Blair County Genealogical Society, Inc.

08/16/2026

Just received Blair County Veteran Discharge record books Volumes 1-54 covering 1868-1954. Sadly, only volumes 1-6 are indexed covering 1868-1943. We will try to compile and add to our website indexes! The complete index by the courthouse will eventually be listed on Landex.com.

08/15/2026

More from the Blair County Genealogical Society Burket-Albright negative project.

08/08/2026

Another set of scans from the BCGS Burket Albright negative project. Along with this project we are scanning pics and negatives for the Morrison Cove Herald newspaper archives, so don't throw old area negatives of people or places away BCGS is scanning and archiving.

08/05/2026

Come listen to a new speaker, long time member Justin Houser.

08/03/2026

In celebration of America’s 250th birthday, the Blair County Genealogical Society will be highlighting a founding family every month. These families were witness to the struggle of our country’s independence in what is now known as Blair County, Pennsylvania.
August’s Founding Family is the Blair family.
Prior to the Revolutionary War, Thomas Blair and family lived in Path Valley. In 1770, Thomas is listed as owning 200 acres, 4 acres cleared in Dublin township. Thomas was married to Susanah McClelland and after her passing, he married Jane McClelland. The children known are: John, Alexander, Ruth, Catherine and William.
Thomas served as a Captain in the PA Militia. In 1778, Major Cluggage sent Captain Blair’s Rangers out to stop a group of Tories, headed by John Weston. This group was reported to be traveling to Kittanning to join the Indians on a raid of central Pennsylvania. On the march over the Kittanning trail, the rangers were met by some of Weston’s men running away from Kittanning. The men begged the rangers for mercy and reported that they had been attacked by the Indians instead of befriended and that those that survived have all dispersed.
At the end of the war, Thomas obtained land to the west of Hollidaysburg, moving there with his son John. Thomas died September 8, 1810. That area and stream now bears his name, Blair Run and Blair’s Gap.
Two children were born to John Blair and his first wife, Susannah. They were Susannah (who married John Walker) and Thomas. To John’s second wife, Barbara, were born: William Penn, Hadden, John M., and Maxwell. John was very active in the development of the community. He was instrumental in building the turnpike over the mountain to transport merchandise to the west. John died in 1832, and the homestead was sold to his son-in-law, John Walker. In 1839, Blair township, Huntingdon county was named for John and in 1846 the new county formed out of Huntingdon & Bedford counties was also named Blair in his honor.
The Blair County Genealogical Society has documents & correspondence from John Blair and John Walker. All have been scanned and we are in the process of creating an index for this collection.
Related surnames: Blair, Walker, McClelland
Additional information available at the BCGS Roller-Hojeth Memorial Library at 431 Scotch Valley Road Hollidaysburg PA.
1883 History of Huntingdon & Blair Cos. Pennsylvania by J. Simpson Africa
Blair County’s First Hundred Years by Blair County Historical Society
History of the Early Settlement of the Juniata Valley by U.J. Jones

07/29/2026

www.bcgslibrary.org
Shop option is operating!

07/27/2026

Yet another research assist by BCGS.

07/22/2026

Just received these unidentified pics from a Canoe Creek family. Pic # 2 could possible be the Turkey Valley Grange Hall.

07/18/2026

07/18/2026

In celebration of America’s 250th birthday, the Blair County Genealogical Society will be highlighting a founding family every month. These families were witness to the struggle of our country’s independence in what is now known as Blair County, Pennsylvania.
July’s Founding Family is the Cassidy family.
Patrick Cassidy was born in 1738 in Newry, Ireland. He came to America as a boy serving as a servant to a British military officer. He served as a Private in the 2nd Regiment of the Pennsylvania Line during the Revolutionary War.
Patrick married Mary Mooney and their first child arrived in 1770. The nine children from this union were: Sarah Jane, Patrick Jr., Robert, John Baptist, Mary (Polly), James, Peter, Jane Rachel, and Francis.
In 1785, Patrick was elected a Commissioner of Huntingdon county. He applied for 200 acres of unimproved land in 1787 along Popular Run, in Frankstown township Bedford county. In 1793 he laid out his land forming the town of Newry, named in honor of his birthplace. Patrick was a surveyor and also plotted the towns of Hollidaysburg and Williamsburg. In 1801, he deeded land for a Catholic church and a Lutheran church. In 1816, a small stone church was built and then dedicated by Father Gallitzin under the title of Saint Patrick. The Saint Patrick Roman Catholic Church and the Newry Lutheran Church are still active. Patrick Cassidy died at the age of 84 in 1828.
For a few years, Newry was an important point on the highway crossing the Allegheny range. Then a new turnpike was built through Blair’s Gap in 1818-1819, which diverted traffic from the small borough and then the completion of the Canal and the Portage Railroad in 1833, routed travel through Hollidaysburg hurting Newry’s hopes of growth. Today, Newry is a quaint village filled with families that have been there for many generations.
Related surnames: Cassidy, Shirley, Storm, Donahoe, Elliott
Additional information available at the BCGS Roller-Hojeth Memorial Library at 431 Scotch Valley Road Hollidaysburg PA.
20th Century History of Altoona & Blair County Pennsylvania & Representative Citizens by Jesse C. Sell
History of the Early Settlement of the Juniata Valley by U.J. Jones

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