Horseshoe Curve

York Art Association

(00:00:00)

First, we meet Matthew Wolff, Curator at the Railroaders Memorial Museum, whose passion for railroad history fuels his work preserving the legacy of the people who built Altoona into a powerhouse of American industry. Matthew guides us through the astonishing story of the Horseshoe Curve, an engineering marvel blasted, dug, and carved through the Allegheny Mountains in the 1850s by Irish immigrant laborers. The Curve became a vital artery for the nation, a target of wartime espionage, and a symbol of the grit that defined Railroad City. We explore how the museum keeps that legacy alive and why the story of Altoona’s workers still resonates today.

(00:22:34)

Then we travel to York, where Roth J. Preap, Executive Director of the York Art Association, is leading a new chapter for one of Pennsylvania’s oldest arts organizations. Founded in 1905, the Association has weathered cultural shifts, urban flight, and technological change, and now, under Roth’s leadership, it’s preparing to move into a new permanent home known as the Little Green Church. With a $2 million capital campaign underway, Roth shares how the organization is expanding arts education, strengthening community access, and honoring more than a century of creative history.

(00:00:00)
First, we meet&nbsp;Matthew Wolff, Curator at the Railroaders Memorial Museum, whose passion for railroad history fuels his work preserving the legacy of the people who built Altoona into a powerhouse of American industry. Matthew guides us through the astonishing story of the Horseshoe Curve,&nbsp;an engineering marvel blasted, dug, and carved through the Allegheny Mountains in the 1850s by Irish immigrant laborers. The Curve became a vital artery for the nation, a target of wartime espionage, and a symbol of the grit that defined Railroad City. We explore how the museum keeps that legacy alive and why the story of Altoona&rsquo;s workers still resonates today.
(00:22:34)
Then we travel to York, where Roth J. Preap, Executive Director of the York Art Association, is leading a new chapter for one of Pennsylvania&rsquo;s oldest arts organizations. Founded in 1905, the Association has weathered cultural shifts, urban flight, and technological change, and now, under Roth&rsquo;s leadership, it&rsquo;s preparing to move into a new permanent home known as the Little Green Church. With a $2 million capital campaign underway, Roth shares how the organization is expanding arts education, strengthening community access, and honoring more than a century of creative history.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb starts conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb starts conversations about what&rsquo;s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

The Spark

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb start the conversations about what&rsquo;s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at&nbsp;<a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.