Scottdale Historical Society

09/17/2022

Thank you to everyone that came out to see us at the Scottdale Fall Festival, day one! If you haven’t had a chance yet, stop by Saturday or Sunday. We can’t wait to share a few pieces of Scottdale history with you!

09/14/2022

The Scottdale Historical Society and the Scottdale 150th is back for another Scottdale Fall Festival! We are showcased in the Stepping Stone store.

Some of our displays will include vintage Scottdale photos, artifacts, memorabilia. Entries from the 2022 high school students Home town memories contest will also be available to read and enjoy. There will also be question cards to help promote Scottdale's 150th anniversary, celebrated in 2024.

We are also looking for volunteers and ideas on how to be part of the 150 anniversary and Historical Society.

Stop in and say hello! We look forward to seeing you!

09/04/2022

Can you help identify these people? The Scottdale Historical Society needs help to reach out to find the wedding couple's family.

The photo from circa 1940 shows a wedding party. The man in the back row L-R third is Simon (Pat) Miller. He grew up in West Overton. The photos were submitted by the family of Pat's younger brother.

The goal is to find the family of the wedding couples relatives, to give them the wonderful set of four 8 x 10" photos.

Replies may be submitted to;
[email protected] or 724.619.1874

08/21/2022

Stop by the Scottdale Historical Society's booth during Picnic in the Park and write an encouraging note to Pat Hill stating your thanks for saving Greystone Manor. If there’s rain, you can find us at the Loucks Homestead!

There’s other fun stuff happening, so stop by for more!

08/07/2022

The Scottdale Historical Society thanks you for supporting the tag sale this weekend. We truly appreciate the continued community support!

05/20/2022

We’re on Instagram! Add us for fun and interesting photo content! Lots of good things to come.

Find us by searching our handle, scottdalehistoricalsociety

04/18/2022

Whispers of the Past-The Newton Quadruplets of Pennsylvania

Another interesting piece of Scottdale history! Watch the video and let us know what you think!

https://youtu.be/GU8ZyEupDHg

In 1891, Michael and Elizabeth Newton of Everson, PA welcomed four bouncing babies girls. The next four months their quiet lives were turned upside down unti...

12/03/2021

The Scottdale Historical Society is going to be at Scottdale's Light Up Night tomorrow, December 4th!

Stop by and see us!

11/30/2021

302 Found

Today is Giving Tuesday! If you're feeling generous, we're always grateful for donations!

Use this link to access our Paypal account https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=7T3Z7XGZKPSKQ

Donations help keep the Loucks House in working order, fund some of our events that the community has come to know and love, and help us promote our beautiful town and all of it's history.

If you're able to donate, we thank you for your generosity!

Even if you're unable to donate, please share with your friends. More information on the Scottdale Historical Society can be found at our website, www.scottdalehistoricalsociety.com

10/30/2021

Just a reminder that tonight is the final evening for Shadows of Scottdale 2021. Tickets are still available for our 7:30p.m. and 9:30 p.m. tours. Come dressed for the weather (hopefully the forecast will work in our favor) and meet at near The Geyer Performing Arts Center for the start of the tours!

10/27/2021

It's now easier to send Scottdale Historical Society a message.

It's now easier to send Scottdale Historical Society a message.

10/23/2021

Shadows of Scottdale 2021

Just Added!!! 8pm tour for tonight's Shadows of Scottdale. Get your tickets online now!
https://scottdale-historical-society.ticketleap.com/shadows-of-scottdale-2021/

Shadows of Scottdale is a downtown horror tour that will explore the dark, TRUE history of Scottdale's dearly departed. This year’s one-hour tour will feature a collection of new stops and stories of historically accurate tragedies in Scottdale. Expect tales of gruesome murders, robberies, fires, ...

10/22/2021

Shadows of Scottdale 2021

A limited number of tickets remain for the 7:30 p.m. Shadows of Scottdale Tour this Saturday! Get your tickets now before that tour sells out!

Next Saturday (Oct. 30) we have added a 7:30 p.m. tour that will start outside of the Geyer Performing Arts Center. These tickets are $15 and DO NOT include the "Misery" performance. Tickets are still available for our 9:30 p.m. tours that include the option to enjoy the "Misery" show!

Get Your Tickets NOW! https://scottdale-historical-society.ticketleap.com/shadows-of-scottdale-2021/dates

Shadows of Scottdale is a downtown horror tour that will explore the dark, TRUE history of Scottdale's dearly departed. This year’s one-hour tour will feature a collection of new stops and stories of historically accurate tragedies in Scottdale. Expect tales of gruesome murders, robberies, fires, ...

