New Baltimore borough occupies a picturesque location. It is situated on the bottom-lands of the Raystown branch of the Juniata, in a deep valley between High Knob and Cove Ridge known as Harmon’s Bottom. The town was laid out in 1829 by Michael Riddlemoser, of Baltimore, and named after that city. Bernard Connelly was the surveyor. The place was first named Mosersburg in honor of Mr. Riddlemoser who settled there in 1820.
Riddlemoser built the first house in the place about 1820. It was first occupied by John O’Neal as a store. It is now the residence of Mrs. Margaret Bridge. About the same date Riddlemoser erected a gristmill, which is still in operation, and is now owned by William F. Weber. The mill, in early years, was the principal one in a wide extent of country, and was largely patronized by the people of the western part of Bedford county, to whom it was more convenient than any other. Other minor industries soon sprang up at this point, and the village grew slowly into a prosperous settlement. John M. Topper erected a large distillery here in 1870.
New Baltimore was incorporated in 1873 with Adam George as its first burgess. The present population (1884) is about two hundred. The borough has one church, one physician (Dr. H.C. Reidt), four stores, one hotel, one gristmill, one distillery, two blacksmith- shops, one tannery, one coopershop, one wagonshop, one saddlershop, one shoemaker- shop, and one cabinetshop.
Some of the early settlers of New Baltimore were:
Anthony Luken, a native of Germany, came to Allegheny township in 1819, and settled at New Baltimore, where he died in 1833. His son, Francis A., a farmer and carpenter, still resides here. Mr. Luken is remarkably well versed in the early history of the township.
Lewis B. Smith, a native of Allegheny township, learned the blacksmith’s trade under John Musser, and since 1870 has been carrying on business for himself in New Baltimore. Mr. Smith has held the office of school director.
John P. Spicer was born in Juniata township, Bedford county. He kept hotel at New Buena Vista for three years. In 1878 he purchased of Michael Reitinger a farm of eighty- six acres, which he traded in 1880 for the hotel property at New Baltimore which he now owns and occupies. Mr. Spicer has served as school director, and is now one of the borough councilmen.
In 1930, New Baltimore had a population of 138 persons.
(Source: Partially extracted from History of Bedford, Somerset & Fulton Counties, PA; 1884)
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