What Are You Thankful For?

Trailheads is a little early this week to get ahead of the holiday.

I am thankful for my husband, my family, my friends, and my colleagues. I am thankful for my health and my home. I am thankful for reminders that I should never take any of these things for granted, because there are so many people who cannot even take their next meal or a safe place to live for granted. I am thankful for all of you who read Trailheads and who support the work of everyone on the PHMC's Trails of History. What are you thankful for?

Getz Dry House at Landis Valley Before and After preservation
Thankful for the work of PHMC's Preservation Field Services section - this is the Getz Dry House at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, before and after restoration work (photo by Rob Coates)
All of our Trails of History sites will be closed tomorrow, Nov. 24, for Thanksgiving. The following will be open on Friday, Nov. 25:

Regular schedules resume on Saturday, Nov. 26, but please be sure to check ahead. Operating schedules change seasonally at a number of sites, so it's always best to be sure the site you want to visit will be open when you plan to be there (list of all sites). And don't forget to remember your favorite site on #GivingTuesday, Nov. 29. (UPDATE: Daniel Boone Homestead sent me a link to the donation page on their website to make it easier.)

Remember to "Shop Small" at Ephrata Cloister and all Trails of History museum stores
I've posted the list of December programs for those of you who like to plan ahead (holiday programming starts on Dec. 1), but there's still stuff to do in November!

Saturday, Nov. 26
  • Patriots's Day, Brandywine Battlefield Park, admission charged (details), 10 am-4pm
  • Candlelight Open House, Ephrata Cloister, admission charged (details), 5-8:30 pm
  • A Continental Christmas, Graeme Park, free admission (details), noon-4pm
  • Wreaths & Greens Workshop, Pennsbury Manor, advance registration required (details), 10 am-noon or 1-3 pm

Starting Tuesday, Nov. 29
  • Christmastime for Children, Old Economy Village, advance registration required (details)

I will all of you a happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving, full of good things. If you'd like to explore your family history while you have everyone gathered, The Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage has developed a list of questions to help you get started.

Moving Forward

If you're looking for things to do this weekend, please check out the November program page for ideas.

All Trails of History sites will be closed on Thanksgiving, and many will be closed the following day. Please check the list of Trails of History sites that will be open on Black Friday before you head out.


Today, Nov. 18, is the Lancaster County Community Foundation's Extraordinary Give, a 24-hour online giving marathon (runs until 11:59 pm). The three Trails of History sites in Lancaster County are participating, so you can get your year-end giving started early - Ephrata Cloister, Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, and the Railroad Museum of PA. For those of you in other parts of the state, it's not too soon to start thinking about a gift in support of your favorite site!

Garden at Eckley Miners' Village (AKFox photo)
Garden at Eckley Miners' Village 2014 (AKFox photo)
Patrick McDonnell, acting secretary of the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), and State Sen. John Yudichak (D-Plymouth Twp) were at Eckley Miners' Village earlier this month to announce a project to extend the Greater Hazleton Rails-to-Trails to the village, reclaim a 62-acre abandoned mine site, and clean up Hazle Creek and Black Creek for fishing and recreation. Noting the project's economic, environmental, and cultural benefits, McDonnell said, “We’re literally creating a path here between recreation and cultural tours and opportunities the village represents. It is really critical to understand where it is we came from. Investing in these kinds of projects is investing in our communities, our culture, and our history. It demonstrates how environmental benefits and economic goals can be combined.” (Read more about the project in The Citizens' Voice article.)

Gunpowder Joe at Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble

While I was preparing a tweet about the Joseph Priestley House for #LoveTheatreDay (Nov. 16), my Google Alerts showed me an article about the naming of a new building at Birmingham (UK) City University for our own Dr. Priestley. The building was officially dedicated by the 9th Marquess of Landsdowne, whose home - Bowood House - was the site of Dr. Priestley's experiments with oxygen (he was a tutor in the household of the 1st Marquess). In naming the building for Joseph Priestley, Lord Landsdowne explained that this “will ensure that his legacy, linked with Birmingham City University, continues.” On this side of the Atlantic, Dr. Priestley's legacy continues as well. His American home and laboratory are part of the PA Trails of History, open to the public through a partnership between PHMC and the Friends of Joseph Priestley House. This January, Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble will premiere a new play by Anthony Clarvoe, Gunpowder Joe: Joseph Priestley, Pennsylvania, and the American Experiment (that's what I was tweeting about).

Great Hall table set for Holly Nights at Pennsbury
Great Hall table, Pennsbury Manor (from Facebook)
And although it's not even Thanksgiving yet, I'm sharing a sneak peek photo from Pennsbury Manor for their annual Holly Nights event, scheduled for Dec. 1 and 2 (online tickets available until noon on Nov. 30 - purchase by Nov. 25 and receive a discount). Just because.

Veterans Day 2016


President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11, 1919, "Armistice Day" to commemorate the end of hostilities in World War I and honor veterans of that war. In 1954, November 11 became "Veterans Day" to include veterans of World War II and to honor all U.S. veterans. On the Trails of History, we mark this day, but we are working continually to honor Pennsylvania's veterans and to tell their stories to the present and future generations. As noted in last week's post, PHMC's current Pennsylvania at War initiative is focused on U.S. involvement in World War I and World War II. The State Museum will open a new exhibit on the USS Pennsylvania on December 4. And we are currently working on new long-term exhibits at the Pennsylvania Military Museum that will explore the role of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvanians in all of our nation's military conflicts.

