Huntingdon County was officially established on September 20, 1787 as a large region of central Pennsylvania. The county was named for the Countess of Huntingdon, England a benefactor of exploration efforts, and of the University of Pennsylvania. In 1767 Rev. William Smith laid out the town of Huntingdon, now the county seat. He later became the first provost of the University of Pennsylvania. The first highways were Indian paths which crossed the county. Traders followed these paths and pioneers then found their way. Coal mined in the region was carried east via railroads that were built in the mid 1800’s. The Broad Top Area Coal Miners Historical Society in Robertsdale still keeps the miners’ history alive. Raystown Lake, in the center of the county, is the largest lake in Pennsylvania that lies totally within the state’s boundaries. Around 1911 a dam was built in the Juniata River to create electricity for the area. This created a shallow lake in the river valley. The US Army Corps built the current dam in the 1970’s, creating the 8,300-acre lake to control flooding and to continue to provide electricity.