10/16/2021

Shadows of Scottdale 2021

It's looking like the wet weather we have seen today will be moving out just in time for our Shadows of Scottdale Tours tonight! Just be sure to be dressed for the weather and join us after our tours for a showing of the 1959 classic House on Haunted Hill at the Geyer Performing Arts Center (movie should start around 8:30 p.m.).

There are a few tickets remaining for the 7 p.m. and 7:30 tours tonight, so get them before it's too late or join us over the next two weekends!

https://scottdale-historical-society.ticketleap.com/shadows-of-scottdale-2021/dates

Shadows of Scottdale is a downtown horror tour that will explore the dark, TRUE history of Scottdale's dearly departed. This year’s one-hour tour will feature a collection of new stops and stories of historically accurate tragedies in Scottdale. Expect tales of gruesome murders, robberies, fires, ...

10/07/2021

If you are looking for something fun to do this Saturday night, join us for our Shadows of Scottdale Tour! A limited number of tickets remain for 7 p.m. and space is available for 7:30p.m.

This guided walking tour takes approximately one hour and makes eight stops around downtown.

Get your tickets in advance now! https://www.scottdalehistoricalsociety.com/events-projects/upcoming-events/shadows-of-scottdale/

10/02/2021

Just a reminder that tickets for Shadows of Scottdale should be purchased in advance online! Our 7 p.m. tour for tonight has sold out and tickets are available for 7:30 p.m.
https://scottdale-historical-society.ticketleap.com/shadows-of-scottdale-2021/dates

After the tours tonight, stick around and join us at the Geyer Performing Arts Center for a free showing of the classic 1962 movie "Carnival of Souls."

10/01/2021

Great shoutout to Shadows of Scottdale. Starts this Saturday evening. Visit our page and website for ticket info!

Scottdale in Westmoreland County is having a unique "Shadows of Scottdale" tour every Saturday evening in October where you can learn the dark history of the borough's dearly departed!

Learn more at: https://www.scottdalehistoricalsociety.com/

10/01/2021

Scottdale Historical Society - Walking Tours

This Saturday kicks off our Shadows of Scottdale tours for the month! If you joined us in the past, the eight stops are all new stories this year!

Only a few tickets remain for our 7 p.m. tour and with the beautiful fall evening weather in the forecast, we have opened up our 7:30 p.m. tour for ticket sales! Get your tickets now for this weekend, or plan to join us on Saturday evenings through October 30th!

The Scottdale Historical Society is hosting scary walking tours of downtown Scottdale. Called “Shadows of Scottdale”, these tours are not ghost stories, but real, horrific events that happened in town.

09/17/2021

Today’s the day! Come see us at Michael’s 50’s Diner at 5:00pm at the Scottdale Fall Festival!

09/16/2021

Even more pictures! Any guesses where the “now” is? Bring your guesses to our booth at Michael’s 50’s Diner (former Tartel’s Restaurant) starting tomorrow at 5:00pm!

We’ll also be offering guided walking tours on Saturday and Sunday at 1:00pm, 3:00pm, and 5:00pm, featuring some of the locations in our posts! Donations for the tour are appreciated.

09/15/2021

More pictures! Any guesses where the “now” is? Bring your guesses to our booth at Michael’s 50’s Diner (former Tartel’s Restaurant) starting Friday at 5:00pm!

We’ll also be offering guided walking tours on Saturday and Sunday at 1:00pm, 3:00pm, and 5:00pm, featuring some of the locations in our posts! Donations for the tour are appreciated.

09/14/2021

Any of these pictures look familiar?

The Scottdale Historical Society will be located at the former Tartel’s Restaurant for the Scottdale Fall Festival. Stop by and see us for some more fun, including a walking tour!

Until then, keep an eye on our page for more info. Share with your friends!

09/13/2021

In 1900 the top of Pittsburgh Street looking east was quite different. Left to right: the brick building was home of the Kennell Grocery Store, followed by the Overholt building with businesses on the street level and apartments above. On the right notice the Victorian towers on the residence of Dr. Kerr, later the home of Dr. Delserone. The three story business was Hurst Department Store, known for women’s fashions and home goods, from rugs to fabrics to draperies. Today’s view shows the only remaining structure, the Overholt building.

09/02/2021

We need help!

The Scottdale Historical Society is looking to fill out our yearbook collection. Any donation of years we don’t currently have for Scottie, East Huntington, and Southmoreland would be greatly appreciated. Please send a private message and we can coordinate a pickup/drop off.

The yearbooks we currently already have are as follows:

Scottie:
1939-1944, 1946-1949, 1951-1962

Mirror (East Huntington):
1925, 1927, 1939-1942, 1947, 1949-1952, 1955, 1959, 1961-1962

Southmoreland:
1972-1973

07/25/2021

We received this donation, and we would love to know more about them. If you have any information surrounding the time frame, team photos, or the business that sponsored them, please share!

