Local Historia

In the early morning hours of May 30, 1893, Engineer “Red” Cresswell attempted to bring Walter L. Main’s circus train—full of exotic animals, expert performers, employees, equipment, and Main himself—down one of the most treacherous stretches of railroad in all of Pennsylvania. Despite his reservations about the ability to control the oversized railcars, pressures from…

A romance blossomed in the 1860s between a world-class scientist and the daughter of an ironmaster. The first president of the Farmers’ High School, Dr. Evan Pugh, found his one and only Valentine in Bellefonte. Her name was Rebecca Valentine. Rebecca Valentine was born on February 12, 1832, the eldest daughter of Abram S. Valentine…

When cruising down Interstate 99, it’s easy to fly past exit 61. Nestled in the Bald Eagle Valley just off the highway between Tyrone and State College lies the small town of Port Matilda. Today, the town has a bank, market, post office, elementary school, and the Port Matilda Hotel and Tavern (which boasts some…

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…