This postcard shows the laying of the cornerstone for the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Altoona. The photo was posted on Facebook by Terence Campbell. Ground for the present cathedral was broken on Sept. 17, 1924, and the cornerstone was laid on May 30, 1926. That date was the 25th anniversary of the erection of Diocese of Altoona. Construction came to a halt in 1929 due to the Stock Market Crash. Construction resumed and the unfinished cathedral was opened for public worship on Sept. 7, 1931. The interior remained incomplete with walls of bare brick and rough concrete surrounding worshipers. Over the next 28 years Bishop Richard Guilfoyle, the third bishop of the diocese, accumulated the funds for the cathedral’s completion. However, he died before work could begin. Guilfoyle’s successor, Bishop Howard Carroll, began the work but died within a year. Work had progressed so fast, however, that his funeral was celebrated in March 1960 in the nearly completed cathedral. On Nov. 13, 1960, Bishop J. Carroll McCormick formally opened the cathedral.

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

June 6, 1951

Sister Mary Rosalia (Kettl), a Maryknoll Nun and native of Altoona, was reported as being released by the Chinese Communist government after six months of captivity. She was returned to the United States for medical treatment and then returned to a convent in China at her own request. She had been serving in China for 15 years.

June 6, 1976

Ground was broken at the Meadows intersection outside Hollidaysburg for a new Meadows Country Market with an estimated cost of $573,850, by Delbert Meadows and his six sons: James, Dick, May, Mac, Jay and Joel.

June 6, 2001

Kathy O’Rourke, guidance counselor at Altoona Area High for 28 years and chairwoman of the guidance department, announced her retirement. She had started her career as an elementary school teacher. She was working on a third book and planned some teaching at Indiana University.

June 6, 2016

Geisinger Medical Center was holding a two-day event at DelGrosso’s Amusement Park in Tipton for the Children’s Miracle Network, Mike McMullen, local spokesman, announced. Local motorcyclists were holding a Miracle Mile Run and Miracle Kids would be at the park.

June 7, 1951

Graduation ceremonies were held for 101 students of Altoona Catholic High School at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. The Most Rev. Richard T Guilfoyle, Bishop of the Altoona-Johnstown Catholic Diocese was presiding. Diplomas were handed out by the new principal, the Rev. Father Vincent A. Luther, replacing the Rev. Patrick D. Harkins.

Bicycle riders in public schools, Altoona Recreation Commission and city playgrounds, Altoona Mirror and Blair County AAA were to take part in the Montgomery Ward bike safety parade next week. J. Edward Printy, manager of the Montgomery Ward Store, was safety chairman.

June 7, 1976

Two members of the Altoona Police Force, Daniel Disabato acting chief, were given promotions: John Treese, a 15-year veteran of the force to sergeant, and Harry E. Biddle, a 32-year veteran of the force to captain.

The Mercy Mints, student volunteers at Mercy Hospital, held a mother-daughter banquet and elected Paula Scaramozzino president, Karen Armstrong vice president, Jeannette Fraundorfer secretary and Vicki Frame treasurer.

June 7, 2001

Hollidaysburg Area High School held graduation ceremonies with Kirk Donahoe named salutatorian and his twin Casey named valedictorian. Altoona Area High also held graduation ceremonies at Mansion Park with Sarah Lois Johnstone as valedictorian and Kevin Stoehr as class president.

At least seven bands were to hold a Juke Joint Jam musical event at the Blair County Convention Center in memory of fellow musician the late Jimmy Rossi and to raise funds for a memorial trust fund for his children.

June 7, 2016

Blair County, Altoona, Hollidaysburg, Bellwood, Duncansville, Logan and Frankstown Township were forming an Intergovernmental Stormwater Committee to replace the Blair County Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System MS4 Working Group.

Altoona City Council eliminated the land value property tax as too confusing and went back to the tax on total assessed land and building value property tax. Altoona was the only municipality in the country that based property tax on land value and not buildings value.

National, world news on this date

June 6:

In 1844, the Young Men’s Christian Association was founded in London.

In 1933, the first drive-in movie theater opened, in Camden, New Jersey.

In 1939, the first Little League Baseball game was played as Lundy Lumber defeated Lycoming Dairy 23-8 in Williamsport.

In 1944, during World War II, nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed in Normandy, France, on D-Day as they launched Operation Overlord to liberate German-occupied Western Europe. More than 4,400 Allied troops were killed on D-Day, including 2,501 Americans.

June 7:

In 1929, Vatican City formally came into existence as the Italian Parliament ratified the Lateran Treaty in Rome.

In 1942, the Battle of Midway ended in a decisive victory for American naval forces over Imperial Japan, marking a turning point in the Pacific War.

In 1976, New York magazine published an article by Nik Cohn titled “The Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night,” that inspired the 1977 film “Saturday Night Fever” and sparked a nationwide disco craze. (Cohn admitted in 1997 that the article was fiction.)

In 1982, Graceland, Elvis’ Mem-phis mansion, was opened to the public as a tourist destination, five years after his death.

Local news compiled by Tim Doyle. National, world news from The Associated Press.