Juniata River
Encyclopedia
The Juniata River is a tributary
of the Susquehanna River
, approximately 104 miles (167.4 km) long, in central Pennsylvania
in the United States
. The river is considered scenic along much of its route, having a broad and shallow course passing through several mountain ridges and steeply-lined water gap
s. It formed an early 18th-century frontier region in Pennsylvania and was the site of Native American
attacks against white settlements during the French and Indian War
. The watershed of the river encompasses an area of approximately 3400 square miles (8,806 km²), approximately one-eighth of the drainage area of the Susquehanna. Approximately two-thirds of the watershed is forest
ed. It is the second largest tributary of the Susquehanna after the West Branch Susquehanna
.
at the confluence of the Frankstown Branch
and the Little Juniata River
, between the boroughs of Alexandria
and Petersburg
. The river flows southeast through Huntingdon
and continues to the small village of Ardenheim
, where the Raystown Branch
, the longest of the Juniata's tributaries, enters from the southwest. The Juniata continues southeast, through a gap in the Jacks Mountain
ridge. On the southeast side of the ridge it receives Aughwick Creek
from the south, then flows northeast, along the eastern flank of the Jacks Mountain ridge to Lewistown
, where it collects Kishacoquillas Creek
and Jacks Creek. From Lewistown it flows southeast, in a winding course, receiving Tuscarora Creek from the south and passing through a gap in the Tuscarora Mountain
ridge. The Juniata River is joined by three creeks in Millerstown
in northeast Perry County. It receives Cocolamus Creek 0.7 miles (1.1 km) southeast, Raccoon Creek 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) southeast, and Wildcat Run Creek 2.8 miles (4.5 km) southeast of Millerstown. It receives Buffalo Creek
0.9 miles (1.4 km) northwest of Newport
and joins the Susquehanna just east of Duncannon
, approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) northwest of Harrisburg
.
's museum.
Indians. The valley was later inhabited by the Lenape
until a treaty negotiated by William Penn
opened the land to east of the Allegheny Ridge
to white settlement. In 1755-1756, as a result of Lenape anger over loss of their lands, the white settlement in the valley suffered fierce raids and abductions from Lenape and Shawnee
at Kittanning
on the Allegheny River
. Over 3,000 white settlers were killed in the raids. The burning of Fort Granville
at present-day Lewistown
in 1756 prompted Pennsylvania governor John Penn
to launch a reprisal against the Lenape and Shawnee led by Lt. Col. John Armstrong, who burned Kittanning in September 1756.
During the 19th century, the river was paralleled by the Juniata Division Canal
, part of the canal system of Pennsylvania and a rival to the Erie Canal
. The state sold the canal to the Pennsylvania Railroad
, which abandoned the canal in 1889 after severe flood
ing. Parts of the original locks from the canal, as well as remnants of a dam approximately 1 mile (2 km) south of Millerstown
, are still visible today.
The river is a popular destination for recreational canoe
ing and fly fishing
, in particular for smallmouth bass
and channel catfish
suited to the river's gentle course. The muskellunge
was introduced as predatory sport fish and is now a prized catch. Attempts are underway by the state to reintroduce the once-prevalent American shad
, which went into decline largely because of dams on the river. Walleye
is another game fish prevalent in the Juniata River.
The National Book Award and Pulitzer prize-winning poet Galway Kinnell
wrote of the river in a section of The Book of Nightmares (1971), entitled "Dear Stranger, Extant in Memory by the Blue Juniata".
The river cuts through several southwest-to-northeast ridges, largely of sandstone
between limestone
valley floors. Several of the river's tributaries, including Kishacoquillas Creek
, are degraded by pollution
, but the main stem of the river is considered fairly clean by regional standards. Only two towns with approximately 10,000 people or more, namely Altoona
and Lewistown
, lie within the watershed of the river. Steep slopes along much of the river's course have largely discouraged widespread development.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
, approximately 104 miles (167.4 km) long, in central Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The river is considered scenic along much of its route, having a broad and shallow course passing through several mountain ridges and steeply-lined water gap
Water gap
A water gap is an opening or notch which flowing water has carved through a mountain range. Water gaps often offer a practical route for road and rail transport to cross mountain ridges.- Geology :...
s. It formed an early 18th-century frontier region in Pennsylvania and was the site of Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
attacks against white settlements during the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. The watershed of the river encompasses an area of approximately 3400 square miles (8,806 km²), approximately one-eighth of the drainage area of the Susquehanna. Approximately two-thirds of the watershed is forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
ed. It is the second largest tributary of the Susquehanna after the West Branch Susquehanna
West Branch Susquehanna River
The West Branch Susquehanna River is one of the two principal branches, along with the North Branch, of the Susquehanna River in the northeastern United States. The North Branch, which rises in upstate New York, is generally regarded as the extension of the main branch, with the shorter West Branch...
.
