Editing State College, Pennsylvania (section)

===Farmers' High School===
{{Main|Farmers' High School|Bellefonte Central Railroad}}
[[File:State College Train Station.jpg|thumb|left|BCRR station in State College with Mount Nittany in the background]]
The [[Pennsylvania State University|Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania]] was founded in 1855 on 400-acres of land in what was [[Harris Township, Pennsylvania|Harris Township]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://onwardstate.com/2020/11/06/penn-state-history-lesson-james-irvin-centre-furnace-humble-beginnings/|first= Ryen|last= Gailey|publisher= Onward State|title= Penn State History Lesson: James Irvin, Centre Furnace, & Humble Beginnings|date= Nov 6, 2020}}</ref> Although, the area was isolated from most of the state,<ref name="ra"/> the land was reasonably affordable and the Nittany Valley was rich in limestone, causing exceptional soil fertility.<ref name="up">{{cite web|publisher= Penn State University Libraries|url= https://libraries.psu.edu/about/collections/penn-state-university-park-campus-history-collection/history-university-park|title= History of University Park Campus}}</ref> The land was clear-cut for charcoal, powering the adjacent [[Centre Furnace]]. In 1862 the school was renamed to The Agricultural College of Pennsylvania.<ref name="up"/>

In 1875, [[College Township, Pennsylvania|College Township]] formed, taking up most of what is now State College.<ref>{{cite web|title= College Township 1875 Creation|url= https://www.localgeohistory.pro/en/event/college-township-1875-creation/|publisher= Local Geohistory}}</ref> In 1885, the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] opened a train station two miles from campus in [[Lemont, Pennsylvania|Lemont]] on the [[Lewisburg and Tyrone Railroad]].<ref name="ra"/> Passengers would have to catch an [[autobus]] or a [[Hack (horse)|hack]] to complete the journey to State College from the new station.<ref name="ra">{{cite web|url= https://libraries.psu.edu/about/collections/penn-state-university-park-campus-history-collection/penn-state-illustrated-15|publisher= Penn State University Libraries|title= Vignette - "Equally Inaccessible from All Parts of the State"|first= Micheal|last= Bezilla}}</ref> Construction of the a train station on West College Avenue was finally completed in 1892, connecting State College to the [[Bellefonte Central Railroad]] via [[Struble, Pennsylvania|Struble]]. The journey along the 20-mile-long line took 50 minutes, meandering through the [[Scotia Barrens]] and the [[Buffalo Run Valley]] south of the [[Bald Eagle Ridge]] before making it to [[Bellefonte, Pennsylvania|Bellefonte]].<ref name="rl"/> On August 29, 1896, State College would officially separate from College Township forming a borough.<ref>{{cite web|title= State College Borough 1896 Creation|url= https://www.localgeohistory.pro/en/event/state-college-borough-1896-creation/|publisher= Local Geohistory}}</ref>

In 1909 the hilly area south of Downtown began to be developed under the name "Highland Park."<ref>{{cite web|publisher= Highlands Civic Assosiation|title= History|url= https://statecollegehighlands.org/history/}}</ref> The borough began expanding in 1916 with annexations from Ferguson and College Township. In 1917 the borough added the "Hamilton,"<ref>{{cite web|publisher= Local Geohistory|url= https://www.localgeohistory.pro/en/event/state-college-borough-ordinance-39-and-50/|title= Hamilton Addition}}</ref> "Highland Park,"<ref>{{cite web|publisher= Local Geohistory|url= https://www.localgeohistory.pro/en/event/state-college-borough-ordinance-35-and-51/|title= Highland Park Addition}}</ref> and "South Side"<ref>{{cite web|publisher= Local Geohistory|url= https://www.localgeohistory.pro/en/event/state-college-borough-ordinance-52/|title= South Side Addition}}</ref> additions to its boundary. Regular passenger trains were discontinued in 1917, while mixed passenger and freight trains would continue until 1945.<ref name="rail"/>