Spr-abin Fever

Every once in a while I like to just pull together a compilation of items that I’ve run across on the Trails of History. This, campers, is one of those times. We’re having some “unseasonably warm” weather as I write this and I’m experiencing a combination of cabin fever and spring fever. (Anyone who wants to suggest a better name for it than the title of this post, PLEASE leave a comment.) So, for your short-attention-span pleasure…

We’ve been paying attention here at Trailheads to the visitor center expansion at Drake Well Museum over the past year or more (here, here, and here). According to the latest update, staff will begin the process of moving back into the building next week. I hope to have some pix to share in coming months as the “new” museum comes to life.

PHMC/Flagship Niagara League

Winter is always a season of maintenance for the Flagship Niagara, but this year saw a major project to recaulk the ship’s deck. This is the kind of job that, if left undone, results in huge problems down the road. Niagara’s captain, Wesley Heerssen, shares a thorough explanation of the project here. I’m usually not that interested in technical details, but I found this a really engaging read.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, Pennsbury Manor posted excerpts of letters William Penn wrote to Hannah Callowhill during their courtship in England in 1695. William (a widower) was twice Hannah’s age at the time and needed to convince her that he was a good match. (Spoiler alert: He did. Hannah and William were married in 1696.)

PHMC/State Museum of Pennsylvania

Here in Harrisburg, the State Archives Search Room has reopened after a renovation project. And the State Museum’s rejuvenated Paleontology Gallery, featuring the Marshalls Creek mastodon skeleton, will debut to the public on February 27 (a gala reception will be held the night before—tickets are still available, I believe).