History: It's What We Do

Please be sure to check the PHMC Events Calendar for information on upcoming programs (still mostly virtual). The Trailheads Rec Room pages to the right of your screen have other online offerings that you may find interesting.

Monday, May 31, is Memorial Day. With current operating schedules, most Trails of History sites will be closed on Monday - but most are open this weekend, so please check the schedule of your favorite site.

The Pennsylvania Military Museum will be open from 10 am to 3 pm Friday through Monday - you can learn more about Pennsylvanians' military service while honoring those who did not return home from war. The monuments and memorials on the grounds are always a stark reminder of what it means to send troops into the fight.

Pennsbury Manor will be open for grounds-only visits on Memorial Day.

History Behind the Scenes

Yesterday, May 27, marked the 60th anniversary of Ephrata Cloister as a state property. As curator Kerry Mohn explains in the Facebook post below, "[I]n a brief ceremony in the Governor’s private office in the State Capitol, the deed for the grounds and buildings of the Ephrata Cloister was handed to Governor Arthur H. James, who in turn handed to the “heirs” of the Ephrata German Seventh Day Baptist Church a check for $15,000.00. The purchase also included artifacts."


Cornwall Iron Furnace recently shared an image of a map that has been a great tool for learning about the furnace complex and its environs. Reading this map and comparing to what's left to us today helps to document change over time. The community of iron furnace sites is a big one - this past weekend Cornwall staff participated in the 2021 Virtual Maryland Iron Festival, organized by Catoctin Furnace Historical Society (you can check it out on YouTube).


As you can see in this post from Old Economy Village, collections care involves many tasks, such as cleaning and inventory. Staff always try to be efficient by taking care of as many tasks as possible each time they touch an artifact. The work never ends.

Get on Out There

Please check the PHMC Events Calendar if you're looking for virtual programs. I've highlighted events below, but there's more to see in the weeks ahead. The Trailheads Rec Room to the right of your screen has all kinds of online offerings. Enjoy!

Spring has sprung at Drake Well Museum (photo via DWM Facebook)

The Pennsylvania Trails of History are beautiful this time of year (and any time of year). I'm seeing lots of enticing photos. If you're ready, I hope you get a chance to visit your favorite PHMC site soon. Always be sure to check the webiste or social media for your destination, since schedules vary. If you're not ready to visit in person, virtual programs are still on the calendar (see below) and we are happy to welcome you online. If you missed the most recent PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase, you can find a recording on the Pennsylvania Military Museum Facebook page (PMM video link).

A study in contrasts at Ephrata Cloister (photo via EC Facebook page)

 
International Museum Day was on Tuesday - I like to think that every day is Museum Day. I assume that Trailheads readers are museum fans, but if you (or someone you know) needs reminding, here's a link to 10 Reasons to Visit a Museum by museum data researcher Colleen Dilenschneider.

Upcoming Virtual Events

Today, May 21

• Learn at Lunchtime, Dr. Cynthia Little will talk about the "Game Changers" women's history exhibit, The State Museum of PA, 12:15-12:45 pm (SMP link to register)

Saturday, May 22

• The USS Pennsylvania, history of the famous battleship including service in WWII, Pennsylvania Military Museum, 2-3 pm (PMM Facebook event to register)

Tuesday, May 25

• A Brief Intro to Wooden Shipbuilding (Part 4 of 4), Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara, 6-7 pm (EMM Facebook event to register)

Wednesday, May 26

• Gravestone Cleaning & Preservation Workshop, Drake Well Museum & Park, 7-8 pm (DWM Facebook event to register)
• Stroll Along the 1915 Street Scene, a narrated virtual tour of the golden age of railroading, Railroad Museum of PA, 7-8 pm (tickets by donation, use the Eventbrite link)

Signs of Life

Please check the PHMC Events Calendar if you're looking for virtual programs. I've highlighted events below, but there's more to see in the weeks ahead. The Trailheads Rec Room to the right of your screen has all kinds of online offerings. Enjoy!

A beautiful day at Old Economy Village (photo via OEV Facebook page)

I hope you're enjoying the beautiful spring weather. I'm always afraid that summer heat is just around the corner, because I love moderate temps. But life is short, so I'm trying to just embrace it while it lasts. I'm always happy to see photos (like the ones above and below) from our Trails of History sites.

