Lamont

Lamont is a small village located near the McKean Count line in north-west Jones Township. The town was also referred to a "Madge"  Here the James brothers erected the first chemical or "acid"  factory in the area. They built a plant in 1882-1883  known as the Lamont Chemical Company. This company operated for nearly forty years. This plant was located about two-miles from the present location of the village along the Highland state Road.

The plant contained about 12 retorts, or stills, that were used to extract the various chemicals and acid from the wood.  The remaining charcoal would need to be transported by wagon or sled to Lamont for shipment on the Pittsburgh and Western Railroad.  In 1896, a railroad was constructed to provide the plant with direct rail service. The plant shipped nearly four rail cars of charcoal a week and a tank car full of wood alcohol monthly.

The Lamont Chemical Company closed it's operation is 1921 because of  the financial condition of the  James brothers and their other companies.

A glass plant also existed here at one time, but very little is recorded about it. 

Today, National Fuel Gas operates a transmission pumping station at Lamont.  The station utilizes a 1938 Ingersoll-Rand pump that is still used today to increase pipeline pressures in natural gas distribution lines to the Bradford, Pennsylvania area.  The Ingersoll-Rand pump was the first pump of it's kind manufactured for National Fuel and it, along with eight 4-XVG units and one 8-SVG units that were installed between 1941 and 1961 are still in use today.

The Kane Experimental Forest was established near Lamont on March 23, 1932, though research had begun as early as 1927. Most of the building and roads were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Copr Camp ANF-12.  Its primary mission is forest and watershed management research, wildlife research is also part of the current program. Ongoing long-term studies include individual tree and under-story vegetation measurements; treatments such as thinnings, regeneration cuts, uneven-age cuts, and long-term measurements of unmanaged forest. The Kane Experimental Forest is used heavily for training and tours for educational, professional, and landowner groups. National Atmospheric Deposition Program data have been collected at the forest since 1978.