Cumberland Valley: From Tuscarora to Chambersburg to Blue Ridge

Explore the rich history of Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania, and its surrounding areas.

Nestled between the Tuscarora and Blue Ridge Mountains is the center of the Cumberland Valley, an area settled by men and women who crossed the Susquehanna River and built their log cabins in the wilderness. These early settlers were hardy souls who confronted the hardships and struggles of Native American raids, the American Revolution, and the Civil War. In the 1800s, the iron industry sprang up in the small villages of Roxbury, Edenville, and Mont Alto, and academies and colleges were founded.

The late Victorian resorts of Pen Mar, Monterey, and Buena Vista drew visitors to the valley. Today, within the mountain-protected borders of Mother Cumberland, are the towns of Chambersburg, Mercersburg, Waynesboro, Greencastle, St. Thomas and other small communities each with a rich history of its own.