The Home Page Network

Welcome to our first edition of “Small Town, Big Heart” with Mayor Shane Nickerson. Mayor Nickerson has been looking forward to producing a Blossburg feature that will showcase the ordinary hardworking people of Blossburg doing extraordinary things.

On today’s broadcast, Mayor Nickerson gives us a brief look at the history of Blossburg, Pennsylvania. The Blossburg area was discovered in the 1790s by immigrant workers who were building the road between Williamsport, PA, and Painted Post, NY.

As these workers were carving out the road, they discovered coal. This find is what put Peter’s Camp on the map. Later on, Aaron Bloss would incorporate the Peter’s Camp area as the borough of Blossburg.

The Blossburg area has a rich blue-color hard-working history. The town was built on the salt of the earth folks who made their living through coal-mining. Coal-mining is not an easy job. It took people of character, physical strength, and specific skill to make it happen.

When the railroad came to Blossburg, it enabled coal to be transported by rail to the Williamsport area and Corning Glass in Corning, NY. This reliable transportation of coal created a massive boom in the coal industry for the Blossburg region.

Eventually, the mines went out of business which drastically reduced the population of Blossburg. But, the strength and character of the people here remain to this day.

Ward Manufacturing put roots down in Blossburg as a direct descendant of the coal industry. Whether digging coal out of the earth or pouring molten steel at a foundry it takes a special kind of hard working person to do those things. The people of Blossburg have a rich heritage of dependable, hardworking, dedicated people who love their town and the people who live here. They have each other’s backs as they say.

The main reason The Home Page Network decided to open Blossburg Home Page is the reputation of the people here. The residents of the Blossburg community love and care for each other. The folks here take pride in their town. The family is important here. Blossburg, Pennsylvania may be small these days, but it still has a BIG HEART.