The borough is named after the 'Mount Carmel Inn' which was itself named for Mount Carmel in Israel. The inn was opened in 1812 by Richard Yarnall and was strategically located on the Centre Turnpike (also known as the Reading-Sunbury Road) halfway between Pottsville, PennsylvaniaPottsville and Danville, PennsylvaniaDanville. The township was erected in 1855, formed from part of Coal Township, PennsylvaniaCoal Township; by 1862 the borough was incorporated within the township. In the past, there were extensive anthracite coal mining interests here and in the vicinity. In earlier years, the borough had manufactories of miners' caps, cement blocks, cigars, shirts, stockings, etc., and large silk and planing mills, foundry and machine shops, a knitting mill, lumber yards, a packing plant, and wagon works. Currently that area supports light manufacturing in paper and plastics. * before 1770 - Area inhabited by Native Americans in the United StatesNative Americans (possibly Lenape, Iroquois, and/or Saponi) * 1770 - Europeans first settled in the area * 1772 - Northumberland county formed, area that would become Mt. Carmel located in what was then Augusta Township, PennsylvaniaAugusta township * 1785 - Catawissa Township, PennsylvaniaCatawissa township formed from part of Augusta township * 1788 - Ralpho Township, PennsylvaniaRalpho township formed from part of Catawissa township * 1789 - Ralpho township renamed to Shamokin Township, PennsylvaniaShamokin township * 1805 - Centre Turnpike Company incorporated * 1808 - Centre Turnpike opens * ~1811 - Centre Turnpike completed * 1812 - Mt. Carmel Inn opens, located on the Centre Turnpike in (then) Shamokin township * ~1830s - anthracite coalcoal mining begins * 1837 - Coal Township, PennsylvaniaCoal Township formed from parts of Little Mahanoy Township, PennsylvaniaLittle Mahanoy and Shamokin townships * 1846 - first Post Office opens * 1847 - land now comprising Mount Carmel Borough purchased by speculators * 1853 - town plot laid out * 1854 November 14 - Mount Carmel Township, PennsylvaniaMount Carmel Township incorporated, from part of Coal township * 1855 - first church, the Evangelical Grace Church opens * 1855 - Centre Turnpike abandoned * 1862 November 3 - Mt. Carmel Borough Incorporated * 1883 November 17 - Edison Illuminating CompanyEdison Electric Illuminating Company of Mount Carmel founded * 1894 November - Shamokin-Mount Carmel Electric Railway (trolley line) connecting Shamokin, PennsylvaniaShamokin with Mount Carmel completed Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Carmel%2C_Pennsylvania