Clearfield
Item
Title
Clearfield
Creator
Thaddeus M. Fowler
American, 1843–1922
Published by T. M. Fowler & James B. Moyer
American, 1843–1922
Published by T. M. Fowler & James B. Moyer
Date
1895
Materials
Color lithograph
Measurements
19-15/16 x 29-3/4 in. (50.7 x 75.6 cm)
Description
Clearfield was named after the numerous open fields, thought to have been cleared by bison that once roamed western Pennsylvania, that were discovered where what today is known as Clearfield Creek flows into the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. Although the town was first identified as the county seat for the newly formed Clearfield County in 1805, it wasn’t incorporated as a borough until 1840. Lumber was a major industry. As late as 1917 the Susquehanna functioned as the principal means of transporting the timber to market. Bituminous coal mining began in earnest in the later 1860s, and reached its peak in the years just following the Second World War. Although production has dropped steeply since then, there are still a few mines operating today in the Clearfield area.
Source
Palmer Museum of Art, The Pennsylvania State University, partial gift and purchase from John C. O’Connor and Ralph M. Yeager.
Identifier
86.420
Rights
This image is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. Other uses are not permitted.