Mount Union borough
The darkest day: February 27, 1917
Photograph not reproduced here. The image that goes with this story is held by huntingdoncountyhistory.com and its credit does not permit republication, so it is cited rather than copied. See the original.
February 27, 1917, the deadliest day in Mount Union's history. A coal freight collided with the sleeper car of the Mercantile Express; about twenty people died, including seven members of one family. Relief crews raced down from the Altoona shops, and photographs of the wreck were sold as postcards across the state.
📷 Photo: huntingdoncountyhistory.com
Sources
No source list was recorded with this item when it was written. It is shown here as written and has not been re-verified. Treat it as unverified until it has been.
Checked 2026-07-11 · Historic Mount Union collection