About Pillow

Pillow is located at the northernmost point of Dauphin County.  It is situated on about one-half square mile of fertile farmlands and surrounded by mountains and water. Pillow was founded in 1818, over 200 years ago by a land developer named John Snyder. The town was called Schneidershtettle.   In 1864 the town was incorporated as the borough of Uniontown. Because of a conflict with another Uniontown in Pennsylvania, the post office was given the name of Pillow. It is believed that it was named after Major General Gideon Johnson Pillow who at the time was commanding the U.S. Army troops in the Mexican War with some distinction. He was very wealthy, being a politician, lawyer, farmer and military general. You can read more about General Gideon Pillow in the Pillow History Book.

Although the town was officially incorporated as Uniontown, the local people commonly referred to it as Pillow, and in 1965 the townspeople voted to change the name.

Pillow is nestled at the foot of the Mahantango Mountain on the south. The Mahantango Creek, a tributary of the Susquehanna River, bounds Pillow on the west, the north and the east.   Mahantango, a Native American word, translates as “good hunting grounds”.

Pillow has seen many industries come and go over the last 200 years including cotton, wagon works, bricks, potato chips, and burial vaults. There were two hotels, a foundry, several butchers and grocery stores, and a hardware store. It also had a school and five churches. Pillow was the economic center for the surrounding area during the horse and buggy days. There were mills to grind grain, and other businesses providing services to farmers. Horses and their drivers had to be bedded and rested, and the two hotels did a flourishing business. You could get food, lodging, and three shots of whiskey for a quarter. Holsters cared for the horses, and maids for the men. Interesting stories traveled with the people in and out of town.

Today Pillow maintains an image of its past. Many of the original buildings and homes still stand proudly amidst a more transient lifestyle. The bustling industries are gone, but the people that live here are still proud working folk that are dedicated to keeping this small town of 300 people a charming, quiet and safe place to live and raise their families.