The small borough of Grampian is a crossroads town.
State Route 879 West terminates there and connects to state Route 219 that spans its way through western Clearfield County to connect Interstate 40, near Cumberland, Md., to the New York State Thruway.
State Route 729, originally an indigenous people’s trail, connects Grampian to Lumber City and the Susquehanna River, before moving on to Janesville and state Route 453 to connect with Water Street and state Route 22.
Settlement in Grampian dates back more than 200 years. It was once known as Pennville and the adjacent community was called Grampian Hills, certainly reflecting a Scottish heritage.
Congregations of Presbyterians, Methodists, Catholics and Friends (Quakers) all established churches in Grampian; the three latter ones still thrive and have been joined by the Gospel Fellowship Assembly.
Those belonging to Grampian’s Religious Society of Friends established a brightened reputation by harboring and aiding escaped slaves from Maryland and Virginia in the years that led up to the Civil War.
These Quakers, as well as others, abhorred slavery on moral and religious grounds and felt bound by conscience to violate the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.
It has been said that they both hid runaway slaves and then direct them forward on their journey north to Canada and freedom.
In time, lumbering, mining and small businesses all helped to spur and community economic base that made Grampian the self-contained but accessible town that it became. Like many rural Pennsylvania towns of today, it is largely made up of job commuters and retirees.
Farming too was an important part of Grampian’s development. Corn, potatoes, wheat and oats were grown for both human and animal consumption. Dairy farming was common. It took a great deal of work, over the years, to clear and maintain the fields, both flat and hilly, that surround Grampian.
The two bearded men, shown in the photo, are hand cutting hay, using a scythe. That is unheard of today. Homesteads and storage barns are shown also.
Much hay today is bound in large plastic covered cylinders and stored outdoors until need for feed. The photo is a scene of classic Americana.