Lilies of the Valley at Ephrata Cloister (photo via EC Facebook page)

Life on the Trails of History is forever changed by the past year. As I've tried to chronicle in this blog, staff and volunteers moved quickly to respond to the closures brought by Covid-19 back in March 2020. Maintenance staff kept up with seasonal work through the summer and winter to make sure that buildings and grounds would be in good shape for reopening. Administrative staff adjusted to telework and online meetings (oh, so many Zoom and Skype and Teams meetings, but they helped us stay in touch). Staff and volunteers created a wide array of virtual programs over the past year, and those will remain an option as staff time permits, even as we reopen to the public.

If you're visiting our sites, please be aware that CDC and PA Dept. of Health guidance is changing rapidly. Our primary goal at all times is the safety and health of our staff, volunteers, and visitors. Your patience and support and, in my opinion, your vaccination will help us all get through this transition smoothly. (If you're still looking for a vaccine appointment, visit Vaccines.gov.)

Speaking of vaccinations, members of the 28th Division medical and transportation team recently paid a visit to the Pennsylvania Military Museum. They were assisting with a mass vaccination site on the Penn State University campus and used some downtime for a tour with museum staff. They enjoyed it so much they recommended it to PA Emergency Management Agency staff, who will be stopping by next week when they take some time off from the clinic.

Cornwall Iron Furnace posted an interesting image this week, evidence of the people who worked in the casting room of the furnace. You can also catch a recording of the latest Cornwall lecture, "Gold in Them Hills," by geologist Mike Weber.

Have you met Tansy, Eleanor, and Peppercorn? Be sure to say hello to these lovely sheep if you're visiting Pennsbury Manor. EDIT 5/14/21: I've replaced the post I initially shared below with one from today showing before and after shearing.


Folks at Graeme Park noticed a familiar face on the set of the new TV show "Rutherford Falls." Among the many treasures in the Rutherford Falls Museum, right next to the diorama of the early town, is an 18th-century portrait of a woman who bears a striking resemblance to Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson. I don't usually make viewing recommendations that aren't for things on the Trails of History, but if you're interested in history, museums, heritage and memory, Native American heritage, small town life (and many other topics) and don't mind some profanity, you might want to check it out (see a clip on YouTube).

Upcoming Virtual Events

Today, May 14

• Learn at Lunchtime, botanist Andrew Rohrbaugh will talk about native plants in your landscape plans, The State Museum of PA, 12:15-12:45 pm (SMP link to register)

Tuesday, May 18

• A Brief Intro to Wooden Shipbuilding (Part 3 of 4), Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara, 6-7 pm (EMM Facebook event to register)
• Preserving the Kaufman Farm: 250 Years of PA German Agriculture, with speaker Jim Lewars, former site administrator at Landis Valley, Daniel Boone Homestead, and Conrad Weiser Homestead, presented by Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum, 7-8 pm (5/18 Zoom link to register)

Wednesday, May 19

• History Speaks Series, "The Braddock and Forbes Campaigns to Take Fort Duquesne," Bushy Run Battlefield, 7-8:30 pm (link for tickets, $7.50 for nonmembers)
• Amtrak: The 50th Anniversary, a virtual tour about the life, death, and rebirth of the American passenger train, Railroad Museum of PA, 7-8 pm (tickets by donation)

Thursday, May 20

• The Heirloom Seed Project: Preserving Our Agriculture Heritage, with speaker Joanne Ranck-Dirks, director of the Heirloom Seed Project, presented by Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum, 7-8 pm (5/20 Zoom link to register)

A Round of Applause

Please check the PHMC Events Calendar if you're looking for virtual programs. I've highlighted events below, but there's more to see in the weeks ahead. The Trailheads Rec Room to the right of your screen has all kinds of online offerings. Enjoy!

You never know who will greet you when you visit the PA Military Museum (photo via Facebook)

By all accounts (that I've heard, anyway) our reopening weekend went smoothly. Shout out to all Trails of History staff and volunteers who spent the past year maintaining our sites physically, keeping sites and PA History in front of the public virtually, and supporting each other through it all. Throughout the day on Friday, emails went back and forth among staff to report on how things were going, and I had the privilege of being a fly on the wall, so to speak. The team spirit was heart-warming.

