2024 Visit Johnstown Visitors Guidev12 spreads for Web - Flipbook - Page 56
Mount Aloysius College
CRESSON WORKERS helped to
fuel the Industrial Revolution.
According to Sr. Anne Frances
Pulling, in her book, “Around
Cresson and the Alleghenies”, the
town of Cresson was a “hub of
commerce when the Pennsylvania
Railroad established headquarters
here with a roundhouse, machine
shops and branch lines.” Besides
railroading, Cresson industries
included lumbering, coal mining,
and coke yards. Laborers resided
in company houses located within
one mile of where high society
had built mansions. The area’s
natural beauty of lush greens
and mountain springs served
as an escape for the Pittsburgh
elite. Several built residences
here including J&L Steel icon,
Benjamin Jones, and U.S. Steel
magnate, Andrew Carnegie.
Many affluent guests, including
President Abraham Lincoln,
visited the elaborate Mountain
House. Situated on a hillside
amongst several mountain
springs and private cottages, the
resort accommodated 900 affluent
guests who vacationed and made
business decisions here. Cresson
is located along the Norfolk
Southern Mainline of the former
Pennsylvania Railroad, making it
a popular destination for railfans!
Cresson is located between
Gallitzin and Cassandra, two of
Cambria County’s train-watching
hot spots.
56 visitjohnstownpa.com
