Altoona

by Jared Frederick

Overview

For over a century, Altoona, Pennsylvania, was a bustling industrial hotbed. The town thrived as a gem of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which constructed some 6,000 steam locomotives. However, like so many communities in the wake of World War II, Altoona struggled amidst deindustrialization and cultural shifts. The 1968 end of the Pennsylvania Railroad, a decreasing population, and a dying downtown slowly made the city a shadow of its former self. However, recent developments reveal potential--as is seen in the corporate presence of Norfolk Southern and Sheetz. Additionally, the growth of Penn State Altoona, regional health care systems, and the Altoona Curve baseball club continue to make the city and its environs a unique place within the heart of the Allegheny Mountains.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781439650905
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	04/20/2015
Series:	Images of Modern America
Sold by:	Bookwire
Format:	eBook
Pages:	96
File size:	91 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

In this illustrated narrative, Penn State Altoona history instructor Jared Frederick presents the story of Altoona within the broader context of American history. Tracing local people, businesses, and culture from 1945 to the present, he interprets a city still in the process of remaking itself. Through rare images, the author exhibits lost local history as well as surviving treasures worth saving for the benefit of posterity and pride.