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History · Saxton

Saxton dates to 1855, and 42% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: old-book passages.

1855founded
0on the National Register
42%homes built before 1940
1famous people
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Photo: Ron Shawley · CC BY 3.0
Quick answers

How Saxton began

When was Saxton founded?

1855

Saxton dates its founding to 1855 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1862.

2020 census: 726171 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1862.The full story ↓

What stands out about Saxton’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Saxton are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Saxton’s homes were built before 1944.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Saxton’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Saxton’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Saxton came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Saxton.

Read it all →

Officially founded in 1855 by James Saxton, the community was designed to be the central hub of the recently chartered Huntingdon and Broad Top Railroad. Despite its remote location, the region had been inhabited for centuries. Before Anglos arrived, Native Americans camped along the shores of the Raystown Branch of the Juniata. They often traveled through the region following the Warrior's Path, a branch of the Great Indian Path that was among the primary north/south routes in the mountains.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Saxton in 1879

Passages that mention Saxton, cut from the printed page as they were published.

Stonerstown is situated in Liberty township where the H, & B, T. R. R. crosses the Juniata, north of Saxton. It has a church, school house and about 40 private residences. On the completion of the railroad its principal business was attracted to Saxton. Distance from Bedford 28 miles.
Farquhar's official directory of Bedford County, Pennsylvania, 1878-791879 · page 24Read the page →
Read the text

Stonerstown is situated in Liberty township where the H, & B, T. R. R. crosses the Juniata, north of Saxton. It has a church, school house and about 40 private residences. On the completion of the railroad its principal business was attracted to Saxton. Distance from Bedford 28 miles.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Saxton, 1855 to 1981

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1855
    FoundingSaxton is established
  3. 1862Post officeThe Saxton post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1981Born hereSandra Fluke is born here
By decade

Saxton, decade by decade

Today6 recent
PA 913 eb in Saxton (1), Aug. 20242024PA 913 eb in Saxton (1), Aug. 2024PA 913 eb entering Saxton, Aug. 20242024PA 913 eb entering Saxton, Aug. 2024Raystown lake Region late Fall - panoramio (44)2014Raystown lake Region late Fall - panoramio (44)Raystown lake Region late Fall - panoramio (40)2014Raystown lake Region late Fall - panoramio (40)Saxton about 19002003Saxton about 1900SAXTON19382003SAXTON1938
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

StonerstownIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Saxton’s history

What year was Saxton founded?

In 1855, according to Wikidata. Saxton’s post office opened in 1862.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.