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
