What is the history of Altoona, Pennsylvania?
A major railroad town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a borough on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868. The town grew rapidly in the late 19th century, its population approximately 2,000 in 1854, 10,000 in 1870’70, and 20,000 in 1880’80. The demand for locomotives during the American Civil WarCivil War stimulated much of this growth, and by the later years of the war Altoona was known as a valuable city for the North. It was considered by Confederate States of AmericaConfederate General Robert E. Lee as a target during the Army of Northern Virginia’s mid-1863 entry into Pennsylvania, before being repelled at the Battle of Gettysburg. Also notable is the Union’s War Governors’ Conference, held at Altoona’s Logan House. Notable is the Horseshoe Curve (Pennsylvania)Horseshoe Curve, a famous curved section of track owned by the Pennsylvania Rai
