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This is a 1870-80s photo of three men gazing at a snow-covered Horseshoe Curve, taken from the Baker's Mines spurline on the backside of the Curve by R.A. Bonine as featured in his "Views Among the Alleghenies" stereoscope series. The culverts in the distance are the Glen White Run/Horseshoe Curve Rd culverts that are still in use today. The photo was submitted by Kevin J. Stiver, author and historian of the Horseshoe Curve area.
Readers are encouraged to send or deliver old local photographs of general interest for use in Yesteryear. Information about people and places should be included. Photos must be 30 years old or older and should be sent to Yesteryear, Altoona Mirror, P.O. Box 2008, Altoona, PA 16603, or emailed to community@altoonamirror.com. For more information, call Brenda Carberry, community news coordinator, at 814-946-7459.
Local news on this date
Dec. 27, 1950
The Franklin & Marshall College Alumni Club of Altoona and Blair County, Melvin Welker chairman, was to hold a dinner meeting at the Altoona Hotel with F&M biology professor Fred S. Foster as the guest speaker. The school's 1950 football team was undefeated and Dr. Floyd Buzzard of Altoona was scholarship chairman.
Dec. 27, 1975
Hollywood actress Dee Ann Helsel, a 1966 graduate of Altoona Area High School, in Altoona to speak at a Rotary Club meeting, was given a tour of the renovated Altoona High by Charles Hill, district superintendent, William Kimmel, school board president, and James Oswald, AASD Alumni president.
Dec. 27, 2000
A 20-month dispute was settled when the Blair County commissioners said that the Hollidaysburg American Legion Ambulance Service could handle calls in Hollidaysburg Borough and the Hollidaysburg Veterans Home. AMED also had a suit pending against the commissioners.
Dec. 27, 2015
The Jones Funeral Home, 1222 13th Ave., was marking its 100th anniversary. The funeral home was founded by Edgar W. Jones in 1925 and currently run by a grandson, Robert M. "Bob" Jones since 1965.
Dec. 28, 1950
Altoona City Council annexed 19,837 acres of land along Pleasant Valley Boulevard that had been part of the Baker Estates. A fair market value of $19,600 had been established and Judge George G. Patterson said that the sale would become final in 30 days.
Jack Day, 1007 Eighth Ave., manager of the Strand Movie Theater in downtown Altoona and who had a miniature movie theater in his home, along with his wife Josephine, treated more than 60 neighborhood children to a Christmas party in their home with an "Our Gang" comedy movie, a cowboy movie and cartoons with candy and many other treats.
Dec. 28, 1975
The new Park Hills Plaza across from the Logan Valley Mall announced new tenants: A&P Grocery Store, Gee Bee, Household Finance Co., the Book Store, National Record Mart, Park Jewelers, Cinemette Movie Theater, Pappy's Pizza, Patriot Steak House, Central Counties Bank, Denny's Restaurant and a furniture, ice cream store and optician with names withheld. Opening was April 18.
Altoona Masonic Lodges attending the St. John the Evangelist Feast at the Jaffa Mosque were: Mountain Lodge 281, Logan Lodge 450 and Hiram Lodge 616. Retiring masters of each lodge were honored: Robert D. Means Jr., Eugene G. Gorman and George J. Gutshall, respectively.
Dec. 28, 2000
The Blair County Prison, Larry LaVelle acting warden, hired a mental health program called "Cage Your Rage" to deal with angry inmates, prison counselor Nancy Eason announced.
Military cadets from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Merchant Marine Academies spent the day visiting patients at the Van Zandt VA Medical Center in Altoona speaking with the veterans and touring the facility.
Dec. 28, 2015
Bishop Guilfoyle High School in Altoona, Joan Donnelly principal, was experimenting with a preparatory program called Pre-AP for seventh and eighth graders to take high school courses. Some parents sent children out of town for that purpose. BG had 16 such courses.
The ninth annual Lehman Engineers Horse Trail Ride & Trail Walk to benefit the Dreams Go On therapeutic horseback riding program raised $21,310 in the fall. Lavender Capenos-Paolucci was program ambassador.
National, world news on this date
Dec. 27:
In 1831, naturalist Charles Darwin set out on a round-the-world voyage from Plymouth, England, aboard the HMS Beagle.
In 1904, James Barrie's play "Peter Pan: The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up" opened at the Duke of York's Theatre in London.
In 1932, New York City's Radio City Music Hall opened to the public.
In 1968, the Apollo 8 capsule splashed down safely in the Pacific, completing the first crewed mission to orbit the moon.
In 1979, Soviet forces seized control of Afghanistan.
Dec. 28:
In 1908, a major earthquake followed by a tsunami devastated the Italian cities of Messina and Reggio Calabria, killing at least 70,000 people.
In 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance.
In 1973, the Endangered Species Act was signed by President Richard Nixon, a law designed to protect plants and animals from extinction.
In 1981, Elizabeth Jordan Carr, the first American "test-tube" baby, was born in Norfolk, Virginia.
Local news compiled by Tim Doyle. National, world news from The Associated Press.