Editing Summerhill, Pennsylvania (section)

==History==
A small borough in the [[Allegheny Mountains]] in southwestern Pennsylvania, Summerhill was settled in the early 19th century and grew in large part from the regional presence of [[Allegheny Portage Railroad]] and the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]].

In 1794, Thomas and Barbara Croyle and their family were among the first to settle in the town. Their family homestead, a two-story stone structure that still stands, served the family as a fortress against Indian attacks. According to some sources, Indians burned the Croyles' cabin and property, causing the family to seek refuge at [[Fort Bedford]]. By 1800, Barbara Croyle chose to rebuild their homestead with stone; she limited windows to two sides of the house to keep it stronger if attacked.<ref name="Alcamo 1992">{{cite book| last=Alcamo| first=Frank P.| title=The Summerhill Story: The 1992 Centennial| year=1992| publisher=The A.G. Halladin Publishing Co., Inc.| location=Indiana, PA}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=Cambria County Historical Society| url=http://cambriacountyhistorical.com/newsletters/heritageqtrly/may2002.htm| work=Cambria County Heritage. Volume 22, Issue 2. May 2002| accessdate=February 19, 2013}}</ref>

The Croyle family built a [[grist mill]], known locally as Croyle's Mill, and a dam on the [[Little Conemaugh River]] to operate it. The establishment of the mill was significant enough for the county to notice and fund its first public works project, a dirt road from [[Ebensburg, Pennsylvania|Ebensburg]] to Croyle's Mill. The mill operated into the 1900s.<ref name="Alcamo 1992"/>

In February 1810, Summerhill Township was devolved from larger Conemaugh Township, one of three original townships established in Cambria County. Originally spelled "Somerhill", the township was likely named for Joseph and David Somers, some of its early, chief landowners.<ref name="Alcamo 1992"/>

In the 1820s, Summerhill Township covered a large swath of land in the north-central part of the current county, including present-day Jackson, Munster, Washington, Portage and Blacklick townships. The existing borough took its name from Summerhill Township and was then known as Summer Hill. Records from 1926 indicate the borough's current spelling, Summerhill.<ref name="Alcamo 1992"/>