When the early settlers were deciding upon a name for our town, they looked to the converging geographic features of the mountains and ridges in the vicinity. From the panoramic beauty of this "Union of The Mountains," the community of Mount Union received its name.
"Silica Brick Capital of The World"
In the latter part of the nineteenth century, the discovery of quartzite and ganister rock in the nearby mountains marked the beginning of the area’s fastest growth. These two minerals formed silica: used to line steel furnaces and coke ovens. During the next 50 years, three major brick refractories were constructed in the community:
General Refractories (formerly Mount Union Silica Brick Company)
Harbison-Walker Refractories Company (formerly W. H. Haws Company
North American Refractories (formerly Mount Union Refractories Company and United States Refractories)
When the three refractories were in full operation, Mount Union was the world’s largest producer of silica brick, producing 80,000 to 100,000 bricks a day, seven days a week. American soldiers returning from World Wars I and II told of walking along Paris streets, near the Eiffel Tower, paved with bricks inscribed with the words "Mount Union Silica Brick."
In Great Britain, France, Italy and other nations, Mount Union became known as "Bricktown – the Silica Brick Capital of the World."
Sharrar House
Restored and maintained by the Mount Union Area Historical Society, the Sharrar House, one of the oldest houses in the community, marks Mount Union as an important site on the Pennsylvania Canal.
TODAY
Mount Union, PA is home to several industrial giants, among them....
Bleyer Gift Pack, LLC
Bonney Forge Corporation
Containment Solutions, Inc.
FCI USA, Inc.
Industrial Hardwood Corporation
Mount Union is located ...
• at the junction of Routes 22 & 522
• along the mainline of the former PA Railroad, now Norfolk-Southern Railroad
• at the Northern terminus of the historic East Broad Top Railroad
• along the Juniata River: Pennsylvania’s 2004 River of the Year
• 12 miles from Juniata College and 45 miles from Penn State
• in the Appalachian Mountains of South-central Pennsylvania
• on the border of Huntingdon and Mifflin County
• 29 miles north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike
• approximately half-way between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia
We offer an old-fashioned "Welcome" to one and all ... and hope you will enjoy your stay, whether it be overnight, a few days, or for a lifetime.
More historical information can be found on the Trivia page.