Altoona is a city in
Blair CountyBlair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 129,144. It was created on February 26, 1846, from parts of Huntingdon and Bedford Counties...
,
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the principal city of the Altoona, PA MSA. The population was 49,523 at the 2000 census, making it the ninth most populous city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh,
AllentownAllentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 106,632...
,
ErieErie is an industrial city on the shore of Lake Erie in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth largest city , with a population of 104,000...
,
ReadingReading is a city and the county seat of Berks County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the center of the Greater Reading Area...
,
ScrantonScranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to figures released by the United States Census Bureau in 2000,...
,
BethlehemBethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 71,329 , making it the sixth largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, and...
and
LancasterLancaster is a city in the South Central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is the county seat of Lancaster County. With a population of 55,351, it is the eighth largest city in Pennsylvania, behind Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Reading, Bethlehem, and Scranton...
. The Altoona MSA includes all of Blair County and had an estimated population of 125,527 in 2007, according to the U.S. Census.
Having grown around the
railroadRail transport is the conveyance of passengers and goods by means of wheeled vehicles running along railways or railroads. Rail transport is part of the logistics chain, which facilitates international trade and economic growth...
industry, the city is currently working to recover from
industrial declineDeindustrialization is a process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region, especially heavy industry or manufacturing industry. It is an opposite of industrialization.- Multiple interpretations :There are multiple...
and
urban decentralizationUrban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs over rural land and to its outskirts. The problem of urban sprawl is that it is costly to initiate the development of new infrastructure adequate enough to support its residents...
experienced in recent decades. The city is home to the
Altoona CurveThe Altoona Curve are a minor league baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve . The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club...
baseball team of the Double A
Eastern LeagueThe Eastern League is a minor league baseball league which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the AA level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923 as the New York-Pennsylvania League...
, which is the Double A affiliate of the
Pittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions, in addition to the distinction of playing in the first modern World Series. The Pirates are also often...
. It also houses the 75+ year-old Altoona Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Teresa Cheung. Prominent landmarks include the
Horseshoe CurveHorseshoe Curve is a famous railroad horseshoe curve in central Pennsylvania, near Altoona in the United States. Called an "engineering marvel", it was completed in 1854 by the Pennsylvania Railroad. It was later used by the Penn Central, then Conrail, and is currently owned and operated by the...
, the
Railroaders Memorial MuseumThe Railroaders Memorial Museum is a railroad museum in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The museum is dedicated to revealing, interpreting, commemorating and celebrating the significant contributions of railroaders and their families to American life and industry.Altoona is one of the hubs of the area's...
, the
Mishler TheatreMishler Theatre was opened on February 15, 1906, by Isaac Mishler. The theatre is located in downtown Altoona, Pennsylvania Eight months later, the neighboring Rothert building caught fire and quickly spread to the theater, destroying it...
, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, and the Jaffa Mosque.
Altoona is also the home of the
SheetzSheetz, Inc. is a chain of gas stations/convenience stores owned by the Sheetz family. Stores are located in Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia....
headquarters. Sheetz is one of the largest convenience store and gas station chains in the country, with stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina. Because of this, many Sheetz stores are located in and around Altoona.
Geography
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the city has a total area of
9.8 sq mi (25.3 km²), all land. Altoona is situated in the Allegheny Mountains.
Altoona is located at 40°30'39" North, 78°23'59" West (40.510720, -78.399758).
History
A major
railroadRail transport is the conveyance of passengers and goods by means of wheeled vehicles running along railways or railroads. Rail transport is part of the logistics chain, which facilitates international trade and economic growth...
town, Altoona was founded by the
Pennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a
boroughA borough is an administrative division of various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868. The town grew rapidly in the late 19th century, its population approximately 2,000 in 1854, 10,000 in 1870, and 20,000 in 1880.
The word Altoona is a derivative of the Latin word
altus, meaning "high".
This explanation for the naming of Altoona is contradicted by Pennsylvania Place Names .
Although Altoona, in Blair Country, is popularly known as "the Mountain City," its name has no direct or indirect etymological relation to the Latin adjective altus, signifying "elevated, lofty." Two very different explanations of the origin of this name are current. The one which seems to be most natural and reasonable runs as follows:
"The locomotive engineer who ran the first train into Altoona in 1851 was Robert Steele, who died several years ago, aged nearly ninety years. He was then the oldest continuous resident of the city. He was much respected, and had long been one of the private pensioners of Andrew Carnegie. Mr. Steele is authority for the statement that Colonel Beverly Mayer, of Columbia, Pennsylvania, who, as a civil engineer of what was then the Pennsylvania Central Railway, had laid out the tracks in the yards of the newly projected city, named the place Altoona after the city of Altona in Schleswig-Holstein, which became part of Germany in 1862."
The German Altona, which lies on the right bank of the Elbe immediately west of Hamburg, is an important railway and manufacturing centre with a population of nearly 200,000. The etymological derivation of the name Altona is not known with certainty.
The popular explanation derives the name of Altoona from Allatoona, said to be a Cherokee Indian name. In 1849 David Robinson sold his farm to Archibald Wright of Philadelphia, who transferred the property to his son, John A. Wright, who laid it out in building lots, became one of the founders of Altoona, and was responsible for the naming of the town. According to his own statement, he had spent considerable time in the Cherokee country of Georgia, where he had been especially attracted by the beautiful name of Allatoona, which he had bestowed upon the new town in the belief that it was a Cherokee word meaning "the high lands of great worth." In the Cherokee language there is a word eladuni, which means "high lands," or "where it is high"; but to a Cherokee, Allatoona and eladuni are so different that the former could hardly be derived from the latter.