Description
The Juniata River forms in western Huntingdon CountyHuntingdon County, Pennsylvania
Huntingdon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. In 2010, its population was 45,913.Huntingdon County was created on September 20, 1787, from part of Bedford County. Its county seat is Huntingdon.-Geography:According to the U.S...
at the confluence of the Frankstown Branch
Frankstown Branch Juniata River
The Frankstown Branch Juniata River is a tributary of the Juniata River in Blair County, Pennsylvania, in the United States.The headwater tributaries of the Frankstown Branch rise on the slopes of the Allegheny Front south of Altoona...
and the Little Juniata River
Little Juniata River
]The Little Juniata River, sometimes called the "Little J," is a river in central Pennsylvania. It is a tributary of the Juniata River in the Susquehanna River watershed. It is formed at Altoona by the confluence of several short streams...
, between the boroughs of Alexandria
Alexandria, Pennsylvania
Alexandria is a borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 401 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
and Petersburg
Petersburg, Pennsylvania
Petersburg is a borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was a stop on the former Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line between Tyrone and Huntingdon and the junction point for the Petersburg Branch...
. The river flows southeast through Huntingdon
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
Huntingdon is a borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Huntingdon County. It is located along the Juniata River, west of Harrisburg, about halfway between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, in an agricultural and fruit-growing region, with valuable forests and deposits of...
and continues to the small village of Ardenheim
Ardenheim, Pennsylvania
Ardenheim is a village in Henderson Township, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania about 4 miles east of Huntingdon. This village is where the Raystown Branch and Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River meet...
, where the Raystown Branch
Raystown Branch Juniata River
The Raystown Branch Juniata River is the largest and longest tributary of the Juniata River in south-central Pennsylvania in the United States....
, the longest of the Juniata's tributaries, enters from the southwest. The Juniata continues southeast, through a gap in the Jacks Mountain
Jacks Mountain
Jacks Mountain is a stratigraphic ridge in central Pennsylvania, United States, trending southeast of the Stone Mountain ridge and Jacks Mountain Anticline. The ridge line separates Kishacoquillas Valley from the Ferguson and Dry Valleys...
ridge. On the southeast side of the ridge it receives Aughwick Creek
Aughwick Creek
Aughwick Creek is a tributary of the Juniata River in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, in the United States.Aughwick Creek, born from the confluence of Little Aughwick Creek and Sideling Hill Creek near the community of Maddensville, joins the Juniata River a few miles below Mount...
from the south, then flows northeast, along the eastern flank of the Jacks Mountain ridge to Lewistown
Lewistown, Pennsylvania
Lewistown is a borough in and the county seat of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It lies along the Juniata River, northwest of Harrisburg. The number of people living in the borough in 1900 was 4,451; in 1910, 8,166; and in 1940, 13,017. The population was 8,998 at the 2000 census,...
, where it collects Kishacoquillas Creek
Kishacoquillas Creek
Kishacoquillas Creek is a tributary of the Juniata River in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, in the United States.Kishacoquillas Creek drains the Kishacoquillas Valley, running along the foot of the Jacks Mountain ridge where it intersects with Honey Creek before passing through the Mann Narrows...
and Jacks Creek. From Lewistown it flows southeast, in a winding course, receiving Tuscarora Creek from the south and passing through a gap in the Tuscarora Mountain
Tuscarora Mountain
Tuscoarora Mountain is a mountain ridge of the Appalachian Mountains in the Ridge and Valley province in central Pennsylvania. It reaches its highest point on Big Mountain at 2,458 feet above sea level....
ridge. The Juniata River is joined by three creeks in Millerstown
Millerstown, Pennsylvania
Millerstown is a borough in Perry County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 679 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in northeast Perry County. It receives Cocolamus Creek 0.7 miles (1.1 km) southeast, Raccoon Creek 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) southeast, and Wildcat Run Creek 2.8 miles (4.5 km) southeast of Millerstown. It receives Buffalo Creek
Buffalo Creek (Juniata River)
Buffalo Creek is a tributary of the Juniata River in Perry County, Pennsylvania in the United States.Buffalo Creek joins the Juniata River at the borough of Newport.-References:...
0.9 miles (1.4 km) northwest of Newport
Newport, Pennsylvania
Newport is a borough in Perry County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,506 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Newport is located at ....
and joins the Susquehanna just east of Duncannon
Duncannon, Pennsylvania
Duncannon is a borough in Perry County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,508 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. The center of population of Pennsylvania is located in Duncannon. It is named after the coastal town of...
, approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) northwest of Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
.
Etymology
The word "Juniata" is thought to be a corruption of the Iroquoian word Onayutta, meaning "Standing Stone". There was a large standing stone where the town of Huntingdon now stands. It was reportedly 14.5 feet (4.4 m) tall and contained carvings recording the history of the local Juniata Tribe. It disappeared in 1754, when the tribe left; tradition says they took it with them. A second stone was raised by the new settlers but destroyed in 1897. A two-foot (0.6 m) fragment of the second stone sits in Juniata CollegeJuniata College
Juniata College is a private liberal arts college located in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. It is named after the Juniata River — one of the principal tributaries of the Susquehanna River. In 1876 it became the first college founded by the Church of the Brethren and has been co-educational since...
's museum.
History
The first known inhabitants of the river valley were the Onojutta-HagaOnojutta-Haga
The Onojutta-Haga or Juniata people were natives of areas adjacent to the Juniata River and its tributaries in the southern part of what is now Pennsylvania.-History:...