Today, many sites on the Pennsylvania Trails of History are closed for the holiday. The following will be open regular hours:

Staff and volunteers from the Erie Maritime Museum will participate in Veterans Appreciation Day activities at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center and Presque Isle State Park. From 10 am to 2 pm today, museum personnel will provide War of 1812 and Civil War Navy living history and historical displays and participate in a flag raising service. In addition, through November 23, the museum will be a collection point for items to be sent to active duty military personnel.

The PA Military Museum has events all weekend:
  • Today the museum will offer free admission for veterans and their families during regular operating hours (10 am-5 pm). In addition, the museum will partner with the Centre County Library to offer a genealogy workshop geared toward fundamentals of military history and using military records to research your family. The one-hour genealogy workshop is included in regular admission (for non-veterans) and will be offered twice - at 10 am and 2 pm.
  • Tomorrow (11/12), is Kids Day IV - Dress Up and Discover!! Kids of all ages get to try on military uniforms from the museum education collection. Photo ops in the museum theatre. Visit the education stations in the galleries for more fun discoveries throughout the day. Parents must remain on-site while their kids participate in the activities. Included in regular admission. 10:00 am-3:00 pm.
  • Sunday, Nov. 13, the museum will show the documentary film In the Footsteps of Bud Owens, which tells the story of a World War II airman shot down over France. Donation requested. 1 pm.

Honoring Veterans and History

Please note that the November program page and a list of Trails of History sites open on various November holidays are now available. And don't forget that we "fall back" an hour at 2 am on Sunday, as Daylight Saving Time ends.

Today (Nov. 4) at 11 am, PHMC's Pennsylvania Trails of History will be broadcasting on #FacebookLive, at the official recognition of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania as a new member of the Smithsonian Affiliates program. Friday and Saturday, Norfolk Southern's Pennsylvania Railroad Heritage Engine will be on view at the museum.


While Veterans Day is not for another week, there is a new PHMC initiative that I wanted to highlight, as well as several military history events happening over the coming week.


In late October PHMC launched an initiative called "Pennsylvania at War" that brings together public events, exhibits, and other activities commemorating U.S. entry into World War I (100th anniversary in 2017) and World War II (75th anniversary in 2016). Follow #PAatWar on Twitter to keep up to date on offerings now through the end of 2017; even if your organization is not part of PHMC you can use the hashtag to highlight your events.

This weekend
Tomorrow, Nov. 5, Historic Hope Lodge will present its annual reenactment of the Nov. 2-Dec. 11, 1777, encampment of Gen. George Washington and the Continental Army in the Whitemarsh Hills. Please note that this is now a one-day event (program details are on the Hope Lodge website). Admission cost is $8 for ages 18-59, $5 for ages 6-17 and 60+, free for members and children age 5 and younger; there is a family rate of $20 per car. Cash only for ticket sales at the gate, but you can buy tickets online (with a small service fee) via PayPal if you prefer to use a credit card (be sure to bring your receipt). The encampment is open to the public from 10 am to 4 pm (rain or shine).


Penn State University (Main Campus) is holding a Military Appreciation Day tailgate at the Bryce Jordan Center on Saturday (11/5) starting at 3 pm. Prior to that event, from 10 am to 2:30 pm, the Pennsylvania Military Museum will hold a pre-tailgate program of guided tours, lectures, living history reenactments, and the presentation of service pins to Vietnam veterans in attendance. The reenactments and a tour of armored vehicles will take place outside, weather permitting; the lectures and presentations will take place inside the museum. Admission will be free for veterans and their families, and is always free for active duty military and their families (regular admission rates apply for others).

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania's annual "Trains & Troops" program, Nov. 5-6, salutes our armed forces and explores connections between the military and railroad history. Reenactors and displays of equipment will be in Rolling Stock Hall, military music and tributes will be offered each day, and (weather permitting) vintage airplanes will do a flyover (see more detailed schedule on the website). A special addition this year (Sat., 11/5, at 1:30 pm) will be the dedication of the newly restored "Lindbergh Engine" in Rolling Stock Hall. And Saturday night is the annual Swing Dance, featuring the big band music of the Moonlighters (tickets for the dance or combo tickets for the dance and museum admission are available online.)

Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 11
Staff and volunteers from the Erie Maritime Museum will participate in Veterans Appreciation Day activities at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center and Presque Isle State Park. From 10 am to 2 pm, museum personnel will provide War of 1812 and Civil War Navy living history and historical displays and participate in a flag raising service. In addition, through November 23, the museum will be a collection point for items to be sent to active duty military personnel (see list below).


The Military Museum will offer free admission for veterans and their families on Veterans Day during regular operating hours (10 am-5 pm). In addition, the museum will partner with the Centre County Library to offer a genealogy workshop geared toward fundamentals of military history and using military records to research your family. The one-hour genealogy workshop is included in regular admission (for non-veterans) and will be offered twice - at 10 am and 2 pm.