Andrew Carnegie paid an impressive sum for the mill and many Uniontown citizens lost their jobs.
In the late 19th century, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was gaining footing as an iron and steel producing giant.
Much of the coal that was used in the Pittsburgh mills was obtained from the hills surrounding Connellsville, Pennsylvania, a neighboring town to Uniontown.
Uniontown was considerably closer to the rich coal fields than Pittsburgh, thus transportation costs will be cheaper.
While Uniontown had no major waterways, the neighboring town of Brownsville, Pennsylvania, a shipbuilding center, was located on the Monongahela River.