Local Historia

On the streets of Bellefonte, on September 11, 1917, the First Pennsylvania Cavalry, Troop L, along with the Regimental Hospital Corps, marched from their PA National Guard Armory on the corner of North Spring and West Lamb streets. A touching photo reveals soldiers marching among families, with children helping the troopers carry their belongings, walking…

Every year since 2014, and thirty-seven times in each program’s history, Penn State has squared off against Michigan State on the gridiron. When Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1993, Michigan State was designated as the Nittany Lions’ permanent rival, and a trophy was created. The Land-Grant Trophy has seen some fierce battles among…

An aged frame containing two sepia photographs is located in the Centre County Library & Historical Museum. They are believed to be the oldest known photographs of Bellefonte’s streetscape. Upon closer analysis, the photos come into focus and reveal some of their mysteries.  The infamous photo of Strychnine Corner was taken in 1865, along with…

Every September 17, Americans across the country observe Constitution Day, an opportunity to remember and celebrate the monumental task our founding fathers took on in 1787 to create a new form of government. During the Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787, Pennsylvania sent eight delegates to Philadelphia who would attempt to craft the most…

The two tunnels at Coburn and in Poe Paddy State Park are a great way to reflect upon and experience railroad history in central Pennsylvania. Both tunnels were constructed in the 1870s for the Lewisburg, Centre, and Spruce Creek Railroad (LC&SC), which became the Lewisburg and Tyrone Railroad (L&T) circa 1880. These monuments continue to…

It’s the early hours of an unusually warm, dry June Saturday—perfect conditions for testing the U.S. Airmail’s experimental night flights. The difficulties of flying, especially the “Hell Stretch” above the Allegheny Front, are well-publicized, but you’re one of the most experienced pilots in the country, with well over 700 flight hours, so you’re confident in…

The ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution in 1919 was the culmination of temperance movements across the United States. Prayers and protests made in front of saloons during the Women’s Crusade would be answered with a nationwide prohibition of “the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors.” While Prohibition was founded upon good…

By the latter half of the 1860s, still working diligently under candlelight on his latest criticisms of U.S. tariffs and spending, Bellefonte’s own Robert Walker had constructed a complicated legacy amidst the most tumultuous time in American history. Born the son of a Pennsylvania judge and attending the prestigious Bellefonte Academy, Walker followed the common…

The world of a post-Revolution Pennsylvanian was small. Communities sprouting in the Appalachians were secluded, typically appearing alongside precious resources of the era like fertile soil and iron ore. These isolated villages were largely self-contained, featuring all the mills, smiths, and tradesmen required to sustain an early American settlement. It wasn’t until the creation of…

“It is difficult to express in a few lines the value of General Hastings’ services and the kindly regard the people of Conemaugh Valley entertain toward him.” —Rev. David J. Beale, First Presbyterian Church, Johnstown By the afternoon of Friday, May 31, 1889, record rains had already accumulated across Pennsylvania, with the worst being between…