Add YOUR Family To This Page
What is the history of Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA?
People, Pictures, Old Postcards and Stories From the Past
Explore Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA. Discover its history. Learn about the people who lived there through stories, old newspaper articles, pictures and genealogy.
"Altoona, a city of Blair co, Pa., on the Pennsylvania Railroad, at the eastern base of the Alleghany Mountains, 117 miles E. of Pittsburg, 237 miles W.N.W. of Philadelphia, and 132 miles W. by N. from Harrisburg. Here the railroad begins to ascend the mountain by a grade so steep that two locomotives are attached to each train. A branch railroad extends from Altoona southward to Henrietta. Locomotives and railroad-cars are manufactured here in extensive machine-shops belonging to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Four daily and 6 weekly newspapers are published here. Altoona is supplied with water by hydraulic works which cost about $500,000. It has 21 churches, viz., 2 Baptist, 4 Catholic, 1 Church of God, 1 Dunkard, 1 Episcopal, 1 German Lutheran, 1 German Reformed, 2 Lutheran, 5 Methodist, 2 Presbyterian, and 1 United Brethren; also 2 convents, a high school, a public library, 2 national banks, 2 other banks, a rolling-mill, several planing-mills, iron-works, &c. Pop. in 1860, 3591; in 1810, 10,610; in 1880, 19,710; in 1890, 30,337."
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ...
Joseph Thomas
January 1, 1895
J.B. Lippincott
Not the place you are looking for? Try again!
Search for Your Family by Place
- 1854 - Altoona
Altoona, a thriving post-village of Blair county, Pennsylvania, on the Central railroad, 244 miles W. from Philadelphia, and 160 miles E. from...Read MORE... 
1887 - SINGULAR ACCIDENT. THE BREAKING OF A CAR WHEEL ON THE PENNSYLVANIA ROAD RESULTS IN THE KILLING OF FOUR PASSENGERS.
Altoona, Pa., May 28. - Last night as the fast line west was nearing Kittanning Point the wheel of a car on a train cast burst and the car crashed...Read MORE...
Logan House & P.R.R. Train Shed & Station- 1895 - Altoona
Altoona, a city of Blair co, Pa., on the Pennsylvania Railroad, at the eastern base of the Alleghany Mountains, 117 miles E. of Pittsburg, 237 miles...Read MORE... 
View in Lakemont Park
High School
B. of R.T. Building- 1906 - BIG FIRE AT ALTOONA. FURNITURE STORE AND THEATRE DESTROYED - OTHER BUILDINGS DAMAGED.
Altoona, Pa., Oct. 20. - One of the most serious fires that has ever occurred in Altoona started in the new five-story furniture building of OLIVER...Read MORE... - 1907 - December 23 - 1st all-steel passengar railroad coach completed, Altoona, Pa
historyorb.com - 1916
Altoona, a city of Blair co., Pa., on the Pennsylvania R., at the eastern base of the Alleghany Mountains, 117 miles E. of Pittsburg, 237 miles WNW....Read MORE... - 1945 - YARD ACCIDENT TAKES LIFE OF RAIL FIREMAN. LUKE A BOYLAN OF LILLY IS STRUCK BY EAST BOUND PASSENGER LOCOMOTIVE.
Altoona, Pa., (AP) - LUKE A BOYLAN, aged 48, of 142 Portage Street, Lilly, a Pittsburgh division locomotive fireman, was killed instantly this...Read MORE... - 1953 - March 1 - WTAJ TV channel 10 in Altoona, PA (CBS) begins broadcasting
historyorb.com
Old Photos, Pictures, Advertisements and Postcards from Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA
Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA
Logan House & P.R.R. Train Shed & Station
Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA
View in Lakemont Park
Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA
High School
Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA
B. of R.T. Building
Don't end up on this site as someone's ancestor!
The Starch Solution: Eat the Foods You Love, Regain Your Health, and Lose the Weight for Good!
The Starch Solution: Eat the Foods You Love, Regain Your Health, and Lose the Weight for Good!
History and News of Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA
Add History/News-
1854 - Altoona
Altoona, a thriving post-village of Blair county, Pennsylvania, on the Central railroad, 244 miles W. from Philadelphia, and 160 miles E. from... Read MORE...
1887 - SINGULAR ACCIDENT. THE BREAKING OF A CAR WHEEL ON THE PENNSYLVANIA ROAD RESULTS IN THE KILLING OF FOUR PASSENGERS.
Altoona, Pa., May 28. - Last night as the fast line west was nearing Kittanning Point the wheel of a car on a train cast burst and the car crashed... Read MORE...
-
1895 - Altoona
Altoona, a city of Blair co, Pa., on the Pennsylvania Railroad, at the eastern base of the Alleghany Mountains, 117 miles E. of Pittsburg, 237 miles... Read MORE...
-
1906 - BIG FIRE AT ALTOONA. FURNITURE STORE AND THEATRE DESTROYED - OTHER BUILDINGS DAMAGED.
Altoona, Pa., Oct. 20. - One of the most serious fires that has ever occurred in Altoona started in the new five-story furniture building of OLIVER... Read MORE...
-
1907 - December 23 - 1st all-steel passengar railroad coach completed, Altoona, Pa
historyorb.com
-
1916
Altoona, a city of Blair co., Pa., on the Pennsylvania R., at the eastern base of the Alleghany Mountains, 117 miles E. of Pittsburg, 237 miles WNW.... Read MORE...
-
1945 - YARD ACCIDENT TAKES LIFE OF RAIL FIREMAN. LUKE A BOYLAN OF LILLY IS STRUCK BY EAST BOUND PASSENGER LOCOMOTIVE.
Altoona, Pa., (AP) - LUKE A BOYLAN, aged 48, of 142 Portage Street, Lilly, a Pittsburgh division locomotive fireman, was killed instantly this... Read MORE...
-
1953 - March 1 - WTAJ TV channel 10 in Altoona, PA (CBS) begins broadcasting
historyorb.com
Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA Genealogy
Ancestors Who Were Born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA
We currently have information about ancestors who were born in Altoona.View Them Now (sorted by last name)
View Them Now (sorted by year of birth)
Ancestors Who Died in Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA
We currently have information about ancestors who died in Altoona.View Them Now (sorted by last name)
View Them Now (sorted by year of death)
Ancestors Who Were Married in Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA
We currently have information about ancestors who were married in Altoona.View Them Now
Updated: 11/6/2019 12:18:45 PM
Are you from Altoona? Do you have ancestors from there? Tell us YOUR story!
If you'd like to be contacted by others who have ancestors from Altoona, leave a message here!The comments you read here belong only to the person who posted them. We reserve the right to remove off-topic and inappropriate comments.