Discover Our Story and Mission
Northern Cambria Historical Preservation exists to remember our past and safeguard it for the future. We work to preserve both current and historical documents, photographs, and stories so that future generations can see what daily life looked like for the people who came before them — and understand how much has changed over time.
Our goal is to document the day-to-day life of Northern Cambria County: the buildings that once lined our streets, the businesses that served our communities, and the people who built their lives here. We collect photographs, memories, and first-hand stories from residents and families across the region, and we preserve them by making them freely accessible online for anyone to explore.
Safeguarding historical and current photographs, documents, and artifacts from our communities so they are never lost to time.
Recording the stories, memories, and everyday life of Northern Cambria County — past and present — through the voices of the people who lived it.
Making our local history accessible to everyone by putting it on the internet, creating a lasting digital archive that future generations can always come back to.
Founder | Age 15
I'm Paul Bradford, a 15-year-old who has lived in Northern Cambria my entire life. My interest in local history started when I was around 11 — my dad would share old photographs and stories about how things used to be around here, and it didn't take long before I was completely hooked.
There's something about being able to look back and see what life was like for the people who came before us — the different buildings, businesses, and landmarks that used to exist in the northern part of the county that we just don't have anymore. I think it's important to be able to preserve these things so that future generations can know what their ancestors' day-to-day life looked like, how things have changed since then, and how things will probably continue to change in the years to come.
Being able to create this website for the whole community is something I find really meaningful. My hope is to one day open a physical museum dedicated to the history of Northern Cambria County, but until that day comes, this website serves as a virtual museum — a place where our history can be shared, explored, and preserved for everyone.
"If you don't know where you've come from, you don't know where you're going." — Maya Angelou
Have historical photos, documents, or stories from Northern Cambria? We'd love to hear from you.
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