Book Signing, Author Meet and Greet

Attention Big Boy Fans! Looking for something extra to do during the Big Boy’s Altoona Visit? Look no further than the Baker Mansion History Museum!

The Baker Mansion History Museum, home to the Blair County Historical Society, is a 1800s ironmasters home, decorated in a Victorian fashion with much of the home’s original belongings, as well as multiple interactive exhibits centered on America250 and Blair County’s rich heritage, including the Revolutionary War, Presidential visits, and the rich diversity of why Blair County the way it is! Guided tours (60-75 mins) and self-guided tours will be available Friday July 10, through Sunday July 12 from 11am-4pm, a perfect afternoon adventure after visiting the Big Boy in the Rose Yard or after the Big Boy’s Saturday morning departure.

Friday, July 10 is a SPECIAL DAY because Horseshoe Curve historian Kevin J. Stiver will be IN-HOUSE at the Baker Mansion History Museum from 11-4pm for an author meet and greet to discuss Altoona’s and Horseshoe Curve’s railroad history. Visitors to the Baker Mansion History Museum’s gift shop will have the opportunity to purchase both of Stiver’s publications: Glen White, PA & Overcoming the Alleghenies which can be SIGNED by the AUTHOR!

Glen White, PA: Hidden among the mountains of Blair County, Pennsylvania, the once-thriving mining community of Glen White was home to generations of coal miners and their families. Founded to serve the coal industry that fueled the Pennsylvania Railroad, the village grew around its mines, company houses, and massive coke ovens before fading into history after the mines closed in the mid-twentieth century. Today, little remains to remind visitors that hundreds of people once lived and worked in this secluded mountain community. Through rare photographs, historical research, maps, and firsthand accounts, Glen White, Pennsylvania tells the story of a town that helped power one of America's greatest railroads. From its beginnings in the nineteenth century to its eventual abandonment, this book preserves the people, places, and industries that shaped one of Blair County's most fascinating forgotten communities.

Overcoming the Alleghenies: In the heart of the vast Allegheny wilderness, the Native American peoples who once called this region home knew every mountain, stream, and valley. Their well-worn trails guided generations across the rugged landscape, but those paths would eventually give way to a new era of transportation brought by European settlers. Roads, canals, railroads, and engineering marvels replaced ancient footpaths, while small wilderness camps gradually evolved into thriving communities that would become home to the largest railroad shops in the world. Despite their differences, each shared a common purpose: conquering the formidable Allegheny Front. This book traces that remarkable story through the historic Kittanning Trail, the Huntingdon, Cambria and Indiana Turnpike, the Allegheny Portage Railroad, and the Pennsylvania Railroad's world-famous Horseshoe Curve. Together, these transportation corridors transformed central Pennsylvania and forever changed the course of American commerce and westward expansion.

Both publications are fantastic ways to learn more about the area’s lesser-known heritage!

So, visit the Baker Mansion History Museum this weekend to learn more about Altoona’s and Blair County’s rich history through educated docents and historians!