Three and a Quarter Million Dollars to Save Twenty Two Seconds

In 1906 the Pennsylvania Railroad replaced its bridge over the Juniata east of Mount Union. The new one runs 668 feet on six stone arches of a hundred feet each, built of the massive cut stone the railroad used everywhere. It took eight months and twenty days and was finished that December. The four span truss bridge it replaced was handed over to automobiles.

It was part of a much larger straightening and rebuilding program between Ryde, in Mifflin County, and Mount Union. In 1907 the Semi-Weekly News of Huntingdon ran the numbers on all of it under a headline that has aged very well: PRR Spends $3,250,000 to Save 22 Seconds.

From the record

Passages about this subject, quoted from county histories now in the public domain. Each one names the book and the position in the text so it can be checked. Spelling is as printed.

It has accommodations on the ground floor for the hook and ladder truck, the Juniata hand engine and steamer No. 1. On the second floor are rooms for the meeting of the borough council and quarters for the fire companies occupying the building. The Huntingdon Gas Company was incorporated on March 14, 1857, and on August 29th, following, began supplying illuminating gas to the citizens. A charter was received by the Huntingdon Electric Light Company on March 19, 1886, and in 1902 the gas and electric light companies were consolidated under the name of the Huntingdon Gas Company. In 1885 the Huntingdon Water Company (Limited) was organized and by the close of the year i886 had its works in operation, taking water for the street hydrants and the use of citizens from Standing Stone creek opposite the east end of Washington street. The works have been improved from time to time until the borough has a bountiful supply of pure water, suitable for all domestic purposes. The Juniata Valley Electric Street Railway Company was incorporated on August 8, 1906, and soon afterward completed its line from the Pennsylvania railroad station over Fourth, Washington, Eleventh and Moore streets to the Juniata College. Cars commenced running regularly over this line on June 3, 1907.John W. Jordan, ed., History of the Juniata Valley and Its People (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing, 1913) · character 218,193 of the scanned text

Checked 2026-08-23 · Historic Mount Union collection

← All stories from Mount Union borough