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This is one of the earliest pictures of The Palace Hotel located on Graham Avenue in Windber, Somerset County, around 1897-1900. The original Palace as seen in the picture burnt down in the early 1900s, then the yellow brick building was constructed. The photo is from the Windber Area Museum Facebook page.
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
Oct. 31, 1951
Altoona City Council approved an Altoona Enterprise proposal to sell 27 acres of land between Plank Road and Logan Boulevard to SKF Industries for a ball bearing plant. They also approved naming two streets in the new Pleasant Village Housing Project Duff Drive and Laughlin Circle. James Duff was a former PA governor and J. Lester Laughlin a former Altoona mayor.
Oct. 31, 1976
Mount Aloysius Junior College in Cresson partnered with the Cresson YMCA to establish a nursery school for 3- and 4-year-olds at the school. Kathleen Wuinn Shuler was the teacher.
Oct. 31, 2001
A group called Ghost Hunters, Al Brindza of Indiana County co-founder, was at the U.S. Hotel in Hollidaysburg to check for paranormal activity with infrared cameras and tape recorders. Brindza was said to have psychic sensitivity that attracted ghosts.
Oct. 31, 2016
The Castle Halloween Museum on Broad Avenue, owned by Pam Apkarian-Russel, which stocked 40,000 items, was to remain a private museum for small tours when expensive required code updates were needed to open to the public.
Nov. 1, 1951
Council 181 of the Columbian Squires took over Altoona City Hall for a day, being sworn in by Mayor J. Lester Laughlin. Chief Squire James Wiley was mayor, city engineer was Havey Waite, chief of police Ronald Ball and public safety, Thomas Peoples.
Playing live on stage at the Mishler Theatre was "Carmen," presented by the 100-member London Opera Company on its first American tour. It featured a full symphony orchestra and the Spanish Corps De Ballet and Chorus. Tickets were $3.15 for orchestra seats, $2.50 and $2 for balcony.
Nov. 1, 1976
Frank Marsh, chairman of the board of Mid-State Bank spoke at the dedication of the Blair County Time Vault on the bank's 75th anniversary and the country's 200th. Marsh had spoken to comedian George Burns several days before.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house was held at Monte & Sons Bakery, Al Monte president and his son Pat Monte vice president, at the delivery of a new rounder machine that would allow them to bake and distribute New York-style breads and rolls.
Nov. 1, 2001
Pastor Gary Dull of the Altoona Bible Church announced the formation of the Coalition for Religious Freedom while standing on the steps of the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg. The group's goal was to make sure everyone is allowed religious freedom at work, school and in the community.
A Beaujolais Bash was planned for Nov. 15 at the Mellon Bank Building on 11th Avenue, sponsored by the Blair County Arts Foundation and the Westsylvania Arts and Heritage Festival with an Altoona Community Theater presentation after at the Mishler Theatre. (Beaujolais Nouveau was the name of a French wine.)
Nov. 1, 2016
Project S.O.S. (Support Our Soldiers), Gary Clare coordinator, was in its 12th year of sending packages to soldiers overseas and this year's goal was 420 packages. More than 50 items like canned goods, toiletries and drinks were needed.
A program called NED, based on the name of a cartoon character, was being held at Juniata Elementary School to promote positive behavior and academic achievement for the students. NED stood for Never Give Up, Encourage Others and Do Your Best.
Oct. 31
In 1913, the Lincoln Highway, the first automobile highway across the United States, was dedicated.
In 1941, work was completed on the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, begun in 1927.
In 1961, the body of Josef Stalin was removed from Lenin's Tomb as part of the Soviet Union's "de-Stalinization" drive.
In 1984, Indira Gandhi, India's Prime Minister for more than 15 years, was assassinated by two of her own security guards.
In 2005, President George W. Bush nominated Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court.
In 2011, the United Nations estimated that world population had reached 7 billion people (world population is greater than 8 billion today).
Nov. 1
In 1512, Pope Julius II inaugurated Michelangelo's masterfully painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, which depicted biblical accounts including the creation of the world, the fall of man and the story of Noah.
In 1800, President John Adams and wife Abigail moved into the still unfurnished and largely unfinished mansion now known as the White House. They lived there less than five months before Thomas Jefferson took office in March 1801.
In 1938, in a two-horse match, Seabiscuit defeated the favored Triple Crown winner War Admiral by four lengths in what was dubbed the "Race of the Century" at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
In 1982, the first Japanese car produced in the U.S. rolled off the assembly line at the Honda manufacturing plant in Marysville, Ohio.
Local news compiled by Tim Doyle. National, world news from The Associated Press.