What’s in a Name – Indiana County

Indiana County takes its name from the Indians who lived in the region as it was purchased from the Iroquois Six Nations in 1768 under the Treaty of Fort Stanwix enacted by Thomas and Richard Penn, the sons of William Penn. Its county seat is also called Indiana. Below are some towns in the county and how they got their names.

Armagh

Eight families from the Irish county of Armagh settled in this area and named their town after their former homeland.

Blairsville

John Blair was president of the Huntington, Cambria, and Indiana Turnpike that ran through the center of the town there as it continued to Pittsburgh. The town was named after him in 1825.

Commodore

Commodore was founded in 1919 by the Clearfield Bituminous Coal Company, a subsidiary of the New York Central Railroad. It was named after Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, founder of the railroad.

Clymer

George Clymer was one of the five signers of the Declaration of Independence from Pennsylvania, and when it was incorporated in 1908, they chose to honor one of our nation’s founding fathers by naming the town after him.

Glen Campbell

The town took this name before the late country singer did. Glen Campbell was named after Cornelius Campbell, the first superintendent of the Glenwood Coal Company located there.

Homer City

No, this town wasn’t named for the doughnut-eating cartoon character Homer Simpson; the town has a loftier background. It was laid out in 1854 by William Wilson, who named it after the ancient Greek poet, Homer.

Marion Center

John Park laid out this town in 1841 and named it after Revolutionary War General Francis Marion.

Rossiter

Another coal town, Rossiter was founded by the Clearfield Bituminous Coal Corporation and named for the company’s chief stockholder William Rossiter.

Saltsburg

At one time, this area of Pennsylvania was one of the largest producers of salt in the country. In 1813, one of the salt wells there was yielding 30 bushels of salt a day, hence the name Saltsburg.

Shelocta

Shelocta is an Indian word meaning “Shainee Cabin,” but the town was once known as Sharp’s Mill.

Smicksburg

Lutheran Minister George Schmick purchased land here in 1827 and called the town Schmicksburg. Along the way, it lost the “c” in its name. Although founded by Lutherans, it is known for its Amish community.

By Janice Lane Palko