When Meyersdale’s local newspaper closed in 2022, the Meyersdale Public Library acquired many of the paper’s old photographs. Desiring to tell the stories behind these images, members of the library have been working to properly catalog and digitize them through an effort they call the “Preserving Our History Project.”
The driving forces behind this project are Meyersdale Public Library Director Terri Foster and Archivist Jennifer Hurl. Since 2023, library staff and volunteers have been sorting through thousands of photographs and negatives—some dating back to the early 1900s—attempting to identify locations, people, and time periods. As time passes, these images are being digitized and properly archived, with samplings of a few particular collections being freely shared with the public online inside the Pennsylvania Power Library.
During our Fall 2024 grant round, the Community Foundation provided funding for this project through the Earl and Jeanne Berkey Fund, which was established to support arts and heritage in Somerset and Bedford counties. The CFA funding helped provide proper storage containers for the physical photographs and negatives as well as some of the labor costs needed to create the digital archives. Once the collections are uploaded, anyone can view them inside the Power Library’s historical online database, PA Photos & Documents.
“Our first collection we debuted was our ‘Old-Time Meyersdale’ collection,” said Hurl. “Those 31 images date back to 1910 through 1920. It’s an invaluable collection for us to have because there just isn’t a lot of photography that old that survives.” 
Other collections include a group dedicated to the Meyersdale Fire Department and images captured at the Maple Valley Park and Pool, a beloved Meyersdale landmark. These collections are not only nostalgic for those who have lived in Meyersdale, but they have also inspired a spirit of community pride, prompting many residents to help organize and archive photographs. These helpers have been affectionately dubbed “The Way We Were Club” by library staff.
“It’s a project that is dear to our hearts,” said Foster. “A lot of people seem to love these old images, and it has made them more interested in the library.”
Since beginning the project in 2023, the library has digitized over 11,000 images from negatives. The project is expected to continue for many years, as generations of Meyersdale residents continue working to preserve these important pieces of local history.
“At the library, we are always working to save history,” said Hurl. “It’s one thing to save history, but when you can share it, that’s the part of the project that makes us the happiest.”
To learn more about the Meyersdale Public Library’s projects and services, visit their website, and follow them on Facebook.
