Meyersdale Memories

Meyersdale will celebrate its 150th Anniversary -- Sesquicentennial -- next year in 2024. For 122 of those years, it had a weekly newspaper originally called the Meyersdale Republican, and more lately The New Republic. The New Republic is no more, but a treasure trove of photos and negatives from its past are currently in residence in our Pennsylvania Room. We thank publisher George Menser for his generosity.

This is the background behind our newest program, The Way We Were Club. In the short time we've had all The New Republic photos, it's become clear that many people really enjoy going through old photographs. And what better time to do so than at a time when our town is preparing to celebrate a major milestone in its history! And so The Way We Were club launches, and we invite community members to explore, label, and (for those interested in learning the skill) digitize the treasure trove of Meyersdale images.

It is, indeed, an opportune time for reviewing days of Meyersdale past. In 2024, Meyersdale will be 150 years old, and plans are underway to celebrate the town's Sesquicentennial. There is talk of a possible "birthday party" dinner. If the logistics can be worked out, Sesquicentennial t-shirts, mugs, and even a memory book might be created.

However, many discussions revolve around integrating the 150th celebration into the things that folks in Meyersdale normally do in the course of a year: Maple Festival, Alumni Weekend, the Independence Day celebration, the County Fair, etc. Almost any organization or business can put a little #Meyersdale150th pomp into its typical activities during 2024. At the library, we plan to have a Centennial Essay Contest for youth, and slide shows with some of the above-mentioned old photos. Businesses can participate in Centennial window decorating events and perhaps some can sell some #Meyersdale150th souvenirs.

Those who have gathered for this week's Sesquicentennial brainstorming gatherings have set a meeting for Monday, March 13, at 6 p.m. at the library. All are welcome! Organizations and businesses are especially encouraged to have a representative present to see how we can all work together to celebrate our wonderful borough!