The Way Things Were: Photography by T.A. Sharpnack
Unknown girl. Credit: Uniontown Public Library. Reverse of the photo. Credit: Uniontown Public Library.
Quick Tip: Tombstone Photographs
Have you wanted to visit an ancestor’s place of burial, but you can’t make it to Fayette County? Or maybe you’re local and you just don’t want to go out in the cold? (Can’t blame you.) Check out the Fayette County Genealogy Project. Apart from a unique assortment of records and resources — including a bibliography of…
Making the Sale: Harry Beeson’s Valentines, 1908
Advertisement from the Daily News Standard. Feb. 10, 1908.
This Week In History: Valentine’s Day, 1908
This segment features a news item from Fayette County’s past. This week we examine a story from the February 14, 1908 edition of the Daily News Standard. “The observance of St. Valentine’s day in and about Uniontown this year is very general and young and old are joining heartily in the exchange of tender missives of affection,…
The Way Things Were: A Little Snow
An unidentified man tidies up after a snowfall. Credit: Uniontown Public Library.
Book of the Month: A History of the Medical Profession of Fayette County
This month I’m starting something new in the Pennsylvania Room: a Book of the Month display. As many of our visitors are from out of the area and only have time to do specific genealogical research, they usually don’t have a chance to crack open one of our local history books. Given the variety and…
This Week In History: The Uniontown Motor Club, 1924
This segment features a news item from Fayette County’s past. This week we examine a story from the February 9, 1924 edition of the Morning Herald. The headline isn’t all that eye-catching: “Annual Meeting of Motor Club Monday Evening.” This was a reference to the Uniontown Motor Club, a relatively new group reorganized from the Automobile Club…
Quick Tip: Town Histories
When researching the history of a particular town, check what the local media had to say on the anniversary of its founding. Newspapers often print special editions at these times that contain a wealth of historical information. Papers printed on a town’s centennial or bicentennial are a good place to start, but don’t discount the…
This Week in History: Prewar Prosperity in 1915
This segment features a news item from Fayette County’s past. This week we examine a story from the January 28, 1915 edition of the Morning Herald. In January of 1915, the U.S. was just emerging from a two-year recession. It was in this economic climate that the The Morning Herald made a joyful announcement: The H.C. Frick Company had called…
Works In Processing: The W. Russell Carr Papers
In March, the National Archives will open an exhibit called “Making Their Mark.” It will feature notable documents from U.S. history, with a focus on the signatures and the people who penned them. The exhibit caught my attention because I’m in the middle of creating a finding aid for the W. Russell Carr Papers. This…