Irvona is a small borough in southern Clearfield County that was named for Colonel Edward Irwin of Curwensville.
Colonel Irvin was a prominent Civil War veteran and one who later did well by investing in the thriving lumber, coal and tannery enterprises in the decades following the war.
The early 20th century photo shows Irvona straddling the banks of Clearfield Creek. The dirt road leading to the bridge is today state Route 53.
Clearfield Creek was vital to Irvona’s settlement, beginning in 1882 as it facilitated a flat path for both the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central Railroad on each side of the creek.
The long arm of these two earlier corporate giants once extended into the outreaches of Clearfield County. The area set aside for the railway engines to turn around is now the town’s Elderberry Park.
Irvona’s economic history is typical for the area. Lumber, tanneries, coal and brickyards dominated and were interrelated.
The town and the surrounding Beccaria Township area attracted working families, both native born as well as immigrants. Small supporting business grew and thrived, and many large families spiked the population count.
The four church buildings of Irvona, although not all shown in the photo, are still active. They are Presbyterian, Methodist, Orthodox and Christian Missionary and Alliance denominations.
The photo shows the Presbyterian Church on the upper right side and the smokestack from the long-gone Tecumseh Tannery on the upper left side.
Businesses, hotels railway stations, as well as homes, both modest and large, made up the bulk of Irvona’s buildings. Some are still standing today.
Several bridges have been built over Clearfield Creek in Irvona. The well-used one shown in the photo, collapsed in 1940, when a heavy truck struck the end of the bridge and sent it buckling downward into the creek below, carrying the truck and a local passenger car with it. Thankfully no one was injured.
The present bridge is a recently-built structure. In 2012, it was named and dedicated in honor of Mary Ellen Tiesi, an Irvona native who tragically lost her life in the collapse of the South Tower of New York’s World Trade Center, as it was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001.