BEAVER FALLS

beaver falls, a borough of beaver county, pennsylvania, u.s.a., on beaver river, about 3-1/2 m. from its confluence with the ohio, opposite new brighton, and about 32 m. n.w. of pittsburg. pop. (1890) 9735; (1900) 10,054, of whom 1554 were foreign-born; (1910), census, 12,191. the borough is served by the pennsylvania and the pittsburg & lake erie railways. it is built for the most part on a plateau about 50 ft. above the river, hemmed in on either side by hills that rise abruptly, especially on the w., to a height of more than 200 ft. bituminous coal, natural gas and oil abound in the vicinity; the river provides excellent water-power; the borough is a manufacturing centre of considerable importance, its products including iron and steel bridges, boilers, steam drills, carriages, saws, files, axes, shovels, wire netting, stoves, glass-ware, scales, chemicals, pottery, cork, decorative tile, bricks and typewriters. in 1905 the city's factory products were valued at $4,907,536. geneva college (reformed presbyterian, co-educational), established in 1849 at northwood, logan county, ohio, was removed in 1880 to the borough of college hill (pop. in 1900, 899), 1 m. n. of beaver falls; it has a preparatory and a collegiate department, departments of music, oratory and art, and a physical department, and in 1907-1908 had 13 instructors and 235 students. beaver falls was first settled in 1801; was laid out as a town and named brighton in 1806; received its present name a few years later; and in 1868 was incorporated as a borough.