Beaver Falls

Beaver Falls was incorporated as a borough in 1868. The history of the city goes back further than this. General Daniel Brodhead purchased two 400-acre tracts of land known as Black Walnut Bottom and Middle Falls. Brodhead sold his estate nine years later to Daniel Hoopes who wanted to develop the site for industrial use. Hoopes had trouble getting title to the land since settlers said they had title due to an old law involving rights on settlement and improvement. Hoopes ended up purchasing 50 acres of the land from the settlers. It would be 64 years until Brodhead’s title was cleared. Several mills and factories were built on the land and then Isaac Wilson bought the land in 1806 and had the plot surveyed. The village was called Brighton for Brighton, England. The mills and industries failed and the town was dormant until 1829 when James Patterson of Philadelphia bought the estate. Industries were successful under Paterson, but land titles continued to be a problem until resolved in 1865 by the Supreme Court. Patterson sold his Brighton estate in 1866 to the Harmony Society. The society enlarged the town plot and laid out the streets. The name of the town then became known Beaver Falls. Beaver Falls grew and thrived.

Fun facts about Beaver Falls:

Geneva College has been in Beaver Falls since 1880.

-The Harmony Society formed a bank called Economy Savings Institution.

Beaver Falls Cutlery Co. was organized in 1867 by Dr. C.G. Hussey, Gen. Thomas H. Howe and James W. Brown of Pittsburgh.

Beaver Falls Car Works was started in 1878. It manufactured all grades of cars plus did general repair and foundry work.

Keystone Chemical Works manufactured silicate of soda for making soap and stiffening prints starting in 1887.

-In 1880 R.M. Downie invented a steam-drill. In 1882 the Keystone Driller Co. was formed to manufacture the product.

-The town was home to many other companies including: Union Drawn Steel, Ax Works, Shovel Works, Hartman Steel Co., Howard Stove Co., Western File Works and Emerson Saw Works, to name few.

-The Carnegie Free Library was established in 1903 with a grant by Andrew Carnegie and it is still open today.

-The Brodhead Hotel now is the Brodhead Apartments, housing for older adults.

Beaver County Christian School is located in the city.

-Beaver Falls High School football standout Joe Namath played pro football with the New York Jets. In 1969 Namath led the Jets to a victory against the Baltimore Colts in Superbowl III. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.