07/09/2021

The Scottdale Fire Department was formed in July 1886. The Fire Department and Borough Building was constructed on the corner of Graft and Everson Streets. This 1949 photo shows the main fire station, with the fleet of trucks boasting two 1948 LaFrance engines. Today’s image is taken near the gazebo showing the back corner of the Rite Aid building.

06/26/2021

The intersection of Broadway and Pittsburgh Street shows Penn Lines trolley circa 1903. Looking left to right: Rutherford News and the Sugar Bowl “confections” that satisfied the town’s sweet tooth. Next was the Scottdale House, a hotel serving the many travelers. On the right was the Broadway Bank. Today, the only remaining structure is the Rutherford News building, now home to Carson’s Restaurant.

06/15/2021

After WWI, the airplane became a National interest, with air shows, races, and commercial ventures. This 1925 photo shows one of Scottdale’s aviation pioneers, pilot Carl Strickler with his business partners Jerry Elder and Charles Coughenour. In the distance is St. John’s Byzantine Catholic Church built in 1912. Today the vacant field is the parking lot and complex of Penn Lines. The Byzantine Church was in service until a new building was dedicated in 1971.

06/11/2021

The Scottdale Brewing Company started in 1891. In 1899, it was replaced by the new plant producing 200 barrels a day. That same year, it became the Pittsburg Brewing Co. known as the largest and best brewery in southwestern PA. The plant was destroyed by fire in 1910. In 1930 the Scottdale Armory was built to serve the 110th infantry, 28th Division.

01/08/2021

Scottdale Historical Society and Loucks Homestead

You still have until Sunday to purchase and watch our virtual Holiday Traditions Tour. If you miss out you'll have to wait until December to take part in the 2021 tour!

https://www.scottdalehistoricalsociety.com/

Scottdale Historical Society, Scottdale, Loucks Homestead, lodging, rental in Pennsylvania

12/26/2020

We hope everyone had a safe and Merry Christmas. There is still time to purchase our Holiday Traditions virtual tour if you are looking for things to do with family over the holiday break. https://www.scottdalehistoricalsociety.com/

12/22/2020

The 2021 Scottdale Historical Society Calendar has been distributed to businesses in town as well as the Scottdale Public Library. The theme of this calendar shows "Then and Now" images around town.

These calendars are free thanks to donations from businesses and individuals.

12/17/2020

Scottdale Historical Society and Loucks Homestead

Our virtual Holiday Traditions Tour is now available for purchase through our website!

Since we were unable to hold our traditional Christmas House Tour (our biggest fundraiser of the year), we have been working hard at putting together a virtual Holiday Traditions Tour.

This 1-hour and 20-minute tour will take you to 12 homes in and around Scottdale. Access to the video starts at $15 and more information is available on our website.

https://www.scottdalehistoricalsociety.com/

Scottdale Historical Society, Scottdale, Loucks Homestead, lodging, rental in Pennsylvania

11/27/2020

We hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving yesterday!

The Scottdale Historical Society has been working behind the scenes over the last few weeks (and will be for several more days) on a virtual Holiday Traditions Tour in place of our Christmas House Tour that was scheduled for December 5. While it is disappointing that we cannot hold the in person tour this year, we wanted to bring you all some form of our tour that has been taking place since the early 2000's.

The virtual Holiday Traditions Tour will feature nearly 10 stops with interviews showcasing extensive Christmas tree displays with vintage ornaments, an elaborate model train display, a local Christmas light show, unique collections based on television shows, animals, nativity scenes and more.

Tickets for the virtual Holiday Traditions Tour will go on sale around December 4. We will provide you with access to a private link with our Holiday Traditions Tour video that will be made available to view from around December 14 through the first week of the year. Tickets will start at $15. All we ask if that you take into consideration of making an additional donation to the Historical Society if you plan to view the video with your family or friends. There will be a limit as to how many times you can view the video, but we’ll be sure to include all of those finer details on our website listing and on our ticketing site soon.

Last year in December, you may have picked up a Scottdale 2020 calendar at the Christmas House Tour, a local business or at the Winter Light Up Celebration. We are currently producing a 2021 calendar showing then and now images around town. These calendars are FREE and will be available at businesses around town and at the Scottdale Library. Look for them in a few weeks and we’ll be sure to let you know when they are available.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned to our page or our website, scottdalehistoricalsociety.com for updates on the Holiday Traditions Tour and 2021 Calendar launch.

