Emlenton's early economic development resulted from its position on the Allegheny River. Raw materials, pig iron from area iron furnaces, and timber were transported downriver. At Kittanning, finished goods going north were transferred by the Allegheny Valley Railroad to steamboats that carried them upriver. Surplus goods were stored in warehouses along Emlenton's riverbank. Low water levels in late summer and fall limited water transport, but traffic was heavy during the higher levels of late fall and spring. Later, the oil boom stimulated extension of the railroad northward through the area.