An older history dated 1883 favored the Cherokee derivation, stating that "Its name is not derived from the Latin word altus nor from the French word alto, as has frequently been asserted and published, but from the beautiful, liquid, and expressive Cherokee word allatoona. This is on the authority of the person who bestowed the name, Mr. Wright, of Philadelphia, who was long a resident of the Cherokee country in Georgia, and an admirer of the musical names of that Indian language."
The demand for
locomotiveA locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s during the
Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
stimulated much of this growth, and by the later years of the war Altoona was known as a valuable city for the North. It was considered by
ConfederateThe Confederate States of America was a separatist political entity existing between 1861 to 1865, established by eleven southern slave states of the United States of America, each of which had previously declared their secession from the United States...
General
Robert E. LeeRobert Edward Lee was a career United States Army officer, an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history. Lee was the son of Major General Henry Lee III "Light Horse Harry" , Governor of Virginia, and his second wife, Anne Hill Carter...
as a target during the
Army of Northern VirginiaThe Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac. Three districts were created under the Department of Northern Virginia:*Aquia...
's mid-1863 entry into Pennsylvania, before being repelled at the
Battle of GettysburgThe Battle of Gettysburg , fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of...
. Also notable is the Union's Loyal
War Governors' ConferenceThe Loyal War Governors' Conference was an important political event of the American Civil War. It was held at the Logan House Hotel in Altoona, Pennsylvania on September 24 and 25, 1862. Thirteen governors of Union states came together to discuss the war effort, state troop quotas, and the...
, held at Altoona's
Logan House Hotel.
The
Horseshoe CurveHorseshoe Curve is a famous railroad horseshoe curve in central Pennsylvania, near Altoona in the United States. Called an "engineering marvel", it was completed in 1854 by the Pennsylvania Railroad. It was later used by the Penn Central, then Conrail, and is currently owned and operated by the...
, a famous curved section of track owned by the
Pennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, has become a
touristTourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other...
attraction and
National Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance. All NHLs are listed in the National Register of Historic Places...
. The Curve was used to raise trains to a sufficient
elevationThe elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, often the mean sea level. Elevation, or geometric height, is mainly used when referring to points on the Earth's surface, while altitude or geopotential height is used for points above the surface, such as an...
to cross the Allegheny Ridge to the west, beyond which was the
steelSteel is an alloy consisting mostly of iron, with a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most cost-effective alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
town of
PittsburghPittsburgh is a city in and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and the second largest city in the state. Its population was 334,563 at the 2000 census; by 2006, it was estimated to have fallen to 312,819. The population of the seven-county metropolitan area is...
and the rest of the western
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Because it was the industrial link to the western U.S., the Horseshoe Curve was a primary target of eight
NaziNazism, known officially in German as National Socialism , is the totalitarian ideology and practices of the Nazi Party or National Socialist German Workers’ Party under Adolf Hitler, and the policies adopted by the dictatorial government of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945.Nazism is often considered...
saboteurs who had infiltrated the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(1942) by being dropped off by
U-boatU-boat is the anglicized version of the German word , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s of the German Navy (
KriegsmarineThe Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945, during the Nazi regime, superseding the Reichsmarine, and the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht.-Command structure:Adolf Hitler was the commander-in-chief...
) during
Operation PastoriusOperation Pastorius was a failed plan for sabotage via a series of attacks by Nazi German agents inside the United States. The operation was staged in June 1942 and was to be directed against strategic U.S. economic targets...
.
In the early 20th century, the Railroad's
Altoona WorksAltoona Works is a large railroad industrial complex in Altoona, Pennsylvania. It was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad to supply the railroad with locomotives, railroad cars and related equipment. The initial portions of the complex were constructed in 1850, and many additional buildings and...
complex employed, at its peak, approximately 15,000 people and covered three miles (5 km) in length, 218 acres (880,000 m²) of yards and 37 acres (150,000 m²) of indoor workshop floor space in 122 buildings. The Pennsylvania Railroad built many of its own locomotives at the Works, some 7,873 in all, the last being constructed in 1946.
The Railroad had a significant influence on the city, creating the city's fire departments and relocating the hospital to a site nearer to the shop's gates. Today, the fire department employs 65 personnel and is the largest career department between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, PA. The railroad sponsored a city band and constructed Cricket Field (a sports complex). In 1853, the Railroad built the Mechanic's Library, the first industrial library in the nation which exists today as the Altoona Public Library. With the decline in railroad demand after
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, things began to decline steadily afterwards, with most of the plant is now gone. Many of the historic treasures of the city's history have also disappeared, including the aforementioned Logan House Hotel.
Altoona is one of the dual seats of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-JohnstownThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown is a Roman Catholic diocese in Pennsylvania. It was established in May 1901 as the Diocese of Altoona, on October 9, 1957 the name changed to the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. It consists of Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clinton, Huntingdon and...
. The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament was made a
cathedralA cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
and rechristened from St. John's Church in 1851.
The
Altoona Mirror newspaper, founded in 1876 by Harry Slep, is Altoona's oldest media outlet. Today, the newspaper has a daily circulation of 32,000 and a Sunday circulation of 39,000. Approximately 13,000 people read the online edition of the newspaper each day.
