PA Photos and Documents

On the evenings of May 31 and June 2, 1998, tornadoes swept through Southern Somerset County, shocking local residents with the occurrence of such an unusual weather event in this …

As part of a larger statewide effort, in 2018 the Meyersdale Public Library undertook a project to document and compile a list of known African American burials in Somerset County. …

This collection includes photographs and correspondence pertaining to Captain Will Judy, a famous son of Garrett, Summit Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Born in 1891 and raised in this small coal …

Before the southern Somerset County community of Meyersdale was incorporated as “Meyersdale” on February 19, 1874, it was known as “Dale City.” On May 2, 1870, a petition to incorporate …

In June of 2022 a patron of the Meyersdale Public Library lent to its Pennsylvania Room a copy of a 1939 Garrett High School yearbook and granted the library permission …

Nestled within the picturesque countryside outside of Meyersdale, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, Maple Valley Parks’ community swimming pool was once a vibrant center of summer joy. Although the pool first opened …

The Meyersdale High School published its first yearbook, titled “The Comet” and numbering some 25 pages, in 1910. The school’s next yearbook publication came in 1926, when students produced “The …

Founded by Civil War Veteran Luther A. Smith in 1878, the Meyersdale Commercial was published weekly each Friday morning. This collection, containing issues of the Commercial from 1881 through 1912, …

After nearly eight years of preparation and construction that began with a 1944 discussion among Meyersdale Rotary Club members, the Meyersdale Community Hospital opened its doors to the public on …

In 1947 Meyersdale’s Charles E. Kelly American Legion Post 112 organized its own Drum & Bugle Corps. Consisting of Meyersdale area Veterans of World War II, the local corps became …

Meyersdale’s first responder community serves as a key component in keeping the area safe should an emergency arise. It’s difficult to imagine the town without a fire department to serve …

These scenes are among the oldest images of Meyersdale and its residents known to exist. Captured in the southern Somerset County, Pennsylvania, town during the early 20th century, they reflect …

With the Pennsylvania Maple Festival Board of Directors’ permission, the Meyersdale Public Library digitized nearly 400 35mm slides documenting the Pennsylvania Maple Festival from the late 1950s through the 1980s …

The Meyersdale Public Library photograph collections contain approximately 2,000 photographs. From the total collection, about 320 will be selected for digitization based on the selection criteria. The photographs that will …

Railroads were key to Meyersdale’s development, causing the small town to grow significantly during the final years of the 19th century and most notably into the early decades of the …

The first edition of the “Red and Black” Meyersdale High School student paper in booklet form was introduced in November 1922. The paper was published for several years. This collection …

Incorporated in 1871, the Borough of Casselman is today a remnant of its former self. Named in 1864 for its location along the banks of the Casselman River in Upper …

Incorporated in 1857, the Borough of Rockwood was significantly boosted by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad line running through the town – most specifically its passenger service. When that passenger …

These 18 photographs are part of a larger Meyersdale Public Library – Photograph Collection. The photographs selected for display as part of that larger PA Photos and Documents collection are …

The Johnston Bender Family Collection combines photographs, letters, scrapbooks, and business records of two families–the Rev. Elias S. and Anna (Odell) Johnston family of Altoona and Salisbury and the Fred …

Gideon D. Miller (1862-1941), a Mennonite minister, shifted from his family’s woodworking traditions to metal. He started with his patented steam traction engines shipped across the US and Mexico for …

William Wagner, a cooper of Salisbury, Somerset County, worked on farms in the 1870s and then bought a farm near West Salisbury (Elk Lick Township) in 1882. With experience in …

The Meyersdale Public Library dates back to 1938, when the Meyersdale Woman’s Club, under the direction of Frances Livengood Imler, appointed a committee to plan for the establishment of a …

Founded in 1900 by Pennsylvania State Representative Samuel Austin Kendall – who would go on to serve seven terms as a Republican in the United States Congress, from his election …

The Somerset County Times made its debut on November 3, 1883. Introduced to the public as “a journal of independent thought” – as would be noted on page two of …

Born in 1840 in Salisbury, Somerset County, photographer, author and Civil War veteran William Henry Welfley would earn a reputation as “the county’s historian.” Serving 19 terms as burgess of …