooding in more recent decades.
Following World War II, more industry located in Tyrone. In the 1950s, a hospital was constructed. The community continues its progress into the twenty-first century with the ongoing production of paper and confections.
Jacob Burley was the first White man to build a home on the bank of Bald Eagle Creek. He became a merchant in partnership with Reverend John Stewart. The Pennsylvania Railroad came through what would become Tyrone circa 1850 and, by 1856, the Tyrone and Pennsylvania Railroad operated the line. In 1868, the Pennsylvania Railroad established shops in Tyrone and soon, an ornate train station was constructed to serve a burgeoning passenger service.
In Tyrone, the towering brick smokestacks are a constant reminder of how past and present are intertwined. The borough flourished in the following decades thanks to the growth of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Accessibility to the rails permitted the town’s paper industry to reach new heights. Founded in 1878, the Tyrone Paper Mill became one of the largest such plants in the United States. In 1899, the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company took charge of the facility. In subsequent years, the factory expanded with a chemical division–with ownership shifting to MeadWestvaco, and ultimately, to American Eagle Paper Mills.
Only blocks away, customers are reminded of a sweeter episode of Tyrone’s history. Gardner’s Candies was founded in 1897 by sixteen-year-old James “Pike” Gardner. Before opening a small downtown store, he operated a horse-drawn wagon to sell treats at local fairs and carnivals. Gardner’s gained fame for being one of the first to create a heart-shaped box for Valentine’s Day. Located between the company's candy store and ice cream parlor, a small museum highlights both the candy industry and the history of Tyrone.
The most unusual exhibit showcases a train wreck that occurred on Memorial Day 1893. The Walter L. Main Circus was traveling from Houtzdale to Lewistown when it approached a dangerous stretch of track outside Tyrone. Five miles outside town, the train coming from Houtzdale derailed at McCann's Crossing. Many of the wild animals were killed or escaped into the woods. Five men were killed and many others injured. Tyrone residents came to the rescue of those who needed food and shelter. The circus was reorganized, new equipment was purchased, new personnel recruited, and new animals bought by Walter Main with the assistance of Tyrone people. Locals naturally grew worried when many of the animals were unable to be found at the wreck site. Residents approaching the crash noted boa constrictors dangling from trees and exotic birds flying through the air.
Most famous of all was the tiger that darted into the nearby woods. The creature soon after attacked and killed a cow that was being milked by a young girl. Given this threat to public safety, hunters set out and eventually killed the majestic beast. Tyrone residents turned out in droves to pay tribute to the fallen animals and their handlers as burials commenced. Despite the dramatic loss of life, the Walter L. Main Circus was on the rails once more just nine days later.
The St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936 affected almost all of the business district and more than half of the residential district. Floodwaters ranging from three to sixteen feet roared through the main streets. Recovery began immediately. Channeling of the river and creek has done much to eliminate flooding in more recent decades.
Following World War II, more industry located in Tyrone. In the 1950s, a hospital was constructed. The community continues its progress into the twenty-first century with the ongoing production of paper and confections.