Today, Altoona serves as the corporate home to
SheetzSheetz, Inc. is a chain of gas stations/convenience stores owned by the Sheetz family. Stores are located in Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia....
, a rapidly growing
convenience storeA convenience store is a small store or shop that sells items such as candy, ice-cream, soft drinks, lottery tickets, newspapers and magazines, along with a selection of processed food and perhaps some groceries. Stores that are part of gas stations may also sell motor oil, windshield washer fluid,...
chain in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It now has over 330 locations throughout Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina.
Altoona is home to the world's oldest wooden roller coaster, the Leap the Dips, located in
Lakemont ParkLakemont Park, located in Altoona, Pennsylvania, houses the world's oldest-surviving roller coaster, the Leap-The-Dips. The park opened in 1894 as a trolley park and became an amusement park in the summer of 1899. It is the 8th oldest in the United States...
.
Sections
The main sections of Altoona are the
DowntownDowntown Altoona is the cultural and commercial center of the historic railroad city of Altoona, Pennsylvania. Much of the downtown area is listed in the national registry of historic places. Popular landmarks include the Mishler Theatre, the Penn Alto building , the Gable's Building, City Hall,...
, Dutch Hill area, East end, the Pleasant Valley region, the Plank Road Shopping district, Juniata, Logantown, Fairview, Eldorado, The Fifth Ward, and the Industrial Park. Many of the older districts consist of a mix of
rowhomesIn architecture and city planning, a terrace or row house or townhouse is a style of medium-density housing that originated in Europe in the late 17th century, where a row of identical or mirror-image houses share side walls...
and individual homes, which were a common building style in railroad towns so-as to provide for worker and manager housing, respectively.
Downtown
The Downtown is the cultural and commercial center of Altoona and straddles the famous railroads. Much of the downtown area is listed in the national registry of historic places. Popular landmarks include the
Mishler TheatreMishler Theatre was opened on February 15, 1906, by Isaac Mishler. The theatre is located in downtown Altoona, Pennsylvania Eight months later, the neighboring Rothert building caught fire and quickly spread to the theater, destroying it...
, the Penn Alto building (formerly the Penn Alto Hotel), the Gable's Building, City Hall, the Cathedral, the Jaffa Mosque, and Eleventh Avenue itself.
Unlike most larger cities, the exact boundaries of the downtown are not specifically defined, due to the lack of natural boundaries. Residents tend to conservatively define the boundaries of the downtown as including the urban/commercial core, whereas more official sources define it as including all high and middle-density zoning. The downtown's borders are generally defined by
6th AvenuePennsylvania Route 764 is a north-south state highway in Blair County, of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route is one of many major north-south throughfares in Altoona. South of the city near Duncansville, a suburb and unofficial section of Altoona, it terminates at an interchange with U.S....
to 16th Avenue (and Willow Avenue in the "Logantown" section) along the east and west; and from 4th Street to
18th StreetPennsylvania Route 36 is a long state highway located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 26 near the Hopewell Township community of Yellow Creek...
along the north and south. The downtown is sometimes considered to extend as far as 24th Street and beyond. And the eastern boundary is said by some to extend from 11th street to 19th street up to 3rd avenue.
As is typical to a traditional city layout, the downtown is centrally located and contains significant development in all directions from the downtown. The commercial core of the downtown includes many multistory residential, commercial, and mixed-use facilities designed in at the turn-of-the-century in a mix of
VictorianThe term Victorian architecture can refer to one of a number of architectural styles predominantly employed during the Victorian era. As with the latter, the period of building that it covers may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria after whom it is...
,
Edwardian BaroqueThe term Edwardian Baroque refers to the Neo-Baroque architectural style of many public buildings built in the British Empire during the Edwardian era ....
, and
Neo-RomanesqueRomanesque Revival is a style of building employed in the late 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque style of architecture. Popular features of these revival buildings are round arches, semi-circular arches on windows, and belt courses...
styles. This style features high ceilings, resulting in taller buildings than is typical for the number of floors. The high ceilings are typically made of either
tinA tin ceiling is an architectural element that was very popular in Victorian buildings in North America in the late 19th and early 20th century.-History:...
or
plasterThe term plaster can refer to plaster of Paris , lime plaster, or cement plaster. This article deals mainly with plaster of Paris / gypsum plaster....
, although sometimes a
drop ceilingA dropped ceiling is a secondary ceiling, hung below the main ceiling. They may also be referred to as a drop ceiling, false ceiling, or suspended ceiling, and are a staple of modern construction and architecture. The area above the dropped ceiling is called the plenum space, as it is sometimes...
is utilized.
Individual homes originally provided housing to managers and executives of the Pennsylvania Railroad and can be best recognized by the structural similarities to Victorian or Edwardian mansions, but built very narrow and tall with little to no space between the two structures. These are sometimes used as double or triple family apartments or even converted into commercial space. Outside of the commercial core is a mosaic of multistory commercial structures, mixed use facilities, single story commercial structures, apartment buildings, multi-unit housing, and single-family homes.