Image via Railroad Museum of PA Facebook page

Thanks are also due to the visitors who made this weekend a success by showing up and by helping staff and volunteers follow the safety protocols. If you're planning a visit this weekend, or in the near future, please be sure to check ahead on site schedules (I've rounded up some of the info a "reopening page", but it's still best to check with specific sites). You can find the details on safety protocols on PHMC's Welcome Back! page.

More Things to Celebrate

Melissa Mann, site administrator at Drake Well Museum & Park, was recently nominated as a Venango County Community Hero for her leadership at the site. Congratulations to Melissa and everyone at Drake Well.

Trib Live's Neighbor Spotlight for May features Bonnie Ramus, president of the Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society (BRBHS). BRBHS is the "friends" group at Bushy Run, responsible for most of the day-to-day management and programming at Bushy Run, while PHMC maintenance staff oversee the physical needs of the site. When Covid-19 closed the Trails of History sites, BRBHS adapted some of their in-person programs to virtual to keep history on the front burner. Congratulations to Bonnie for this recognition.

The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) is looking for community success stories during National Historic Preservation Month. Stories can be submitted through SHPO's PA-SHARE site, but you don't need a PA-SHARE account to submit. The official press release has the details or check out the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation blog.

Finally, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara celebrated Star Wars Day (May the Fourth Be With You) with a little twist on Oliver Hazard Perry's famous report, "We have met the enemy, and they are ours. Two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop."

Upcoming Virtual Events

Today, May 7

• Learn at Lunchtime, Heather Hendry, senior paper conservator at Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts, will talk with the museum's fine arts curator, Amy Hammond, about the preservation of Violet Oakley's drawings, The State Museum of PA, 12:15-12:45 pm (Zoom link to register)

Saturday, May 8

• Spring Nature Walk, Bushy Run Battlefield, 10 am-noon, $5 for non-members (BRB Facebook event to register)
• The "Daring" Lieutenant: William B. Cushing, part of the Civil War Navies series, Erie Maritime Museum and PA Military Museum, 2-3 pm (EMM Facebook event to register)

Sunday, May 9

• Tonight's Sky, a live chat with The State Museum of PA's planetarium director, 2-3 pm (SMP Facebook event to register)

Monday, May 10

• Origin of the Apple & Its Early History in North American, presented by Susan Dolan, apple expert and Cultural Landscapes Program Manager for the National Park Service, Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum, 7-8 pm (LVM Zoom link to register)

Tuesday, May 11

• A Brief Intro to Wooden Shipbuilding (Part 2 of 4), Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara, 6-7 pm (EMM Facebook event Part 2 to register)
• Gold in Them Hills, geologist Mike Weber will talk about gold mined in the hills around Cornwall, PA, Cornwall Iron Furnace, 7-8 pm (CIF Facebook event to register)
• What's in a Theme? PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase, tonight's theme is Souvenirs & Swag, 7-8 pm (Facebook event to register)

Wednesday, May 12

• Story Reading, visitor services associate Chris O'Brien will read Mr. Owliver's Magic at the Museum, by Carolyn Bracken, Railroad Museum of PA, 10-10:30 am (watch on RMP's YouTube channel)
• Historical and Archival Records Care Grant program webinar, an overview of eligibility, guidelines, tips for a competitive proposal and Q&A, Pennsylvania State Archives, 10 am (Archives Zoom link to register, webinar will be repeated on June 29 at 10 am)
• Remake Learning Days Across America, learn about maple sugaring in southwestern PA, Somerset Historical Center, 6-7:30 pm (SHC Facebook event to register)

Thursday, May 13

• Agriculture and Horticulture in PA German Spiritual Communities, staff from Ephrata Cloister and Old Economy Village will discuss unique facets of their historical communities, hosted by Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum, 7-8 pm (LVM Facebook event to register)
• Thrown, Fired, and Glazed: The Redware Tradition from Pennsylvania and Beyond, curator Jennifer Royer will provide a virtual tour of Landis Valley's award-winning exhibit, hosted by Ephrata Cloister, 7-8 pm (EC Facebook event to register)