Blair Co. Historical Society Program To Visit Three Cove Libraries

Blair County Historical Society’s lecture series has officially started. The third Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m., the society will host a lecture at the Railroaders Memorial Museum.

The lecture series will be as follows:

• April 19, 2023 – Altoona Area’s Forgotten Cemeteries, presented by Jim Snyder

• May 17, 2023 – Blair County’s Fallen Soldiers: World War I to the Present-A Memorial Day Retrospective, presented by James Lowe

• June 21, 2023 – Glen White: The Town that was forgotten in the Allegheny Mountains, presented by Kevin Stiver

• July 19, 2023 – The Underground Railroad in Blair County, presented by Harriett Gaston

• Aug. 16, 2023 – Blair County War Memorials and their Heroes, presented by Julia Plummer Schokker

• Sept. 20, 2023 – The Martinsburg Indian School, presented by Cori Shirk, Jodi Stouffer and Frank Vitale IV

• Oct. 18, 2023 – White Ladies, Hairy Beasts and Things that Go Bump in the Night: Urban Legends, presented by Michael Allison

• Nov. 15, 2023 – Altoona in Photos 1968-1971 Part II:AHS and Railroad Areas before Urban Development, presented by Michael Farrow

“We are currently working on the Sunday on the Lawn series,” Executive Director of the Blair County Historical Society Kate Rimbeck said.

The first Sunday on the Lawn this season will take place on May 28. On June 11, the Allegheny Ukulele Collective will play for an hour. Following that, the group will give lessons on how to play the ukulele.

The 46th Regiment Civil War Reenactment Band, The Altoona Community Band and The Altoona Area High School Band will all return this year.

“We have several of [bands] from last year returning since they were pretty popular,” Rimbeck said.

The museum opens for tours on May 26, which is the Friday before Memorial Day, and there are new exhibits coming up.

“We are bringing back The Two Centuries of Bridal Fashion,” Rimbeck said. “This year, we are adding additional gowns along with sprucing up the display and will have some new things added to it.”

New aspects of the World War II room will spotlight some of the Blair County veterans and will include identified veterans that were an intricate part of World War II.

Rimbeck added that the historical society has a new board chair following the end of Dr. Michael Farrow’s term.

“We have elected James Lowe as the board director,” Rimbeck said. “He is a retired school teacher from The Altoona Area School District. He has been on the board for many, many years. Dr. Michael Farrow has taken the position of first vice chair.”

Thanks to partial funding from The Hollidaysburg Women’s Club and Sam’s Club, The Blair County Historical Society’s Educational Program will be launched this year and given to libraries starting in June.

“We have six libraries participating and we’re targeting fourth- to eighth-grade age children over the summertime,” Rimbeck said. “You will receive a workbook and will learn how to build a time capsule. You will learn how to journal by documenting your history along with how to write a letter and how to address an envelope, interview your parents or guardian. There is so many activities in the two-hour program.”

The schedule for the program is as follows:

• June 21 – 2 to 4 p.m., Tyrone-Snyder Public Library

• June 29 – 1 to 3 p.m., Hollidaysburg Area Library

• July 12 – 2 to 4 p.m., Williamsburg Public Library

• July 20 – 2 to 4 p.m., Martinsburg Community Library

• July 27 – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Claysburg Area Public Library

• Aug. 17 – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Altoona Area Public Library

Rimbeck added that those interested in the society’s publications can check out the online store at http://www.blairhistory.org. The store has all of the history pamphlets and books along with different memorabilia from the Baker Mansion and the Blair County Historical Society.