Downtown Altoona is notable for having several churches, such as the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament at the corner of 13th Street and 13th Avenue, the
PresbyterianPresbyterianism is the religion of a number of different Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, and organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity...
church on the corner of 12th Street and 14th Avenue, and the First
LutheranLutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the 16th century German reformer Martin Luther. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
Church on the corner of 14th Street and 12th Avenue. The Station Medical Center, formerly known as the Station Mall, was a downtown mall built during the 1970s in place of many old railroad shops. The downtown contains most of what's known as Altoona's
Little ItalyLittle Italy is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood.-Canada:*Little Italy, Calgary, in Alberta*Little Italy, Edmonton, in Alberta...
district.
As has been typical of many rust belt cities, the economic downturn of the railroad resulted in the closure of many of the downtown's landmark stores and industries; and the simultaneous rise in prominence of the
automobileAn automobile, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
shifted commercial development to the suburbs. However, through recent revitalization efforts, Altoona's downtown maintains a significant level of economic vitality and hosts few office and residential vacancies. The downtown maintains a significant focus on
pedestrian-oriented developmentWalkability is a measure of how friendly an area is to walking. Walkability has many health, environmental, and economic benefits. However, evaluating walkability is challenging because it requires the consideration of many subjective factors...
, as evidenced by the presence of more pedestrian bridges and underpasses across the railroad tracks (connecting the two parts of Downtown) than automobile crossings.
Penn State Altoona has bought several downtown buildings, including the former Playhouse Theater building, the six-story Penn Furniture building, and the former
WRTAWRTA is a News/Talk/Sports formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Altoona, Pennsylvania, serving Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania. WRTA is owned and operated by Sherlock Broadcasting, Inc.-External links:*...
building. The University provides a flow of resources into the downtown, aiding in revitalization efforts. As an example of the university's value to the downtown's economy, the installation of the Blue Lot near the Wolf Court Building has improved the economic attraction of downtown by offering up to three hours of free parking. A bike path connecting the Campus to Downtown Altoona has been proposed.
One unique little known fact is that the
Texas Hot DogThe Texas hot dog, Texas chili dog, Texas hot, or Texas wiener is a hot dog with chili or hot sauce; it served in various regions of the United States in variations with assorted accoutrements.-Texas Weiner:...
was originally created in downtown Altoona in 1918, although the
Paterson, New JerseyPaterson is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 149,222. Census population projections indicate a population of 146,545 as of 2007, making it New Jersey's third largest city. It is the county seat of Passaic County...
Texas Hot Dog location, which opened in 1924, is more famous.
Dutch Hill and Pleasant Valley
The Dutch Hill area is near the main school campus that straddles the edge of the downtown, and is bounded by 6th Avenue and
I-99Interstate 99 is an intrastate Interstate Highway entirely within central Pennsylvania. The current southern terminus is at exit 146 of the Pennsylvania Turnpike north of Bedford, where the road continues south as U.S. Route 220. The northern terminus is currently at Interstate 80 near...
on the east and west, and 25th Street and Kettle Street to the north and south. From Walton Avenue to I-99, this area is also known as the Pleasant Valley region and includes a part of the Little Italy district. The Dutch Hill district contains an abundance of historic neighborhoods and traditional "corner markets". With the construction of the Altoona Area Junior High School, the lines between the school zone of Dutch Hill and the Downtown are becoming increasingly blurred, because the main Altoona Area School District campus extends all the way up to 4th avenue, which is not a part of the downtown. However, some tourism-oriented sources include the lower Dutch Hill region up to 3rd Avenue from 11th Street to 19th Street as part of the downtown because of its historic nature as a part of the earliest settled region of Altoona.
Fairview
The line between Downtown and Fairview is a bit blurred, since some elements of Fairview's low-density residential nature can be seen as low as 13th Avenue, and some elements of the medium to high density nature of the Downtown as far up as 18th Avenue. At times, you see some single unit houses on 13th through 16th Avenues, and 16th through 18th Streets, amongst much taller office, retail, and apartment buildings. Many of the houses in the part of downtown near Fairview and lower Fairview are the middle-density mansions originally owned by managers and executives of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The most striking example of this is the Penn Alto residential hotel on the corner of 13th Avenue and 12th Street, which has two single-unit houses next to it. Conversely, there are a few multistory residential and commercial buildings on 17th Avenue. Fairview could be best described as the urban neighborhoods that one would expect to find just outside of a downtown. One of the sections of the downtown is called "Lower Fairview" due to its transitionary nature.
Industrial
The Industrial section is near Margaret Avenue, Broad Avenue, and Beale Avenues, and spans the area between 17th Street and 37th Street. Some of the Industrial section is also considered part of the downtown. It is named that because of its history of manufacturing facilities, such as
Boyer CandiesBoyer Brothers, Inc. is a candy company located in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Founded by brothers Bill and Bob Boyer in 1936, with help from their mother Emily, the company initially produced nut raisin clusters and homemade fudge. The Boyer Brothers started their business selling door to door....
. Although many factories exist here, and this is the main industrial region, the name can be deceiving, as there is a lot of industry near the railroads in the downtown, Logantown, Eldorado, and Juniata sections of Altoona.
Eldorado
Eldorado, pronounced locally, El-doe-ray-doe, is the southern section of Altoona, south of Logan Boulevard and west of 6th Avenue. The
SheetzSheetz, Inc. is a chain of gas stations/convenience stores owned by the Sheetz family. Stores are located in Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia....
Headquarters is located in this area. At one time, this section was also known as the "West End"; and strangely, northern Altoona is known as the "East End". This is probably due to the fact that trains leaving the north end of town head east towards Philadelphia while trains leaving the south end of town head west towards Pittsburgh. Some parts of Eldorado are actually outside of incorporated Altoona and located in
Allegheny TownshipAllegheny Township is a township in Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,965 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
.
