 With the coming of the railroads, the community’s economy shifted from agriculture to manufacturing and mining.Two brothers who were local farmers, Peter and Jacob Loucks, realized the impact the railroads could have on the area and laid out a small townsite consisting of 24 lots, which went on sale in 1872.Scottdale was incorporated as a borough on February 5, 1874 and at that time named in honor of Thomas A. Scott, who had been president of the Pennsylvania Railroad and served as Assistant Secretary of War during the Civil War.