SLIPPERY ROCK — Work continues on the Slippery Rock Heritage Association’s second book of oral histories.

Ken Harris, past president of the association, said he is not sure when the book will be released.

“We’re quite a ways from going to press,” Harris said.

The first book, titled “The Way We Were,” was published in 2012. The association printed about 400 copies of its first book, and about 320 have been sold.

That book mainly covered the 1930s and 1940s. The second book will cover the same period but also will go into the 1960s and 1970s. Harris said some people featured in the book still had active lives into the 1980s, so that period could be covered by some interviews.

The association has about 25 to 26 tapes of interviews. Most of the interviews were conducted by Joe Riggs, a retired professor from retired Slippery Rock University.

“It will be along the same lines (as the last book),” Harris said.

Some of the people interviewed were Sam Brydon, a contractor; former Mayor Bob Allison and his wife Charlotte, who owned the Isaly’s restaurant in the borough; Betty Drennen, who served as a nurse during World War II and was the wife of a former postmaster; and John Peterson, the former longtime pastor at Center Presbyterian Church.

“There’s some interesting people there,” Harris said.

Harris said about four fifths of the tapes have been transcribed.

“That’s tedious work,” Harris said.

Harris also is planning on having quarter-page biographies of prominent residents who never gave interviews, such as former Police Chief Gus Kelly and longtime SRU coach N. Kerr Thompson.

He said this addition has slowed work on the book due to the additional research it requires.

He said the association is missing former association President Jerilyn McDowell, who died in 2012. He said she did a lot of work checking facts, doing genealogy research and getting photographs. Her loss has caused the second book to take longer than the first book, he said.

“The association needs help and support on this,” Harris said.

Anyone who has photographs or who could help with checking facts may call Harris at 724-794-6353 or write to the association at P.O. Box 511, Slippery Rock, PA 16057.