Cambria County
Ebensburg, Cambria County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Formed March 26, 1804 out of Huntingdon and Somerset counties. Its name, dating from Roman Britain, means "Wales." County seat, Ebensburg, was incorporated 1825. Famed Portage Railroad extended west to Johnstown. Birthplace of Rear Admiral Robert E. Peary.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Formed in 1804 from Huntingdon and Somerset counties, Cambria took a name meaning 'Wales' â a nod to the Welsh settlers who came to these highlands, dating back to Roman Britain's word for the land. The county became a crossroads of early transportation when the Allegheny Portage Railroad hauled canal boats over the mountains toward Johnstown. It was also the birthplace of Arctic explorer Rear Admiral Robert E. Peary.
Why it matters
Cambria County's Portage Railroad was an engineering marvel that let the Pennsylvania canal system leap the Alleghenies, knitting the young nation's East and interior together decades before the transcontinental lines.
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Related people
- ¡ Robert E. Peary
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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