Honoring Generations of Labor: Black Contributions to Centre County
In honor of Black History Month 2025, which highlights the theme “African Americans and Labor,” we reflect on the significant role that Black labor has played in shaping the experiences of communities, particularly in Centre County, Pennsylvania. In this region, Black individuals contributed to the economy while showing immense resilience and determination in facing challenges.
By 1830, Bellefonte and adjoining Spring Township were home to a sizable community of free Black people, setting the stage for the area to serve as a stop on the Underground Railroad, making it an important location. Quaker ironmasters, some of whom were abolitionists, offered both refuge and employment to Black individuals escaping slavery, helping to foster a thriving Black community in the town. Between 1820 and 1840, the Black population of Bellefonte and Spring Township nearly quadrupled (growing from 45 to 171 persons), and by 1860, three-quarters (74%) of Centre County’s Black residents lived there. While Bellefonte’s role in aiding escaped enslaved people is relatively well documented, less attention has been given to the daily lives and contributions of Black people in the region. While many worked in low-wage jobs as farmers, household servants, or in the iron or coal mining industry, several individuals overcame economic barriers, achieving financial stability and respectability.
In Bellefonte, barbering became a prominent profession for Black men starting in the 1850s and continuing through the 1890s. Unlike most Black laborers who struggled with day-to-day wages, barbers had the opportunity to develop professional qualifications, build businesses, and acquire enough resources to purchase real estate. This provided them with a livelihood, a higher social standing, and a rare chance at upward mobility in an era of limited opportunities. One notable figure was William H. Mills, who learned the barbering trade from Meshic S. Graham. After working for Graham until 1871, Mills opened his shop and spent the next sixty years (1871–1931) serving the Bellefonte community. Mills’ success as a barber exemplified the rare chance for Black men in the region to accumulate wealth and participate in commerce.
While domestic labor in white households was one of the few available options for Black women, it was often poorly paid and highly exploitative. However, despite this, some women could leverage these jobs as steppingstones for financial autonomy and social mobility.
During the Civil War, at least twenty-eight Black men from Centre County served in the U.S. Colored Troops, joining the fight despite facing numerous challenges. Initially ineligible for officer positions, these soldiers were uncertain whether they would be allowed to fight or relegated to hard labor duties. They received unequal pay, earning only $84 per year compared to the $156 for their white counterparts — a significant difference, especially when most farmhands at the time earned $180 annually. Moreover, Confederate forces declared that if they caught Black soldiers, they would not be treated as prisoners of war but as enslaved individuals, a grim reality that highlighted the stakes these men faced. Their service, often overlooked, was crucial to the Union war effort and demonstrated their bravery and their commitment to the fight for freedom.
In Philipsburg, Black laborers worked in tanneries, contributing to the local economy and creating a small community. On Tow Hill, near Stormstown, a few Black families practiced subsistence farming during the decades preceding the Civil War. This community sought to build self-sustaining lives in a region influenced by abolitionist sentiments.
The county’s iron industry was a significant economic force, especially the Centre Furnace that began operation in 1792. Black workers were employed in the ironworks, benefiting from the industry’s financial stability. However, unlike their white counterparts, they were often relegated to the most physically demanding and dangerous jobs, with little to no recognition or opportunities for advancement. The same inequities the men faced in the iron industry applied in the textile industry, particularly at the Millheim Hosiery Mill and J.H. and C.K. Eagle Silk Mill. While specific records of Black workers in these mills are limited, Black individuals likely played a role in this growing sector. However, they faced discrimination in wages, working conditions, and access to better positions typically reserved for white workers.
Coal mining was another key industry in the county, where Black miners faced difficult working conditions. The United Mine Workers of America Union organized Black miners, though racial tensions sometimes complicated relationships between Black and white workers. These labor movements helped secure better wages and working conditions for Black miners.
Agricultural labor was vital to Centre County’s prosperity, with many free Black individuals working the land. In 1855, the Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania was founded, laying the groundwork for what would later become Penn State University. Just eight years later, in 1862, the school was designated the state’s first land-grant university and became the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania. This transition marked a recognition of the importance of agriculture, a field in which Black people played a significant role despite the racial barriers they faced. One notable example of this legacy was Calvin H. Waller, the first Black graduate of Penn State University in 1905, who went on to make a lasting impact in the agricultural field. Another trailblazer, Mildred Settle Bunton, became the first Black woman to graduate Penn State in 1932 and made significant strides in nutrition, earning accolades for her public health work.
As we honor “Labor” for Black History Month 2025, we must recognize the invaluable contributions of Black workers throughout Centre County. Their labor in farming, household employment, entrepreneurship, industrial sectors, and military service was instrumental in shaping the region’s economy and legacy. Their perseverance and resourcefulness laid the foundation for future generations, embodying the enduring spirit of Black workers throughout history.
To learn more about Black History in Centre County visit https://blkctrco.psu.edu/ A Collaborative Public History and Arts Project Centering Black Experience in Centre County, Pennsylvania from 1800-1950.
Written by Centre Foundation, “Honoring Generations of Labor: Black Contributions to Centre County”, [Centre Foundation]. Fact-checked and annotated by Philip Ruth (Coordinator) and Senior Historian at the Black History of Centre County Project www.blkctrco.psu.edu
