Penn State Blue Band, Grange Fair & more: New online resource digs into Centre County history
Centre County history buffs and research enthusiasts received a gift Monday that was more than two centuries in the making.
The Centre County Historical Society launched an online encyclopedia with more than 100 entries chock-full of information about the county’s bygone days. Entries cover the history of groups such as the Penn State Blue Band and Civilian Conservation Corps and people including Moses Thompson, the last ironmaster of Centre Furnace.
Other entries dig into significant events like the Grange Fair, Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts and more. It also covers broader subjects including the Civil War, movie theaters and Penn State football.
The project can be viewed at centrehistory.org/encyclopedia.
“I don’t know of a comparable project for an individual county outside of a major metropolitan area,” co-editor Lee Stout said in a statement. “It is evidence of both the talented historical researchers and writers we have here, and the keen interest Centre Countians have for our past.”
The encyclopedia was assembled entirely by volunteers, the nonprofit wrote in a press release. More than 40 people pitched in to chronicle the county’s history, which dates back to 1800.
“We believe the encyclopedia will be a valuable resource for anyone interested in Centre County’s history and culture,” co-editor Ford Risley said in a statement. “The entries address a variety of topics, from before the county was founded up to today.”
The Centre County Historical Society received a grant from the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau to support the creation of the encyclopedia website.
This story was originally published October 4, 2021 at 3:45 PM.