For lunch, we stopped in Hollidaysburg, the county seat of Blair County--about 15 minutes away from Centre County/Horseshoe Curve. We ate an obscene amount of fried food at a restaurant named The Dream (1500 Allegheny St, Hollidaysburg, PA Tel: (814) 696-3384). It was quite good, and we also picked up a bit of the history of Hollidaysburg, PA.
The area where Hollidaysburg, PA is now located was first settled in the 1760's when two Scottish-Irish soldiers Adam and William Holliday settled in the valley. Officially laid out in 1796, Hollidaysburg remained a small group of buildings until 1831 when the PA canal was established in the town. Hollidaysburg flourished as the canal brought many boats through the town on the way to the Allegheny Portage Railroad or up the mountain and further westward. Just after 10 years of the establishment of the canal the population grew from 72 people to approximately 3,000 people.
Hollidaysburg also played a vital part in the Civil War. It supplied the finest high quality iron to the Union army. After the war, the town became a center of business and industry. In 1846 it was named the county seat, and in 1875 Hollidaysburg constructed a new neo-Gothic style courthouse.
The area where Hollidaysburg, PA is now located was first settled in the 1760's when two Scottish-Irish soldiers Adam and William Holliday settled in the valley. Officially laid out in 1796, Hollidaysburg remained a small group of buildings until 1831 when the PA canal was established in the town. Hollidaysburg flourished as the canal brought many boats through the town on the way to the Allegheny Portage Railroad or up the mountain and further westward. Just after 10 years of the establishment of the canal the population grew from 72 people to approximately 3,000 people.
Hollidaysburg also played a vital part in the Civil War. It supplied the finest high quality iron to the Union army. After the war, the town became a center of business and industry. In 1846 it was named the county seat, and in 1875 Hollidaysburg constructed a new neo-Gothic style courthouse.
