Cabinetmaking
Africa identified Alfred A. Simons as the town’s first cabinetmaker, beginning in 1853 or 1854. His work adds a household trade to a history often told through large factories.
Community History
The Work Before the Brick Plants
Mount Union’s industrial story did not begin with refractory brick. Mills ground grain, tanneries processed hides and tradespeople supplied a growing town. J. Simpson Africa’s 1883 county history records that earlier economy before the later brick industry reshaped the community.
Community History
Water Power and Steam Power
Africa placed a water-powered gristmill on Hill Valley Run in 1832 or 1833, built by the Shaver heirs. David Etnier later owned and enlarged it. The account preserves a date range, so the mill’s beginning should not be reduced to a single certain year.
A second story unfolded on Water Street. The National Steam Grist-Mill began in 1867 under Peter M. Bare. Africa traced its ownership through John Bare in 1869, William Fields in 1870, B. J. Devor and W. H. Allen in 1878. These changes show how an industrial property could pass through several local businesses within a decade.
Two Kinds of Power
The Hill Valley Run mill used water power; the National mill’s name identified steam power. Together they show that early Mount Union industry was not a single plant or a single trade.
Community History
The Juniata Tannery and the 1878 Fire
John Bare established the Juniata tannery in 1859 and enlarged it the following year, according to Africa. Subsequent owners included Hoffman and Faust. A fire in September 1878 destroyed the works, which were rebuilt.
The tannery connected local employment with the processing of hides and the supply of tanning bark. Its rebuilding belongs in Mount Union’s history of industrial recovery alongside the better-known later stories of brickmaking.
Africa’s chapter also discusses another tannery, but gives inconsistent dates for its beginning. That separate chronology needs further checking before it can be added with confidence.
Community History
The Trades Around the Mills
Marble Work
The same account placed C. Stratford’s marble works in 1880. Such smaller enterprises are part of the town’s business history even when their buildings and advertisements are harder to find.
Explore Businesses of the Past · Continue into the brickmaking era · Mount Union history
Add to the Community Record
Have a dated photograph, newspaper clipping, family account or correction? Share it with BrickTownPA. Please include the source and names, places and dates you can identify.
Sources and Further Reading
Researched and updated October 1, 2026. Nineteenth-century histories are attributed to their authors and reflect the period in which they were compiled.