Long before the arrival of the railroad, Kennerdell was a busy trade stop along the Allegheny River because of its location at the confluence of many tributaries. By the War of 1812, Kennerdell was shipping tons of material downriver. Wool, coal, timber from the great Allegheny forests north of Kennerdell, and produce from the area's farms were shipped on barges down the Allegheny to Fort Pitt and to market in Pittsburgh.