Local Historia

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

“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. […]

In 1848, the first canal boat—the “George Crane”—arrived at Bellefonte from Milesburg with a celebratory crew of locals and board members of the Bald Eagle and Spring Creek Navigation Company. […]

Throughout Pennsylvania, one predator has captured the imagination of generations: the mountain lion. We are enamored by the thought of such an elusive and dangerous animal, whether serving as the […]

If you visit Bellefonte’s Talleyrand Park during the winter months, take some time to appreciate the old railroad snowplow alongside the playground. Dating back to the late nineteenth century, the […]