This document discusses the hidden history of the small town of Portage, Pennsylvania. Though only 125 years old, Portage played an important role in the Allegheny Portage Railroad, which was completed in 1834 to carry goods overland between waterways. The railroad's construction through dense woodland led to a lumber industry and sawmills, fueling early economic growth. Later, coal became another key industry for Portage. The town owes its existence and development to its strategic location along the important railroad line.