Logantown
Logantown is the area just north of the Downtown, even including some parts of the Downtown, this is where the Altoona Hospital, the tallest building in Altoona, is located. However, some sources also indicate that the hospital is located in downtown, indicating that 4th Street is the border between the two neighborhoods. 4th street between Chestnut and Willow Avenues includes a mixture of residential and commercial uses.
Juniata
Juniata was once its own city, but was incorporated into Altoona in the late 1800s. This background is the reasoning behind the community's change in streetnames as well as the presence of its own commercial district. The commercial district, sometimes nicknamed "downtown Juniata", is much like the commercial district along 29th Street, in the Industrial section, and also like the commercial district near the Bon Secour Hospital, both just outside of Altoona's downtown. To reduce confusion due to the change in street names, many of the roadways were given a "North" prefix. The most important street in Juniata's L-shaped commercial district is North Second Street.
Greenwood/East End
Greenwood is a mixture of urban and suburban style neighborhoods, with more modern buildings than you find in Juniata. Greenwood's boundary is not agreed upon, some state that it is Greenwood Road, while others state that it is Main Street (ironically, not Altoona's main street), and others say that it includes the part of the East End that's less urban than around Route 764. Some of Greenwood is north of incorporated Altoona and is actually part of Logan township. On Business Route 220, there is actually a small "village of Greenwood" sign, despite the fact that it's actually partly in Altoona and partly in Logan Township.
The East End includes part of the Dutch Hill region and is bounded by 1st street, because north of 1st street, all avenue names are given an "east" prefix. The East End, in contrast to Greenwood's lower density, is surprisingly urban and densely packed, almost as dense as downtown in some parts.
Transportation
Altoona is a major center on the
Norfolk Southern RailwayThe Norfolk Southern Railway is a major Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
's Pittsburgh Line. In Altoona, helper engines are added to heavy trains to give them extra power up and over the
Horseshoe CurveHorseshoe Curve is a famous railroad horseshoe curve in central Pennsylvania, near Altoona in the United States. Called an "engineering marvel", it was completed in 1854 by the Pennsylvania Railroad. It was later used by the Penn Central, then Conrail, and is currently owned and operated by the...
west of town. The
Juniata- In Michigan :*Juniata Station, Michigan or Juniata, a railway station in Fremont Township, Tuscola County*Juniata Township, Michigan, a civil township of Tuscola County-In Pennsylvania :*Juniata, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a neighborhood in Philadelphia...
Heavy Repair Shop Complex, originally built by the
Pennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, is the primary repair and maintenance facility on the Norfolk Southern Railway. On an average day, 60 to 80 trains pass though Altoona. The historical importance to the railroad industry and the current high level of railroad activity has made Altoona a mecca for railfans for over 60 years, with the
Railroaders Memorial MuseumThe Railroaders Memorial Museum is a railroad museum in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The museum is dedicated to revealing, interpreting, commemorating and celebrating the significant contributions of railroaders and their families to American life and industry.Altoona is one of the hubs of the area's...
and the Horseshoe Curve being popular spots for individuals to take photographs of passing trains.
In addition to the many freight trains,
AmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a blend of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union Station...
's
Pennsylvanian{| The Pennsylvanian is a 444-mile daytime Amtrak train running between New York and Pittsburgh via Philadelphia. The trains travel through Pennsylvania's capital, the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, suburban and central Philadelphia, and pass through New Jersey up to New York.Trains run once daily in...
train stops at
Altoona stationThe Altoona Transportation Center is an intermodal passenger facility providing local bus, intercity bus, and rail services. It is located at 1231 11th Avenue in downtown Altoona, Pennsylvania....
once daily in each direction, and also makes use of the
Horseshoe Curve* A Horseshoe curve — A track layout used to reduce the gradient a train must travel uphill.* Horseshoe Curve — A particular horseshoe curve in Pennsylvania....
.
Local bus service in the city is provided by AMTRAN. In 2007, AMTRAN customers suffered a major loss in service due to cuts in state funding. In May of that year,
Governor RendellEdward Gene "Ed" Rendell is an American politician and Governor of Pennsylvania. Rendell, a member of the Democratic Party, was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 2002, and his term of office began January 21, 2003...
visited Altoona to discuss plans intended to rectify this situation.
Roadway service primarily consists of
Interstate 99Interstate 99 is an intrastate Interstate Highway entirely within central Pennsylvania. The current southern terminus is at exit 146 of the Pennsylvania Turnpike north of Bedford, where the road continues south as U.S. Route 220. The northern terminus is currently at Interstate 80 near...
, which provides access to the
Pennsylvania TurnpikeThe Pennsylvania Turnpike is a toll highway system operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. The turnpike system encompasses 532 miles in three sections. Its main section, extending from the Ohio state line in the west to the New...
to the south and
Interstate 80The transcontinental Interstate 80 is designated across northern Pennsylvania as the Keystone Shortway. This route was built mainly along a completely new alignment, not paralleling any earlier U.S. Routes, as a shortcut to the tolled Pennsylvania Turnpike and New York State Thruway...
to the north; and
U.S. Route 22U.S. Route 22 is a west-east route and is one of the original United States highways of 1926, running from Cincinnati, Ohio, at US 27, US 42, US 127, and US 52 to Newark, New Jersey, at U.S. Route 1/9 near the Newark Liberty International Airport.US 22 also carries the names of the William Penn...
