Local History
The Library is a great source of local historical information in many different formats. We have histories of our region, counties, and communities. We have a solid collection of railroad history books and photographs.
The following books are available on our website:
The Tree Language of the Pennsylvania German Gypsies
Shoemaker, Henry W.
Reading, PA: Reading Eagle Press, 1925
A Week in the Blue Mountains
Shoemaker, Henry Wharton
Altoona, PA: The Altoona Tribune Press, 1914
The Bald Eagle
Chatman, John H.
Altoona, PA: The Altoona Tribune Press, 1919
Stories of Pennsylvania Animals
Shoemaker, Henry, W.
Altoona Tribune, 1913
A Forgotten People
Shoemaker, Henry, W.
Bellefonte, PA 1922
Present Status of Wildlife
Shoemaker, Henry, W.
Elizabethan Days
Shoemaker, Henry, W.
Reading, PA 1912
Altoona Chamber Of Commerce
1913-1914
Architecture: Practical and Theoretical
Louis and Michael J. Beezer
Altoona, PA 1894
Canal Towns: Survey of Canal-Era Resources in Huntingdon. Hollidaysburg and Williamsburg
Scott D. Heberling 2013
Altoona, the Keystone City of the Keystone State
Altoona Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of Commerce: Altoona, PA 1924
A History of Blair County Pennsylvania
Clark, Charles B, Esq.
Charles B. Clark, Esq.: Altoona, PA 1896.
A Letter to a Protestant Friend
Gallitzin, Demetrius Augustine
Thomas Foley: Ebensburg, PA 1820.
Indian Eve and Her Descendants
Replogle, Emma A. M.
J. L. Rupert, Book and Job Printer: Huntingdon, PA 1911
A History of Methodism in Altoona
Knox, Homer C.
Altoona, PA 1909
Altoona Mirror Souvenir Booklet
Altoona Mirror
Altoona Mirror Printing Company: Altoona, PA 1912
Stephen Franks and the History of Fox Hunting in Blair County
Shoemaker, Henry W.
Altoona, PA: Altoona Mirror, 1937
Story of Altoona
Author Unknown
Clarence E. Weaver; Eddy Press Corp. 1911
The Reunion of Scholars of the Old Third Ward Schools
Altoona, PA held at the Logan House June 12th, 1896
Altoona Area Public Library Collections — PA Photos and Documents
Altoona Tribune Indexes February 1858 – January 1872
Digital History Books
The Altoona Area Public Library offers local history books in digital format to preserve the history of the area. In recent years, we have seen an increasingly urgent need to find a way to capture the information about our past from books that are crumbling with age. Many of the books in our Pennsylvania Room collection are in very brittle condition and deteriorate more each time they are handled.
In a digital format, the information can easily be read and studied without causing further harm to the original publications. We hope this will preserve our local history well into the future for anyone who may be interested.
Some digitized resources presented on this page were made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Wolf Governor. © 2016
The Pennsylvania Room
The Pennsylvania Room, located on the 2nd floor balcony, is full of books of local significance. It is dedicated to the illustrious histories of Pennsylvania, its Counties, and our local towns and cities including Altoona, Claysburg, Hollidaysburg, Martinsburg, Roaring Spring, Tyrone, Williamsburg, and many more.
Through the generosity of the Blair County Genealogical Society, we have many of their publications available for use in research.
New resources digitized by Penn State and the Library of Congress:
The Altoona Area Public Library 90th Anniversary Oral History Project