10/17/2020

Just a friendly reminder that tonight's Shadows of Scottdale walking tours are SOLD OUT. A limited number of tickets do remain for next weekend's 8 p.m. tour only.

We also ask our ticket holders to please arrive at least 15-30 minutes before your tour at Scratch Living Roastery & Cafe to get checked in. BEFORE you enter the shop, please make sure that you are properly wearing your face mask (covering your nose and mouth), and we will happily check you in and give you your complimentary voucher for a small drip coffee, apple cider or hot chocolate.

We appreciate your cooperation and look forward to another beautiful fall evening walking through town!

10/13/2020

Scottdale Historical Society - Walking Tours

Don't miss your chance to get your tickets to Shadows of Scottdale for 2020! Our tours for this Saturday, October 17 are completely SOLD OUT!

Looking ahead to Saturday, October. 24, we do have tickets remaining for our 8 p.m. tour, but anticipate those tickets selling out soon!

https://www.scottdalehistoricalsociety.com/events-projects/upcoming-events/shadows-of-scottdale/

The Scottdale Historical Society is hosting scary walking tours of downtown Scottdale. Called “Shadows of Scottdale”, these tours are not ghost stories, but real, horrific events that happened in town.

10/09/2020

If you haven't purchased ticket yet for a tour, now is the time. All times have been opened up, but limited tickets do remain for each tour. Get them now before they are gone! Advance purchase is required through our website. https://www.scottdalehistoricalsociety.com/events-projects/upcoming-events/shadows-of-scottdale/

If you are unsure about how we go about selecting stories, hours of research goes into these tours. We use newspapers, census records, genealogical information, and more sources to build the stories. Here is one such newspaper article we used from Feb 1890 and one of the stories from last year's tour.

The Man who Butchered Himself

Hubert Rosegen was a Prussian immigrant who moved to Scottdale from Beaver Falls in 1890. Back at Beaver Falls, he left his wife and two children, and he moved to Scottdale ahead of his family with plans for them to follow. Arriving in early February, he secured a job at one of the foundries in town and was living in a boarding house on Market Street.

Mr. Rosegen’s story so far is not unusual. But what is a little unusual, is how the newspapers described him. They said that he was an educated man but was demented. We don't know exactly what that means, but we do know that Mr. Rosegen was sick.

One evening, Mr. Rosegen approached another man living in his boarding house and asked him to borrow a razor blade. He said he needed to shave. An hour or two went by and the other gentleman had not heard from Mr. Rosegen. So he went looking for him in hopes of getting his razor back. But this gentleman got a little more than he bargained for.

When he arrived at Mr. Rosegen’s room, he made a horrific discovery. Mr. Rosegen had taken that razor blade and instead of shaving, had “butchered himself.” he took the blade and cut up one arm and down the other. He cut up one leg and down the other. He had “cut himself in pieces” and slit his own throat. News of the tragedy broke on Valentine's Day, 1890.

Of course Mrs. Rosegen was notified of the untimely passing of her husband, and we can be sure she never made the move to Scottdale.

For more macabre history of Scottdale, join us for Shadows of Scottdale.

10/09/2020

Thank you to the group of volunteers from the The Scottdale Bank & Trust Co who came out to the historic Loucks Homestead today for the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania .

We had a busy day doing some fall cleanup around the property, from fixing the washed out driveway, giving the large front porch a good deep cleaning and other maintenance tasks around the property.

We are truly thankful for your support of the Scottdale Historical Society today and look forward to a continued partnership.

10/07/2020

Have you purchased your tickets to Shadows of Scottdale yet? Join us this weekend to hear nine historically accurate tragic tales during this one-hour long tour. Tickets are available through our website and must be purchased in advance. https://www.scottdalehistoricalsociety.com/events-projects/upcoming-events/shadows-of-scottdale/

10/02/2020

Our first weekend of Shadows of Scottdale tours start tomorrow night. There are a few tickets remaining for the 7:30 and 8 p.m. tours. It's looking like the weather is making for a great fall evening to go on a walk through town.

Remember that tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold in person at the tour.

https://www.scottdalehistoricalsociety.com/events-projects/upcoming-events/shadows-of-scottdale/

04/16/2020

Scottdale Historical Society - Jane A Yuhouse Memorial Scholarship

The Scottdale Historical Society is extending the deadline for Southmoreland Seniors to apply for the Jane A. Yuhouse Memorial Scholarship.The new deadline to apply is Monday, May 4, 2020 and students should email their completed applications to the Southmoreland Guidance Office.

Information and application for the $1,000 scholarship can be found on our website.

The Jane A. Yuhouse Memorial Scholarship is offering up to a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating Southmoreland High School Senior(s) who shares similar interests and values as Jane.