, which provides east-west service and direct access to
PittsburghPittsburgh is a city in and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and the second largest city in the state. Its population was 334,563 at the 2000 census; by 2006, it was estimated to have fallen to 312,819. The population of the seven-county metropolitan area is...
and
HarrisburgHarrisburg is the capital of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 48,950, making it the tenth largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Reading, Scranton, Bethlehem, Lancaster, and...
. Local roadways in Altoona tend to be given numerical names, and
Streets are aligned northwest-southeast and
Avenues are aligned northeast-southwest.
The
Altoona-Blair County AirportAltoona-Blair County Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located in Martinsburg, 12 miles south of the central business district of Altoona, a city in Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States...
provides commercial air service for Altoona, offering daily flights to
Washington Dulles International AirportWashington Dulles International Airport is a public airport located 25 miles west of the central business district of Washington, D.C., in Dulles, Virginia . It serves the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The airport is named after John Foster Dulles, United States Secretary of State...
and a limited number of flights to
Pittsburgh International AirportPittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil-military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...
.
Sports
| Team |
Sport |
League |
Championships |
Venue |
Altoona CurveThe Altoona Curve are a minor league baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve . The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club...
|
BaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...
|
Eastern League The Eastern League is a minor league baseball league which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the AA level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923 as the New York-Pennsylvania League...
; Southern Division |
1 |
Blair County Ballpark Blair County Ballpark is a 7,210-seat baseball-only stadium in Altoona, Pennsylvania that hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 15, 1999, as the tenants of the facility, the Altoona Curve defeated the Bowie Baysox, 6-1...
|
In the early 20th century, the Pennsylvania Railroad constructed a large sports complex at the intersection of Chestnut Avenue and Seventh Street. It was named Cricket Field in an attempt to appeal to
CricketCricket is a bat-and-ball team sport that is first documented as being played in southern England in the 16th century. By the end of the 18th century, cricket had developed to the point where it had become the national sport of England. The expansion of the British Empire led to cricket being...
-loving
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
investorAn investor is any party that makes an investment.The term has taken on a specific meaning in finance to describe the particular types of people and companies that regularly purchase equity or debt securities for financial gain in exchange for funding an expanding company...
s. Cricket did not catch on with the Altoona populace, so its close relative baseball became the choice for Cricket Field. Well known baseball players as
Babe RuthGeorge Herman Ruth, Jr. , also popularly known as "Babe" Ruth, "The Bambino", and "The Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from –...
and
Josh GibsonJoshua Gibson was an American catcher in baseball's Negro Leagues. He played for the Homestead Grays from 1930 to 1931, moved to the Pittsburgh Crawfords from 1932 to 1936, and returned to the Grays from 1937 to 1939 and 1942 to 1946...
played at Cricket Field, and the stadium was also the venue for numerous other sporting events, musical competitions, marching units, and activities. A plaza stands today on the site of Cricket Field.
Altoona was the site of a 1.25 mile
board trackBoard track, or motordrome, racing was a type of motorsport, popular in the United States between the second and third decades of the 20th century, where competition was conducted on oval race courses with surfaces composed of wooden planks...
called Altoona Speedway from 1923 to 1931.
Education
Altoona has an education system that contains two high schools, one parochial, one public.
Bishop Guilfoyle High SchoolBishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School is a grade 9-12 private, Roman Catholic high school designed to provide a comprehensive Catholic, career focused education in Altoona, Pennsylvania. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown...
is the private parochial school having grades 9-12, located at 2400 Pleasant Valley. Blvd.
Altoona Area High SchoolAltoona Area High School is the public high school for the Altoona Area School District. The high school is located in Altoona, Blair County. The high school serves the populations living in Altoona, Logan Township, and a small portion of Tyrone Township...
houses grades 10-12, and is located at 1415 6th Ave. Altoona High is much larger than Bishop Guilfoyle, graduating around 600 students annually, while Guilfoyle graduates around 100. Most athletic teams at Bishop Guilfoyle are the smallest classification within the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), which is Class single A. In contrast, those at Altoona Area High School are the largest classification within the PIAA, which is AAAA. These high schools rarely compete against each other, except in basketball, volleyball, tennis, cross country and softball.
Altoona is also home to The Pennsylvania State University, Ivyside Park campus, also known as
Penn State AltoonaPenn State Altoona is a commonwealth campus of The Pennsylvania State University. It is located in Logan Township, Pennsylvania, just outside of Altoona, Pennsylvania, although some of its buildings are located in the heart of Altoona's downtown.- History :...
. This is the second largest of the
Penn State Commonwealth CampusesThe Pennsylvania State University is a geographically-dispersed university system with campuses located throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...
. The college has approximately 3,800 students as of the 2006-07 school year.
