Local Historia

During the early morning hours of Oct. 5, a fire raged through the historic Woodward Inn in Haines Township. The inferno tore through the old stone inn, which dates back to 1814. The two-and-a-half story structure and the broader Woodward community were devastated by the tragedy. However, community efforts are in the works to raise…

Every autumn, as warm sunshine makes way for chilly evenings and changing colors, “spooky season” creeps into our quaint towns and villages. Like clockwork, we forget summer fun to indulge in pumpkin spice, warm soups, crisp Friday nights, and even the occasional haunt. Fortunately for those with an affinity for the macabre, our communities are…

“‘The times have been, That, when the brains were out, the man would die (Macbeth).’ But not so in these times…’” – Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” quoted in the Hanover (Pa) Guardian, March 31, 1819 In the previous month’s column, we covered Part 1 of a fascinating true crime tale that took place in Central Pennsylvania between…

This day I confess to my sorrow and shame, I shot Reuben Guild whom I never knew by name. And left his body weltering all in a purple gore, Even now I regret it and will forever more.[1] –Ballad of James Munks (one of many versions) One of the challenging but enjoyable aspects of being…

In the 18th century, the lands that would become Centre County were harsh to European settlers. Taken by force or treaty from Native American populations who were pushed west, the lands, though plentiful in resources, needed to be carved into a community from dense, primordial forest. Only the bravest or most industrious fur traders and…

The War of 1812 is often overlooked, especially its impact on locals in the middle of Pennsylvania. In 1811, George Records was one of the first settlers of what is now Worth Township, Centre County. Somewhere between Port Matilda and Julian, he started to clear land to build a home and a life. Meanwhile, on…

By the mid-19th century, Centre County stood as a cradle of industry and statesmen in the wilds of the Alleghenies. Ironworks dotted the landscape, logging was at its peak, railroads cut through the vast wilderness, and the county seat, Bellefonte, had established itself as a beacon of “unshakeable character and civic order.” Yet that very…

I recently had the honor of visiting Jimmy Brown (James Robert Brown) at his home in Spring Mills. He and his fiancé, Susan Randolph, had just restored a rare 1861 map of Centre County that they had found rolled up in the attic of Susan’s childhood home, known as the Millheim Toll House. They proudly…

In Central Pennsylvania, few disasters linger in the memories of our communities like the St. Patrick’s Day flood of March 17, 1936. The winter of 1935-36 was particularly harsh, and had seen historic snowfall and low temperatures across January and February. A week prior to St. Patrick’s Day, Central Pennsylvania was blanketed with 2 to…

Professor John Wise was one of America’s foremost aeronauts in the 19th century. Between 1835 and 1879, the Pennsylvania native made 462 aerial voyages in a variety of handcrafted balloon airships, including from Bellefonte. However, on his last voyage from a fairgrounds in St. Louis, Missouri, something went terribly wrong. As Wise and a passenger…