Blair County Historical Churches 1839 to 2000 On October 20, 1855, an incident occurred in Hollidaysburg/Gaysport in which Jacob Green, a runaway slave from Romney Virginia (now W.Va.), is pursued by James Parsons, nephew of the slaveowner, Isaac Parsons. Jacob… Continue Reading
When I moved to this area some 30 plus years ago, I was informed of a number of places that were associated with the Underground Railroad. Perhaps, you are aware of some of these areas as well: Chimney Rocks in… Continue Reading
The Blair County Branch of the NAACP came into existence in November of 1923. (According to the Crisis Magazine of April 1942) The Hollidaysburg branch of the NAACP held its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, Nov. 6 in the evening. … Continue Reading
Charles F. Brown was the first black High School graduate of Hollidaysburg High School in 1881. Margaret Garnett was valedictorian of Hollidaysburg High School in 1917. Her brother, Dr. George Garnett graduated from Hollidaysburg in 1916 and was the salutatorian… Continue Reading
The Allegheny Portage Railroad was honored with the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom in 2011. Their staff, along with a Penn State Altoona intern, found the documentation to determine that an incident that happened in October of 1855 in the… Continue Reading
‘God loves you’ Altoona Native writes about rejection and God’s power.
The Altoona Tribune of Friday, June 19, 1953 informed its readers that 12 military veterans from Altoona and Claysburg had met on Wednesday, June 17, 1953 at the Booker T. Washington Community Center to elect a temporary commander and secretary… Continue Reading
Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church History In 1839 the Afro-America citizens of Altoona were given a school house as a place of worship. Herein was the beginning stage of the Mount Zion Second Baptist Church. There are no records… Continue Reading
Mr. William Gable (owner of the former Gable company) informed the attendees of a convention for Black Women held on Thursday, August 20, 1914 at Bethel AME Church in Altoona, that he had obtained letters written by Frederick Douglass. He… Continue Reading
Sylvia Shorter Lee indicates in the 1981 article on “Black History and Heritage of Hollidaysburg that William Holliday’s son had brought an enslaved black man that participated in the Revolutionary War. During the Civil War, a number of men fought… Continue Reading