The historical Baker Mansion in Altoona is celebrating its 175th anniversary this year, and the Blair County Historical Society is marking that milestone with new exhibits that opened Friday, including one about African-American Heritage and the Underground Railroad in Blair County.
Harriett Gaston, the lead curator of the exhibit and a community historian, worked with Altoona Area High School Students and the Blair County branch of the NAACP to create the exhibit. She said it’s the first exhibit of its kind in Blair County.
“I have in the past presented information at the African-American Heritage Festival. But that wasn't permanent because it was only there for a day and then packed up and placed until the next year," Gaston said.
The exhibit also includes posters, maps, artifacts and photos, providing historic information on people and places in Blair County with connections to the Underground Railroad.
“I'm hoping that people will see that despite the difficulties, say, like slavery, there was always a movement toward freedom. And that's reflected here, along with making a mark in their community," Gaston said.
Dustin Smith, executive director of the Blair County Historical Society, hopes members of the public visit the exhibit.
“I think it's important for the public to come out here to view this and really gain an appreciation for just how much of an impact the African American community has had in our area," Smith said.
Smith pointed to William W. Nesbit (grandfather to William C. Nesbit), a prominent abolitionist and businessman in the mid 19th century, along with Dr. Daniel Hale Williams from Hollidaysburg, who performed the first successful open heart surgery in 1893.
"We're really hoping to bring the topic of African-American heritage in Blair County and the Underground Railroad in our area into the public discussion more and more over time. So we really want this exhibit here to be a success," Smith said.
The other two new exhibits are German Heritage in Blair County and Blair County in the Civil War. Smith said the exhibits will stay open for at least two years.