Radio
| FM stations |
| call letters |
frequency |
format |
location |
Owner |
| WHHN |
88.1 |
Religious |
Hollidaysburg |
Radio Maria, Inc. |
| WRXV |
89.1 |
Christian Contemporary |
State College |
Invisible Allies Ministries |
| WUFR |
91.1 |
Religious |
Bedford |
Family Radio |
| WJSM |
92.7 |
Religious |
Martinsburg |
Martinsburg Broadcasting, Inc. |
| WHPA |
93.5 |
Oldies |
Gallitzin |
Vernal Enterprises, Inc. |
| WBXQ |
94.3 |
Country |
Patton |
Sherlock Broadcasting |
| WBRX |
94.7 |
Adult Contemporary |
Cresson |
Sherlock Broadcasting |
| WSLQ |
95.5 |
Country |
Johnstown |
Forever Broadcasting |
| WKYE |
96.5 |
Adult Contemporary |
Johnstown |
Forever Broadcasting |
| WFGY |
98.1 |
Country |
Altoona |
Forever Broadcasting |
| WRKW |
99.1 |
Rock |
Ebensburg |
Forever Broadcasting |
| WWOT |
100.1 |
Top 40 |
Altoona |
Forever Broadcasting |
| W274BE |
102.7 |
Christian Contemporary |
Altoona |
Invisibile Allies Ministries |
| WLAK |
103.5 |
Hot AC |
Huntingdon |
First Media Radio, LLC |
| WALY |
103.9 |
Hot AC |
Bellwood |
Forever Broadcasting |
| WRKY |
104.9 |
Rock |
Hollidaysburg |
Forever Broadcasting |
| W294AE |
106.7 |
Public Radio |
Altoona |
Pennsylvania State University |
| WMES |
107.7 |
Religious |
Altoona |
Lay Stewardship Educational Association |
| AM AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation.-History:AM was the dominant method of broadcasting during the first eighty years of the 20th century and remains widely used into the 21st....
stations |
| call letters |
frequency |
format |
location |
Owner |
| WHUN |
1150 |
Huntingdon |
News/Talk |
Megahertz Licenses, LLC |
| WRTA |
1240 |
Altoona |
News/Talk |
Handsome Brothers, Inc. |
| WFBG |
1290 |
Altoona |
News/Talk |
Forever Broadcasting |
| WKMC |
1370 |
Roaring Spring |
Nostalgia |
Handsome Brothers, Inc. |
| WVAM |
1430 |
Altoona |
Sports |
Forever Broadcasting |
Television
The Johnstown/Altoona/State College market is the 101st largest in the country. The following box contains a list of television stations in the area.
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 49,523 people, 20,059 households, and 12,576 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 5,069.7 people per square mile (1,957.1/km²). There were 21,681 housing units at an average density of 2,219.5/sq mi (856.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.01% White, 2.49% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.74% of the population.
There were 20,059 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,248, and the median income for a family was $36,758. Males had a median income of $28,851 versus $21,242 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the city was $15,213. About 12.9% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
- Harry J. Anslinger
Harry Jacob Anslinger held office as the Assistant Prohibition Commissioner in the Bureau of Prohibition, before being appointed as the first Commissioner of the Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics on August 12, 1930.He held office an unprecedented 32 years in his role Harry Jacob...
, first Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of NarcoticsThe Federal Bureau of Narcotics was an agency of the United States Department of the Treasury. Established in the Department of the Treasury by an act of June 14, 1930 consolidating the functions of the Federal Narcotics Control Board and the Narcotic Division...
.
- Michael Behe
Michael J. Behe is an American biochemist and intelligent design advocate. He currently serves as professor of biochemistry at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania and as a senior fellow of the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture...
, professor of biochemistry, author, proponent of Intelligent designIntelligent design is the assertion that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a modern form of the traditional teleological argument for the existence of God, but one which...
.
- Brad Benson
Brad William Benson is a former professional American football player. He was an offensive lineman with the New York Giants of the National Football League from 1978 to 1988. He was a pivotal member of the 1986 Giants team that defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI...
, former professional football player, New York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The team plays its home games at Giants Stadium, which also serves as its headquarters, and trains at an adjacent practice facility within the Meadowlands Sports Complex...
.
- Andrew Jackson Bettwy
Andrew Jackson Bettwy, an Arizona Democrat, served as of Nogales, Arizona, from 1935 to 1937. Bettwy was in the first class of the University of Arizona law school Andrew Jackson Bettwy, an Arizona Democrat, served as of Nogales, Arizona, from 1935 to 1937. Bettwy was in the first class of the...
, Mayor of Nogales, ArizonaNogales is a city in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 20,878 at the 2000 census. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 20,833. The city is the county seat of Santa Cruz County....
(1935-1937).
- Janet Blair
Janet Blair was an American film and television actress.-Background:Born as Martha Jane Lafferty in Altoona, Pennsylvania, she began her acting career on film in 1942, being placed under contract to Columbia Pictures...
, film actress.
- Ron Blazier
Ronald Patrick Blazier is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He bats and throws right-handed....
, former baseball player, Philadelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are the defending World Series champions. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern...
- Rob Boston
Robert Boston has been Assistant Director of Communications for Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Assistant Editor of Church & State magazine since 1987. Boston is an advocate of separation of church and state and has authored three books on the subject...
, author, advocate of church-state separation.
- Bill and Bob Boyer, founders of Boyer Brothers
Boyer Brothers, Inc. is a candy company located in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Founded by brothers Bill and Bob Boyer in 1936, with help from their mother Emily, the company initially produced nut raisin clusters and homemade fudge. The Boyer Brothers started their business selling door to door....
Inc., commonly known as Boyer Candies.
- Paul Revere Braniff
Paul Revere Braniff was an airline entrepreneur. He was, along with his brother Tom, one of the original owners of Braniff International Airways.-Biography:Revere Braniff was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania...
, entrepreneur.
