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TWENTIETH CENTURY HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS by Roland D. Swoope, Jr. Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, 1911
CHAPTER XIV.
HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD BOROUGH.
The early history of Clearfield is contained in a former chapter and in this article we will refer only to the history of the town since its incorporation as a borough, by an Act of Assembly approved the 21st day of April, A. D. 1840, which may be found in the Pamphlet Laws of Pennsylvania for the year 1840, at page 734.
The boundaries of the borough, as given in said Act, are as follows:
"Beginning at a point on the Susquehanna river about sixty feet south of Walnut street, thence east until it strikes the West line of Hugh Levy's out-lot so as to include the houses and lots now occupied by Dr. H. Lorain and John Powell, thence north along said lot of Hugh Levy until it again strikes Walnut street, thence east along the southern edge of Walnut street to Fourth street, thence north along the eastern edge of Fourth street to Pine street, thence west along the northern edge of Pine street to the Susquehanna river, and along said river by its several courses to the place of beginning, to include t he town of Clearfield, as at first laid out, according to the plan thereof, and the two lots south of said town now occupied by said Dr. H. Lorain and John Powell, as above described."
The boundaries of the borough have been enlarged from time to time, and it now contains four wards and includes the former borough of West Clearfield and the borough limits now cover a territory nearly two miles long by one mile wide on both sides of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. When the town was originally laid out, Abraham Witmer donated certain lands for public buildings, and also two triangular pieces of land bordering on the river to be used as public parks. These parks have been beautified by the planting of shade trees and add greatly to the appearance of the town.
Having the advantage of being the county seat, Clearfield has rapidly grown in population and wealth, and many fine business blocks and beautiful private residences have been erected.
Aside from the public buildings belonging to the county to which reference has been made in a former chapter, the Dimeling Hotel, Clearfield National Bank block, the County National Bank building, the Clearfield Trust Company building, the Keystone block and Leitzinger Brothers store building are the principal business buildings in the town and are all of modern architecture and fully up- to-date in every respect.
The town has eight churches, a Young Men's Christian Association building and organization, several fine school buildings, two daily and four weekly newspapers, several miles of brick paved streets, gas and electric light, a public steam heating plant and a splendid supply of pure mountain water.
Next to DuBois, Clearfield is the most populous town in the county, it having, according to the census of 1910, 6,851 inhabitants.
The railroad facilities are of the very best, the town being reached by three, to-wit: - The Tyrone division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Beech Creek division of the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad, and the Buffalo, Rochester Pittsburg Railway, over which latter road, trains of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad are also transported.
By means of these railroad connections, Clearfield is within three hundred miles by rail of Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Buffalo, Rochester, Baltimore and Washington.
The principal manufacturing establishments are the two large fire brick plants of the Harbison-Walker Refractories Co., the large sole leather tannery of the Elk Tanning Company, the Clearfield Toy Works, the Clearfield Manufacturing Company, the Clearfield Machine Shops, and the Clearfield Clay Working Company.
The social side of life is not neglected by the people of Clearfield. The Dimeling Hotel contains a fine ball room and the citizens of Clearfield and Curwensville maintain the Clearfield-Curwensville Country Club, whose grounds, club house, and golf links are situated at Centre, half way between Clearfield and Curwensville.
The citizens of the town are progressive and awake to all the interests of their community, and Clearfield is in many respects typical of the results of the best efforts of American citizenship.
Sanborn Insurance Map of Clearfield Borough 1887
The Dimeling Hotel 2009
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