Coal Run was once a small but thriving mining community; lying just west of Osceola Mills. The village today is much less populated and is situated along a township road in Decatur Township. Both the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Altoona and Philipsburg Branch (Alley Popper) of the Pittsburgh and Susquehanna Railroad came to a juncture in Coal Run; with the Alley Popper crossing over the Pennsylvania line by way of a 193 foot trestle. Both lines made their way westward to Houtzdale.
The 1933 photos show Coal Run Junction after the demise of the Alley Popper and the building of the two lane concrete highway, in 1923. The highway, now known as PA Route 53, was the first segment of paved highway in the Decatur, Woodward and Bigler Township area. Prior to that, only a few streets in Osceola Mills and Houtzdale Boroughs were partially paved with bricks. The area celebrated the opening of the highway with a parade of cars that made the ten mile trek from Osceola to Madera. The physical location of Coal Run Junction, shown in the photo, is easily recognizable today.
