On October 6, a senior from Bellwood-Antis High School had the opportunity to present for the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees, otherwise referred to as the PASR.
Kevin Stiver was also able to present his work in two sold-out sessions at the House of Delegates, an annual statewide conference of retired Pennsylvania teachers. He was also invited to attend the following banquet.
When asked about the banquet, Stiver said, “I got to meet a lot of nice people from all over the state who either had a love for teaching or history.” Stiver would like to thank Bill Neugebauer for the invitation and Bob McNamara and his wife for their hospitality.
Stiver’s presentation contained information from both of his books, specifically details about the Alleghenies and Glen White, Pennsylvania. He presented at the Penn Stater Hotel in State College for nearly 200 to 250 teachers.
Stiver’s first book sold roughly 1,000 copies and his second totaled 400 sales. The books were inspired by Glen White, Pennsylvania, an abandoned town near the Horseshoe Curve.
Stiver was fascinated by the town and was shocked that nobody had attempted to investigate or preserve its history. “Glen White helped build our area’s and the nation’s economies and it had been seemingly forgotten,” Stiver said.
But Stiver’s passion for Glen White didn’t end after releasing his books. From August to September, Stiver worked to restore Glen White’s cemetery. He met with the Altoona Water Authority to be granted permission to put in steps and a fence on their property. They granted Stiver a work permit which allowed him to contact companies such as Home Depot and the DeGol Organization for donations.
Once everything was approved, the restorations began. Stiver added steps, railings, fences, and even signage to the town’s cemetery in an attempt to preserve its history for future generations.
When asked about his efforts, Stiver said, “It was difficult in some ways, yes. Digging down 18 inches into solid dirt and rock was definitely a workout.” But with the help of his family, the restorations were completed by mid-September.
Stiver, however, has yet to complete his work with Glen White. Recently, more history about the people buried in the very cemetery that he restored has resurfaced. He has also been working on a new YouTube video which is set to be released on the Allegheny Mountaineer channel very soon.
If there is any interest in learning more about the history of Glen White, Stiver encourages people to ask him questions or check out some interviews online for more information.
