Blairsville Borough

Indiana County, Pennsylvania

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Blairsville Borough Hall is located at 203 East Market Street, Blairsville PA 15717.
Phone: 724‑459‑9100.

Beginnings [1]

On the Conemaugh River, was settled in 1792 and named for Captain John Blair, of Blair's Gap, who was among the first promoters of the turnpike and canal-portage system. The late 1820's and early 1830's were lush days for this region. The canal's western division was completed to Blairsville in 1828, while the eastern section was still being constructed. Pending completion of the latter, the turnpike brought bustle and prosperity to Blairsville. Hotels and warehouses sprang up, five churches were built in three years, and speculators were active. When the canal and portage were opened in 1834, turnpike traffic declined sharply, and idle merchants and innkeepers of Blairsville watched the stream 'pass by on the other side,' but the natural resources of the district saved the town. Blairsville today is a quiet, peaceful, and prosperous town; its chief products are enamelware, coal, stone, clay, and store fixtures; additional revenue is derived from large railroad repair shops.

  1. Writers Project, Works Project Administration, Pennsylvania, A Guide to the Keystone State, 1940, Federal Works Agency, John M. Carmody, Administrator

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