Spruce Creek, Pennsylvania

Spruce Creek, Pennsylvania
Unincorporated community
Post office
Spruce Creek Show map of Pennsylvania Spruce Creek Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 40°34′17″N78°8′17″W / 40.57139°N 78.13806°W / 40.57139; -78.13806
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Huntingdon
Township	Spruce Creek
Elevation	761 ft (232 m)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
GNIS feature ID	1188325 [1]

Spruce Creek is an unincorporated community in Spruce Creek Township, Pennsylvania, United States. It was a stop on the former Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line, lying along Spruce Creek at its confluence with the Little Juniata River. The river passes through a nearby water gap in Tussey Mountain downstream of the village, along with the railroad line.

History

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Spruce Creek was the location of a large woollen mill, but is now best known as the site of Indian Caverns, which was open to the public from 1929 to 2017.

Spruce Creek is also known for its world-famous fly fishing. Although most of Spruce Creek is private fishing, the area also holds the Little Juniata River, which is open to the public. Former United States Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Jimmy Carter and Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro Troy Polamalu have made visits to fish.

President Eisenhower visited while in office on May 9, 1953. ^[2] President Carter visited several times during his term. ^[3]

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Spruce Creek developed into a small transportation hub thanks to its location on the Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line. The village supported a modest commercial district serving both local residents and travelers passing between Huntingdon and Altoona. During this era, nearby farms took advantage of the fertile Juniata River valley to produce corn, wheat, and hay, which were shipped out by rail. By the mid-20th century, changes in transportation and industry led to a decline in rail passenger service, with the community gradually shifting toward tourism and outdoor recreation as its primary economic drivers. ^{[4] [5] [6]}

References

1. "Spruce Creek, Pennsylvania". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
2. "The President's Appointments, Friday May 1, 1953" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 9, 2010.
3. "President Carter's Trips as President". Archived from the original on February 16, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
4. "The Tale of the Pennsylvania Midland: Setting the Stage".
5. "Huntingdon County Historical Society – Working to preserve and understand the history of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania". huntingdonhistory.org. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
6. "Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, Mill Creek Bridge, Spanning Mill Creek, east of Schuylkill Expressway (I-76), Gladwyne, Montgomery County, PA". Library of Congress .