Minerd.com's Popular Photo of the Month

Allen Edward Harbaugh, the famed "Mountain Poet" of Fayette County, PA, created a unique genealogical record of our family in this fill-in-the-blank booklet published in St. Louis in 1888. He was a turn of the 20th century Renaissance man, genealogist, poet, journalist, sketch artist, sign painter, historian, economic development champion and political analyst.

Allen Edward Harbaugh, the "Mountain Poet" of Fayette County, PA, created a unique genealogical record of his family in this template booklet published in St. Louis in 1888. He was a turn of the 20th century Renaissance man, genealogist, poet, journalist, sketch artist, sign painter, historian, economic development champion and political analyst.

Allen lived in the village of Mill Run in the years before it became home to Fallingwater®, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the nation's most famous modern house. His pen name was "Al-Ed-Ha," an abbreviation of his full name.

Beginning in the 1860s, when he learned the trade of printing and his word and math puzzles appeared in a children's magazine, Allen’s name was known throughout the Fayette County coal region and at times beyond. His works were published in newspapers, books and magazines, and at his death, his obituary was published in Pittsburgh newspapers. As an artist and sign painter, "nobody was better known in the Connellsville region," eulogized one newspaper. "Buildings, barns, fences, rocks and signboards from Uniontown to Mount Pleasant bear evidence of his skill."

Allen’s narrative history of his own Minerd ancestry, presented at that clan’s inaugural reunion in 1913 at Ohiopyle, PA, has been an irreplaceable source of information that otherwise would be lost. In the century-plus since his death, while he has faded largely from public memory, his works at times resurface and have been published, a testament to the staying power of his creativity.

Allen used this notebook to keep detailed records on other branches of his and his wife’s families. It also covers pioneers in his own Harbaugh, Rowan, Leonard, Eicher, Kern, Cramer and Beeher lines, as well as his wife's people, the Williamses, Galloways and Hannas. His self-taught calligraphy adds to its charm.

The portfolio has been handed down to a fourth generation and continues to be a treasured heirloom. In a project related to our 2025 National Minerd-Minard-Miner-Minor Reunion, where Allen's great-grandson Rev. Dr. William "Bradford" Harbaugh was guest speaker, the notebook was professionally scanned and placed online for all to enjoy and study. Jointly writing in a foreword to the notebook, he and the founder of this website jointly write: "Since much of his art has been lost, it is our objective to reproduce this notebook for all to enjoy. We hope his records will inspire others to pursue their own research and lead to the discovery of other works." View the record [PDF, 85.9 MB]

VisitPITTSBURGH is the promotional sponsor of this page. Be sure to get a copy of the Greater Pittsburgh Convention & Visitors Bureau's Official Visitor's Guide, a 25-page workbook to help event organizers stay on track, no matter what type of reunion or meeting they are planning to hold. The booklet features a page of ideas by the founder of this website, headlined "Take It from a Professional."