Port Allegany
Port Allegany, McKean County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Travel point since pioneer days, when travelers coming overland from the Susquehanna continued by water from "Canoe Place." The town grew as a center of lumber and tanning industry. Its descriptive present name came into use about 1840.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Where the overland route from the Susquehanna met navigable water, early travelers reached the spot they called "Canoe Place" and continued their journey by boat. The community that took root here grew on lumbering and tanning, industries fed by the surrounding forests, and became a busy transfer point for people and goods. Around 1840 it adopted the fitting name Port Allegany.
Why it matters
The town's story reflects how portage sites and timber industries opened Pennsylvania's northern wilds to settlement in the early republic.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Food & drink
- Subway11.0 mi away · 109 Oswayo Street, Shinglehouse, PA
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Port Allegany
Port Allegany, PA · est. 1948
Where the overland route from the Susquehanna met navigable water, early travelers reached the spot they called "Canoe Place" and traded foot travel for the current. The settlement that grew here thrived on the twin frontier industries of lumber and tanning, drawing on the region's vast forests. By about 1840 it had taken the descriptive name Port Allegany, marking its role as a gateway between valleys.
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