Ridgway native Wolff, 26, is the current archivist and historian at Altoona’s Railroaders Memorial Museum, where he works to preserve local artifacts for future generations.

He’s also credited with working alongside YouTube content creator Part-Time Explorer on the museum’s documentary, “The Wreck of the Red Arrow,” detailing the 1947 train car derailment on Bennington Curve, right outside of the city.

Allie Walter, museum development and collections manager, said one of Wolff’s greatest strengths as a historian is that he didn’t grow up in Blair County, which results in his respect for the town’s history and willingness to share it with the community.

“Having him as the front man, showing his respect for it (local history) proved a great attribute to the museum,” she said.

Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum archivist and historian Matthew Wolff is seen giving a tour at the museum in 2022. Courtesy photo

History passed down

Wolff characterized his younger self as a history doom scroller, as he could be found Googling history questions in the search bar or exploring the world on digital maps on rainy days.

After googling a question, he said he’d click on Wikipedia’s blue links that would take him to another page, sending him into an internet spiral.

“Before you know it, you’re 30 minutes into staring at something,” he said with a laugh.

He also enjoyed being outdoors and visiting various museums with his three siblings and parents, including his history buff father, James Wolff.

Matthew Wolff looks at an 8x10 glass negative of an aerial photograph in the Railroaders Memorial Museum archives. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

James served in the United States Army for 39 years, with two overseas deployments, and he worked for 32 years in the Army Reserve Administration for his unit. With an extensive background in the military, he also became interested in its history.

They watched the History Channel and the Discovery Channel together, bonding over ancient, military and railroad history.

“He’s always been in love with trains from a very young age and always interested in everything about them,” James said, mentioning that they still talk about various history topics today.

And Wolff said he has his father to thank for his passion for history.

“I would say because of his interests and his service led me into becoming interested in the field of history,” Wolff said.

Railroaders Memorial Museum’s Matthew Wolff shows a guest some of the artifacts featured in an exhibit of uniforms. Courtesy photo

He also remained grateful for his mother and siblings’ support throughout the years.

As a result, he signed up for as many history electives as possible at Ridgway Area High School, curious about the past and politics during his adolescence.

Altoona’s railroad system

But the only time he previously heard of Altoona was watching WTAJ broadcasts that displayed two-hour delay alerts, picking out Altoona Area High School from that list.

After taking a gap year from high school, however, he found Altoona once again when considering Penn State Altoona’s history program.

Archivist and historian Matthew Wolff works in the Railroaders Memorial Museum archives. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

“I was very interested, and I liked how the campus looked,” he said. “I visited and fell in love with the campus, and that’s how I found myself in Altoona.”

Wolff said he learned a mixture of history while attending Penn State Altoona, and he wrote about the United States’ railroad system for his senior project.

He found the country’s previous reliance on railroads the most compelling part of its history, as America was developed around the railroad systems.

He said the reason why Western states, such as Colorado and Wyoming, have box-shaped state lines is because of the railroads, while Appalachian state lines were defined by mountain ranges.

“You did almost everything by the railroad,” he said, stating that people traveled by train to go to work, see family, and receive imported goods that were sold by local businesses.

Matthew Wolff looks over locomotive number plates in the Railroaders Memorial Museum archives. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

He also secured an internship with the Altoona Railroad Memorial Museum, where his work ranged from gift shop management to social media digital outreach.

Meanwhile, he gave tours of their Roundhouse that features their rolling stock, K4 locomotive and their freight and passenger cars.

After his internship, the museum approached Wolff with a position working at the gift shop. Then, the previous artifact curator left for another position, so Wolff filled that position.

Train wreck documentary

While giving tours, he said he realized that the 1947 train derailment on Bennington Curve, known as the Wreck of the Red Arrow, was a forgotten piece of local history that doesn’t receive enough attention.

“And I didn’t want that history to disappear,” he said.

So, he contacted YouTube content creator Tom Lynskey of Part-Time Explorer, who frequently creates history videos about important local events, and inquired about creating a documentary highlighting the Wreck of the Red Arrow.

At the time, Wolff also received a $5,000 grant from the Wolf-Kuhn Foundation, which enabled him to fund the animations he wanted in his documentary with Lynskey.

To create the documentary about a train car derailment on Feb. 18, 1947, that resulted in 24 deaths and 138 injuries, Wolff compiled first-hand accounts from a waiter/survivor as well as a journal kept by survivor Ella Mae Wright. Locomotive experts and digital artists also contributed to the film.

It took Wolff and Lynskey 12 to 15 months to complete their project, which they recently posted on YouTube one day before the tragedy’s 79th anniversary.

The hour-and-a-half documentary has accumulated more than 500,000 views as of Friday morning.

The museum has also shown the documentary at its facility and at Huntingdon’s Cinema Clifton 5, which served as a fundraiser for the organization.

Wolff said Lynskey has expressed interest in creating another documentary with the museum, and they’re currently discussing ideas. One documentary idea includes the Walter L. Main Circus train wreck of 1893 that resulted in both human and animal deaths, and the exotic animals that survived and roamed Tyrone’s countryside.

History found in the future

Wolff’s passion for history continues to shine through, which is why those around him believe he found a fitting profession as a museum archivist and historian.

“It was a double hit, as he got to work in the railroad and history,” James said.

Walter said that Wolff can also share his love for history with the public, as museums are focused on community.

“I hope he continues to share that with the community and uphold it with respect,” she said.

Wolff attested much of his success to his wife, Sydney, who he said has supported his passion since the day they met, as well as her parents and brother.

Despite history being behind us, Wolff said it’s important for people to understand it, as it continues to shape our present and future.

“Every day has a historically significant event,” he said. “Historical events in the past have led to history today. It’s important to remember that every day is a historical day and can lead to anything.”

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.

The Wolff file

Name: Matthew Wolff

Age: 26

Family: Wife, Sydney (Frank) Wolff; parents, James and Rebecca Wolff; and siblings: Nate, Sam and Hannah

Hometown: Ridgway

Education: Ridgway Area High School, 2018; bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Penn State Altoona, 2023

Occupation: Archivist and historian at Railroaders Memorial Museum