John Montgomery (Monte) Ward is the only person from Centre County elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The Bellefonte native was a player and manager in the early years of professional baseball, but is best known for organizing the sport’s first union in 1885.
The Egg Hill Church in Potter Township was one of the first Evangelical churches in Penns Valley and is considered an outstanding example of the early country churches built in Centre County. The church building, located on an isolated hilltop on Short Mountain, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Daniel Hartman Hastings, a longtime resident of Bellefonte, was the governor of Pennsylvania from 1895 to 1899. He gained public notice with his leadership in the aftermath of the catastrophic Johnstown flood of 1889. During his term as governor, the commonwealth’s government underwent significant change. Hastings was born in Clinton County on February 26, 1849. […]
The presence and impact of Native Americans in what is today Centre County is a matter of both history and popular imagination. Evidence indicates that the region between the West Branch of the Susquehanna and the Juniata Rivers was primarily an area of hunting and transit for Native Americans.
The Boogersburg School is a historic one-room schoolhouse in Patton Township where students were educated for 75 years. On May 1, 1877, Moses Thompson, the owner and ironmaster of the Centre Furnace, deeded land on what is now Fox Hollow Road for the schoolhouse. Thompson wanted to provide a school for the children of his […]
Mount Nittany is probably Centre County’s most famous geographical feature. Thanks to the Penn State football team, fans across the country are familiar with the name of the iconic ridge. As a result, Mount Nittany has become an integral part of the lore of the school and region.
Pennsylvania Furnace, founded in 1813 on the western edge of Ferguson Township, was one of the longest-operating ironworks in Centre County. The furnace survived ownership changes and economic downturns to continue producing pig iron until 1888.John Lyon built the furnace along a tributary of Spruce Creek to take advantage of the rich iron ore deposit in the area.
Creamery is beloved institutional symbol of Penn State. Its ice cream and dairy products are legendary among alumni, students, and visitors. The Ice cream short courses have attracted students from every continent.
The Hotel State College is a State College landmark, known as the home of the popular Corner Room restaurant. In 1855, James Jack opened “Jack’s Road House” at the corner of College Avenue and Allen Street. At the time, the hotel was a resting place for travelers waiting for trains across the street.
The Centre Daily Times is the daily newspaper in Centre County. During its more than 120-year history, it has published under different names and different owners. Like many daily newspapers in small communities what began as the State College Times began as a weekly newspaper on May 12, 1898.