- Sam Cohn
Samuel Charles Cohn was a talent agent at International Creative Management, a firm he helped create, in the borough of Manhattan in New York City....
, New York talent agent (1929-2009)
- Charlie Crist
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician of the Republican Party and the current Governor of Florida. He was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania and moved to St...
, GovernorA governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
.
- Eugene "Stu" Duncan, CPA, IRS, Politician.
- John Ebersole
John Joel Ebersole is a former American Football linebacker in the National Football League for the New York Jets. He played college football at Penn State University and was selected in the fourth round of the 1970 NFL Draft....
, former professional footballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
player New York JetsThe New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the Northeastern New Jersey part of the tri-state New York metropolitan area. They are members of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays its home games in East...
- Danny Fortson
Daniel Anthony Fortson is an American professional basketball player at power forward formerly in the NBA.-Early life:...
, professional basketball player Seattle SupersonicsThe Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
- Hedda Hopper
Hedda Hopper was an American actress and gossip columnist, whose long-running feud with friend turned arch-rival Louella Parsons became at least as notorious as many of Hopper's columns.-Early life:...
is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Altoona
- Tommy Irwin
Thomas Andrew Irwin was a Major League Baseball player. An alumnus of the University of North Carolina, Irwin was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in and played three games for them in October...
, baseball player.
- Mike Iuzzolino
Michael Alan Iuzzolino is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2nd round of the 1991 NBA Draft. Iuzzolino, a 5 foot 10 inch point guard, played two years in the NBA, both with the Mavericks averaging 9.0 ppg in his career...
, basketball player.
- Richard T. James, Inventor of the slinky.
- Stan Jones
Stanley Paul Jones is a former American football guard and defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and the Washington Redskins...
, football player.
- Robert Jubelirer
Robert C. Jubelirer is a RepublicanPennsylvania political leader. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1975 to 2006, and simultaneously served as the President Pro Tempore of the Pennsylvania State Senate and Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania between 2001 and...
politician.
- Henry Kloss
Henry Kloss was a prominent audio engineer and businessman who helped advance high fidelity loudspeaker and radio receiver technology beginning in the 1950s. Kloss was a student in physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology , but never received a degree...
, engineer.
- Robert E. Laws
Robert E. Laws was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...
, Medal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes themselves "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while...
recipient, World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
- James Loy
Admiral James Milton Loy served as the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from December 4, 2003, to March 1, 2005...
, former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
- John J. McGuire
John Joseph McGuire was an American author of science fiction.He usually wrote with H. Beam Piper.-Shorts:* "Hunter Patrol"...
, science fiction writer.
- Johnny Moore
John Brian "Johnny" Moore is a retired American professional player in the NBA. He spent his entire career playing point guard for the San Antonio Spurs, save one game for the New Jersey Nets. Over 520 games in his career, Moore averaged 9.4 points, 7.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.96 steals per...
, basketball player.
- Mike Reid
Michael Barry "Mike" Reid is a retired professional American football defensive lineman, as well as a Grammy Award-winning country music artist and composer...
, football player, musician.
- Bob Sheetz, founder of the Sheetz
Sheetz, Inc. is a chain of gas stations/convenience stores owned by the Sheetz family. Stores are located in Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia....
convenience store chain.
- D. Brooks Smith
David Brooks Smith is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.- Federal Service :...
, judge.
- Harry E. Soyster
Harry Edward Soyster is a retired United States Army Lieutenant General.He served as the Commanding General of the United States Army Intelligence and Security Command . Upon promotion to the rank of Lieutenant General, Soyster served as the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency at Bolling...
, military.*
- Daniel W. Wagner, engineer.
- Travis J. Civiello, military.*
- James Ripper Collins
James Anthony "Ripper" Collins was a Major League Baseball player from 1931 to 1941 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh Pirates...
, Professional baseball player, member of the Gashouse GangThe Gashouse Gang was a nickname applied to the St. Louis Cardinals Major League Baseball team of .The Cardinals, by most accounts, earned this nickname from the team's generally very shabby appearance and rough-and-tumble tactics...
. Statshttp://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Ripper_Collins
See also
- War Governors' Conference
The Loyal War Governors' Conference was an important political event of the American Civil War. It was held at the Logan House Hotel in Altoona, Pennsylvania on September 24 and 25, 1862. Thirteen governors of Union states came together to discuss the war effort, state troop quotas, and the...
- Mishler Theatre
Mishler Theatre was opened on February 15, 1906, by Isaac Mishler. The theatre is located in downtown Altoona, Pennsylvania Eight months later, the neighboring Rothert building caught fire and quickly spread to the theater, destroying it...
- Downtown Altoona, Pennsylvania
Downtown Altoona is the cultural and commercial center of the historic railroad city of Altoona, Pennsylvania. Much of the downtown area is listed in the national registry of historic places. Popular landmarks include the Mishler Theatre, the Penn Alto building , the Gable's Building, City Hall,...
- Railroaders Memorial Museum
The Railroaders Memorial Museum is a railroad museum in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The museum is dedicated to revealing, interpreting, commemorating and celebrating the significant contributions of railroaders and their families to American life and industry.Altoona is one of the hubs of the area's...
- Penn Alto Building
The Penn Alto building is a landmark building located in downtown Altoona, Pennsylvania. The building is nine stories high and has a partial tenth floor penthouse. The name of the building remains the same, even though its usage has changed over time...
External links