The site of Leechburg, consisting of a land grant of 192 acres, has gone by a few different names throughout the years.

According to Leechburg Area Community Development Corp., the area was first patented in 1783 by White Mattock, a native American chief.

After the Revolutionary War, the area, first known as Friendship and subsequently White Plains, became a farming community as British and German settlers established themselves in the area.

It remained a farming community until 1827 when David Leech — for whom the town was later named — arrived and began building a dam on the Kiski River as part of the Pennsylvania Mainline Canal, connecting Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Since then, the town has experienced multiple evolutions, seemingly fitting whatever business was booming at the time. After housing railroads, steel mills and mining centers, the borough, officially incorporated as Leechburg in 1850, still stands as a staple in the Alle-Kiski Valley 175 years later.

This year, the borough will celebrate the landmark anniversary with a weeklong celebration scheduled for June.

Each day will feature multiple events hosted by various community institutions, said Leechburg Mayor Doreen Smeal.

Starting on June 8, the week will kick off with an outdoor service held by Leechburg Ministries called “We are One Body,” Smeal said.

There also will be a tour of churches from Leechburg into Gilpin. A taxi service will be providing vans for transportation. Later in the day, the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company host a battle of the barrels. The day will end with a bocce tournament hosted at the Marconi Club.

The Monday of that week, the borough will host a bike safety session for children presented by UPMC.

“Hopefully, we’ll have helmets and a small presentation for them,” Smeal said.

Afterward, the Leechburg Area Museum board will host a “What’s This?” event. In the yard of the museum, located in the home of David Leech, vintage appliances and other items will be displayed to quiz attendees on what their uses were.

The day will end with trivia hosted by the Leechburg Public Library.

The week will continue with tours of community staples, including the town’s cemetery and a slide show of “Past Leechburg,” Smeal said.

Highlights of the rest of the week include an antique roadshow, a children’s fishing demonstration, live band performances, a fishing tournament, a car show, an anything floats race, a Slovakian Heritage Day Dance, a parade and a drone show to close the week.

Smeal said times, dates and locations of the events will be finalized as the celebration week gets closer.

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