The northern end of town has long been identified with Jonathon Hulton, an early settler who arrived in 1845. The first train station on the Allegheny Valley Railroad was constructed on Hulton's property, and the small village that grew up around it was known as Hulton. The name changed to Oakmont when the borough was chartered in 1889. The Hulton family operated a ferry at the location where the Hulton Bridge now stands, transporting people across the Allegheny River before the bridge was built in 1908. Named after Jonathon Hulton, the original Hulton Bridge spanned the Allegheny River from Harmarville to Oakmont and became an Oakmont landmark after 1909. It gained national recognition when it was painted lilac, earning the nickname "the lavender link," after pastel colors were found to increase the visibility of stress fractures in the steel. The original bridge was replaced in 2015 with a new structure designed to improve safety for drivers and pedestrians.