Collections

The Cambria Memory Project has organized all our materials into the collections below. Some collections allow you to view materials directly on our website, while others link to Pennsylvania Photos and Documents, a digital repository maintained by the State Library of Pennsylvania. If you have historic materials that you would like added to our collection, please contact [email protected]

The African American Heritage Collection contains materials covering the history of African Americans in Cambria County, PA. This collection includes maps, photographs, videos, interviews, and church records.

American Association of University Women documents the history of the Johnstown Branch which was founded in 1923.

Beth Sholom Synagogue Collection contains materials from the Beth Zion and Beth Sholom Temples in Johnstown. The collection contains photos, meeting minutes, and correspondence.

The Cambria Chronicles Collection consists of short, historical stories about little known people, places, or events in Cambria County.  The purpose of the Chronicles is to discover and document the fascinating history and lore of Cambria County. Contact [email protected] to have your research housed here.

The Cambria City Churches houses photos and documents from the churches in the Cambria City neighborhood in Johnstown. The photos were taken of the churches prior to their closing in 2009. Materials also include items associated with ethinc organizations associated with the churches.

Cambria County in the Civil War contains information on soldiers, diaries, monuments, and graves of men from the county who served in the Civil Way. This includes men from the United States Colored Troops. Contains a list of Medal of Honor awardees and Grand Army of the Republic units.

The Cambria Memory Collection contains information submitted by individuals, libraries, or other organizations within Cambria County. This is a large collection with a wide variety of materials.

The Community Collection contains donations made by organizations such as public libraries, churches, social groups. These represent specific towns and locations in Cambria County. Items from Beaverdale and Northern Cambria are included here. Contact [email protected] to include materials from your community.

Cresson Sanatorium highlights materials collected by Charles Felton as part of the centennial celebration of the Cresson Sanatorium (1913-1964).

The Education Collection contains photographs, programs, yearbooks, and newspaper articles associated with K-12 and higher education institutions in Cambria County.

The Iron, Coal, and Steel Collection highlights the rich industrial history of the region. Employee records, blueprints, and photographs can be found here.

Johnstown Area Fire Departments contains documents and photographs donated by the Richland Township Fire Department and the Johnstown Fire Department (including fire log books from the Cambria Hook and Ladder Co. Cambria City). Other fire departments are encouraged to submit their records to this collection.

The Johnstown Flood of 1889 contains documents and photos associated with the 1889 Flood and the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club.

The Maps Collection features several high-resolution historic maps of Cambria County.  You can zoom into these images to see closeup detail of each map. Most maps center on Johnstown at different time periods. two maps highlight the damaged caused by the 1889 flood.

 

Personal Collections contains the images donated by one specific family in Cambria County.

Items in the Records Collection include a combination of public and private records that have been digitized for ease of access. Cambria County immigration, obituary records, and early Cambria County tavern, inn, and liquor licenses are held here.

The Video Collection features videos about the history of Cambria County. Each video is hosted on the Cambria Memory YouTube Channel.