Indians. The valley was later inhabited by the Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
until a treaty negotiated by William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
opened the land to east of the Allegheny Ridge
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
to white settlement. In 1755-1756, as a result of Lenape anger over loss of their lands, the white settlement in the valley suffered fierce raids and abductions from Lenape and Shawnee
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
at Kittanning
Kittanning (village)
Kittanning was an 18th century Native American village in the Ohio Country, located on the Allegheny River at present-day Kittanning, Pennsylvania. The village was at the western terminus of the Kittanning Path, an Indian trail that provided a route across the Alleghenies between the Ohio and...
on the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
. Over 3,000 white settlers were killed in the raids. The burning of Fort Granville
Fort Granville
Fort Granville was a militia stockade located in the colonial Province of Pennsylvania. Its site was in what is now Granville Township near Lewistown...
at present-day Lewistown
Lewistown, Pennsylvania
Lewistown is a borough in and the county seat of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It lies along the Juniata River, northwest of Harrisburg. The number of people living in the borough in 1900 was 4,451; in 1910, 8,166; and in 1940, 13,017. The population was 8,998 at the 2000 census,...
in 1756 prompted Pennsylvania governor John Penn
John Penn (governor)
John Penn was the last governor of colonial Pennsylvania, serving in that office from 1763 to 1771 and from 1773 to 1776...
to launch a reprisal against the Lenape and Shawnee led by Lt. Col. John Armstrong, who burned Kittanning in September 1756.
During the 19th century, the river was paralleled by the Juniata Division Canal
Main Line of Public Works
The Main Line of Public Works was a railroad and canal system built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the 19th century. It ran from Philadelphia west through Harrisburg and across the state to Pittsburgh and connected with other divisions of the Pennsylvania Canal...
, part of the canal system of Pennsylvania and a rival to the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
. The state sold the canal to the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, which abandoned the canal in 1889 after severe flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
ing. Parts of the original locks from the canal, as well as remnants of a dam approximately 1 mile (2 km) south of Millerstown
Millerstown, Pennsylvania
Millerstown is a borough in Perry County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 679 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, are still visible today.
The river is a popular destination for recreational canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
ing and fly fishing
Fly fishing
Fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial 'fly' is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or 'lure' requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting...
, in particular for smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
and channel catfish
Channel catfish
Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...
suited to the river's gentle course. The muskellunge
Muskellunge
A muskellunge , also known as a muskelunge, muscallonge, milliganong, or maskinonge , is a large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish of North America. Muskellunge are the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae...
was introduced as predatory sport fish and is now a prized catch. Attempts are underway by the state to reintroduce the once-prevalent American shad
American shad
-Introduction:The American shad or Atlantic shad, Alosa sapidissima, is a species of anadromous fish in family Clupeidae of order Clupeiformes. It is not closely related to the other North American shads...
, which went into decline largely because of dams on the river. Walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
is another game fish prevalent in the Juniata River.
The National Book Award and Pulitzer prize-winning poet Galway Kinnell
Galway Kinnell
Galway Kinnell is an American poet. He was Poet Laureate of Vermont from 1989 to 1993. An admitted follower of Walt Whitman, Kinnell rejects the idea of seeking fulfillment by escaping into the imaginary world. His best-loved and most anthologized poems are "St...
wrote of the river in a section of The Book of Nightmares (1971), entitled "Dear Stranger, Extant in Memory by the Blue Juniata".
The river cuts through several southwest-to-northeast ridges, largely of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
between limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
valley floors. Several of the river's tributaries, including Kishacoquillas Creek
Kishacoquillas Creek
Kishacoquillas Creek is a tributary of the Juniata River in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, in the United States.Kishacoquillas Creek drains the Kishacoquillas Valley, running along the foot of the Jacks Mountain ridge where it intersects with Honey Creek before passing through the Mann Narrows...
, are degraded by pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
, but the main stem of the river is considered fairly clean by regional standards. Only two towns with approximately 10,000 people or more, namely Altoona
Altoona, Pennsylvania
-History:A major railroad town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a borough on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868...
and Lewistown
Lewistown, Pennsylvania
Lewistown is a borough in and the county seat of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It lies along the Juniata River, northwest of Harrisburg. The number of people living in the borough in 1900 was 4,451; in 1910, 8,166; and in 1940, 13,017. The population was 8,998 at the 2000 census,...
, lie within the watershed of the river. Steep slopes along much of the river's course have largely discouraged widespread development.
Pictures
See also
- List of rivers of Pennsylvania
- Bloody Run Canoe ClassicBloody Run Canoe ClassicThe Bloody Run Canoe Classic is a community canoe and kayak race along the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River in Everett, Pennsylvania. Historically, this event has comprised a five and nine mile race, with multiple race classes that include "both recreational and competition-class...
- Heirline Covered BridgeHeirline Covered BridgeHeirline Covered Bridge is a historic wooden covered bridge located at Harrison Township and Napier Township in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. It is a , Burr Truss bridge with a medium pitched gable roof, constructed in 1902. It crosses the Juniata River...