Her Stories

- Documenting the Role of Women in Local History -

Myrtle Magargel of Pleasant Gap was one of several correspondents to the State College Times before it became a daily newspaper in 1934. She handled the Pleasant Gap personals and community news items. Magargel is certainly better known for the community histories that she wrote for the Centre Daily Times from 1936 to 1948 – histories of Pleasant Gap, Centre Hall, Boalsburg, the Rock, and Halfmoon Valley – and for her special study on the early roads of Centre County. She also wrote about her native Sullivan County, including "Pioneering with Sullivan County Pioneers," published by the Endicott Publishing Company in 1953.

Born in Sonestown, PA in 1881, Myrtle Edgar married George Magargel in 1905 and they moved to Centre County in 1922. She was a teacher at the Pleasant Gap School, a founding member of the Pleasant Gap Women's Club, and a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She lived in Pleasant Gap until her death in 1958.

Magargel's well written and still valuable community histories appeared in the Centre Daily Times in serial form and captivated a wide audience as readers were given tiny pieces to the puzzle of a community's history each week. Some were published later in booklet form but are now fairly scarce.

Her "History of Pleasant Gap" ran in the Centre Daily Times from March 16 through June 20, 1936. The first issue was preceded by an introduction of Myrtle Magargel and her compilation:

"The following is the first installment of the History of Pleasant Gap, written by Mrs. Myrtle Magargel of that community. Delving into histories of Centre County, records at the Courthouse and through personal interviews with old residents of the community, Mrs. Magargel has amassed a treasure of information and incidents concerning the early history of Pleasant Gap and has woven them into an interesting account."

Readers can still find "a treasure of information and incidents" in these interesting and informative publications written more than 50 years ago. Magargel's writings are an important contribution in preserving the heritage of Centre County.