615 N. Center Street, Ebensburg, PA 15931-1122
Phone: (814-472-6674)
Library usage fee: none
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10:00am-4:30pm, Saturday 9:00am-1:00pm
Website: http://www.cambriacountyhistorical.com/
The Cambria County Historical Society maintains a library and museum in the building at 615 North Center Street in Ebensburg, Cambria County.
The library contains many families files donated by members along with published and unpublished family histories. The society possesses U.S. Census records and indexes for the census taken in 1800 through 1920. As with most historical society libraries, a collection of published and unpublished books on church records and cemeteries in the county are accumulated by the Cambria County Historical Society. Also part of the library’s holdings include a number of map and atlas books from Cambria County and surrounding counties, including the 1890 Cambria County Atlas. The library owns all of the published Pennsylvania Archives except for the 1st Series. A recent addition to the library’s collection is photo files comprised of donations of family photographs and photographs pertaining to the region. The Cambria County Historical Society also keeps its own newsletters on file along with newsletters from other historical societies. City directories for Johnstown are available for the years 1853, 1876, 1896, 1915-1916, 1933, 1937, 1940, 1949, 1963, 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1980. A county-wide directory for Cambria County is available for the year 1896.
Of special interest are books on the subjects of indians/archaeology, local history, industry, wars Cambria County residents participated in, and Admiral Peary (who was from this region). A complete set of Samuel P. Bates’ History Of Pennsylvania Volunteers 1861-1865, Volumes I, II, III, IV , published in 1869 is among the library’s collection pertaining to veterans affairs and war history.
Originals of the following newspapers from the region are maintained in the library’s collection:
Alleghenian 1859-1869
Cambria Freeman 1866-1903
Cambria Herald 1895-1897
Cambria Tribune 1898-1908
Democrat Sentinel 1853-1865
Ebensburg Sky 1831-1837
Hastings Tribune 1894-1896
Johnstown Democrat 1929-1949
Johnstown Tribune 1929-1949
Johnstown Tribune Democrat 1954-1965
Mainliner Dispatch 1955-1972
Mountain Sentinel 1849-1853
Mountaineer 1858-1860
Mountaineer Herald 1891-1997 (except 1936-1940)
Nanty Glo Journal 1951-1976
News Leader 1988-1998
Portage Dispatch 1954-1964
Union Press Courier 1955-1998
In addition, the Cambria County Historical Society library maintains a collection of microfilm of the following:Census (U.S.) for Cambria County 1800-1920 Newspapers:
Allegheny Mountain Echo (Johnstown) 1855-1859
Cambria Freeman 1861-1887, 1889-1897
Cambria Tribune 1853-1861, 1897-1908
Democrat Sentinel 1856-1861
Ebensburg Mountaineer Herald 1891-1916, 1918-1977
Ebensburg Sky 1831-1837
Johnstown Daily Democrat 1894-1935
Johnstown Democrat & Cambria & Somerset Advertiser 1835
Johnstown Weekly Tribune 1868-1869, 1882-1915
Mainliner Dispatch 1971
Mountain Echo (Johnstown) 1851-1857
Mountain Sentinel 1849-1856
Mountaineer 1858-1860
Nanty Glo Journal 1951-1976
Portage Dispatch 1954-1964
The Times (Altoona) 1889
P.O. Box 5048, Johnstown, PA 15904-6048
Phone: (814-539-6411)
Website: http://www.pennhighlands.edu/library/Gensoc/genealogy.htm
The Windber-Johnstown Area Genealogical Society at one time maintained a collection of family and county histories at the Hiram G. Andrews Library on the campus of the Cambria County Community College and held monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of each month in the Seminar Theater at 727 Goucher Street, Johnstown. The society, which uses the initials "WJAGS" (i.e. Windber-Johnstown Area Genealogical Society) currently has a website which gives the name ofthe organization as the Johnstown Area Genealogical and Historical Society. The society’s collection of research materials includes published and unpublished books devoted to local cemeteries and church records and microfilm of the U.S. Census for the immediate region.
248 Main St., Johnstown, PA 15901-1677
Phone: (814-536-5131)
Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00am-9:00pm, Friday-Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm
Website: http://www.cclsys.org/index.html
Although the Cambria County Library does not specialize in genealogical research, it does maintain microfilm for the following newspapers:
Alleghenian 1859-1869
Cambria Freeman 1867-1899
Cambria Tribune 1853-1864, 1898-1900
Democrat Sentinel 1853-1857
Ebensburg Sky 1831-1837
Johnstown Democrat 1863-1867
Johnstown Tribune 1864-1952
Johnstown Tribune Democrat 1952-present
Mountain Sentinel 1849-1853
Mountaineer 1858-1860, 1859-1866
Somerset Herald 1828-1831, 1845-1847
Somerset Herald: Farmer’s And Mechanic’s 1872-1900
609 Walters Ave., Johnstown, PA
Phone: (814-269-4652)
Hours: Monday 9:00am-4:00pm and 6:00pm-8:00pm, Wednesday 5:00pm-8:00pm, Thursday, Saturday 9:00am-1:00pm, Closed during December
The LDS Family Research Center of the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints (Mormon) provides a very valuable service to the Cambria County region. The Research Center maintains a collection of published family histories, but more importantly, it provides access to the extensive collection of files on computer disc, microfilm and microfiche which are maintained by the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah. For a modest rental fee you can borrow any of the records available for a period of a month.
400 Lee Street, Portage, PA (P.O. Box 45, Portage, PA 15946)
Phone: (814-736-9223)
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 12:00am-4:00pm, Closed January 1 to April 1
Website: http://www.portagestationmuseum.org/
The Portage Area Historical Society manages the Portage Station Museum, in addition to preserving the history of the Borough of Portage.
