Altoona in Blair County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
William Nesbit
1822 - 1895
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., September 10, 2021
1. William Nesbit Mural
William Nesbit lived with his wife Sarah and children on 10th Avenue in Altoona. He was president of the State Equal Rights League, which helped secure passage of the 14th and 15th Amendments.
In his travels, he met leading black men of the time, including Frederick Douglass.
William Nesbit was a conductor on the Underground Railroad.
Nesbit discredited the idea that Liberia would be a good place for ex-slaves to settle.
[Book title]
Four Months in Liberia or African Colonization Exposed by William Nesbit, 1855
The 10th Ave. Barber Shop would have had a view of the railroad.
He helped secure the rights of blacks to enter railroad cars on equal footing with whites.
Checkers tournaments were often held in Nesbit's barber shop.
Mural Painters - Morgan Ebersole Carter Keagy Becca Kopac Ben Kopac L.G. Kopac Liberty Lang Angelo Pacifico Brittney Parks Amelia Servello Leon Weatherwalk Izzabella Weatherwalk Lilly Weatherwalk Kylea Myers Neil Young Roger Burrell
This mural was created in 2020 during "Windows on Altoona" summer art camp led by Deb Bunnell and made possible by the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, the PA Council on the Arts, Altoona Pipe and Steel and the Central PA Community Foundation.
this page online
Erected 2020 by Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, the PA Council on the Arts, Altoona Pipe and Steel and the Central PA Community Foundation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Civil Rights • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1855.
Location. 40° 30.848′ N, 78° 23.93′ W. Marker is in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in Blair County. Marker is at the intersection of 9th Avenue and 12th Street, on the left when traveling north on 9th Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1128 9th Avenue, Altoona PA 16602, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Altoona Works (within shouting distance of this marker); PRR Class N5 Cabin Car (or Caboose) No. 477577 (within shouting distance of this marker); Track Cars (within shouting distance of this marker); The Juniata Shops (within shouting distance of this marker); PRR Class X29L Steel Boxcar No. 2136 (within shouting distance of this marker); The Master Mechanic (within shouting distance of this marker); The Posy Gang (within shouting distance of this marker); PRR Class D78F Dining Car No. 4468 (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Altoona.
Also see . . .
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., September 10, 2021
2. William Nesbit Mural
1. William Nesbit at Find A Grave. (Submitted on September 13, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Mural honors Blair County civil rights activist William Nesbit (WJAC, 2020). (Submitted on September 13, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. Four months in Liberia : or African colonization exposed (William Nesbit, 1855). (Submitted on September 13, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 13, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 12, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 508 times since then and 81 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 13, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
