September (some of it) in Review

September has been pretty eventful, what with the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, plus Tropical Storm Lee (while the aftermath of Hurricane Irene was still fresh), record flooding, power outages, etc. The Trails of History were affected by all of those to one degree or another. None of our sites suffered catastrophic damage, as far as I know, but many will be cleaning up and drying out for some time to come (as, I’m sure, will many of you). As September draws to a close, though, I thought I’d show you a few of the less dramatic (though no less interesting) events that took place.

PHMC/Scranton Iron Furnaces

Last weekend’s Family Fun Day at the Scranton Iron Furnaces got some nice local coverage. The goal of the program was to bring more visibility to the site (which is open on a fairly limited schedule due to staffing) and invite local kids to learn something about the history of their city. Tour guide Dominick Azzarelli was quoted in the Times Tribune article: “The furnaces are the reason why Scranton is Scranton today.” The site also worked with other community groups, who were on hand to help with local history and fire safety information for families who stopped by (which explains the guy in the photo above, between director Chester Kulesa and board president Bob Savakinus).

Washington Crossing Historic Park was featured in an article on Phillyburbs.com last week on the top 10 ways to enjoy fall foliage in Bucks County. The article suggested a stroll through the park to learn the history and a visit to Bowman’s Hill Tower for a birds-eye view of the county’s beauty. Another article on Phillyburbs.com profiled the site’s new curator, Kimberly McCarty, who previously was curator at Pennsbury Manor (welcome back, Kim!).

PHMC/PA Military Museum

Another "Then & NOW" has come and gone at the Pennsylvania Military Museum and they’ve posted lots of photos on Facebook (there are also photos of other programs held this summer). This annual encampment and bivouac showcases reenactors and military equipment from the American Revolution to the present, offering visitors a timeline of over 200 years of military history. (If you’re not interested in Facebook, photos from past years are on the website.)

Those of you following the schedule for the Civil War Road Show know that its appearance at the Bloomsburg Fair (like the Fair itself) was cancelled due to severe flood damage. Two new venues have been added to finish out the season. The traveling exhibit will spend this weekend (Sept. 24-25) at Linvilla Orchards in Media (Delaware County) and next weekend (Sept. 30-Oct. 2) at Peddler’s Village in Lahaska (Bucks County). Visit the Road Show website for details.