A Slow Walk on the Wild Side

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.

Box turtle on the grounds of Cornwall Iron Furnace (photo via CIF Facebook)

Close-up of different (I think) box turtle at Pennsbury Manor (photo via PM Facebook)

 





































Today's post is inspired by the box turtle posts I saw from two different Trails of History sites and by the continuing string of lovely photos that other sites have shared. I haven't visited any of our sites in person in more than a year, so the virtual beauty is very important. I hope you'll enjoy it too. Of course, you can also visit in person this weekend (and I'm planning to do so soon). Please be sure to check site schedules on websites or social media to be sure that they'll be open when you plan to visit (always my advice, even pre-Covid).

Old Economy Village's gardens are bursting with color, with flowers and herbs spread throughout the site.


Drake Well Museum and Park's #WildlifeWednesday post this week featured a Swallowtail butterfly that stopped by for a visit. (Learn more about butterflies today with The State Museum of PA - see listing below.)


For #ThrowbackThursday, Cornwall Iron Furnace shared a lovely ca. 1900 view of agricultural workers harvesting grain on one of the surrounding farms.

Upcoming Events

Today, June 11

• Learn at Lunchtime (online), Betsy Leppo will talk about native PA butterflies and moths, The State Museum of PA, 12:15-12:45 pm (SMP Zoom link to register)

Wednesday, June 16

• What's in a Theme? PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase (online), this month's theme is Infamous People and Events, 7-8 pm (Facebook link to register)
• History Speaks series (online), "The Paxton Boys and Conestoga Massacre," Bushy Run Battlefield, tickets are $7.50, 7-8 pm (Eventbrite link to register)

Friday, June 18

• Learn at Lunchtime, learn about Harrisburg's November 1865 Grand Review honoring African American Civil War veterans, The State Museum of PA, 12:15-12:45 (registration link)
• Father's Day Weekend (onsite), free admission for dads 6/18-20, Bushy Run Battlefield (see BRB Facebook for details)

Virtual Farm Show

Please check the PHMC Events Calendar if you're planning ahead. The Trailheads Rec Room to the right of your screen has all kinds of online offerings, available whenever you need a taste of the Trails of History.

Photo from a previous year's in-person Pennsylvania Farm Show (PHMC photo)

Everything but the donuts (almost)

Traditionally (for a few years anyway), the first new Trailheads post of the year focuses on the Pennsylvania Farm Show and PHMC's participation. It is often one of the most popular posts. This year's Farm Show is taking place mostly online, which means no parking problems or waiting in the cold for a shuttle bus. But it also means [sob!] no Farm Show food (those of you in the Harrisburg area may be able to get potato donuts at your local Giant or Karns supermarket). Although it's not entirely the same without the smells of the animals or the food, this year's virtual Farm Show, January 9-16, means that those of you who can't get to Harrisburg anyway can enjoy the same events as everyone else. Check out the daily schedule of events (including a nightly food and beverage pairing) on the Farm Show website or follow the Farm Show Facebook page for updates.

William Chester Ruth (1882-1971) demonstrates a model of one of his inventions, a self-lifting elevator for moving bales of hay and other agricultural materials into storage (photo from Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum virtual exhibit on his life, work, and family)

Once it goes live on January 9, you can visit PHMC's Virtual PA Farm Show Booth anytime you like. You'll find info about PHMC's programs, a link to Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum's virtual exhibit on inventor William Chester Ruth, the Pennsylvania State Archives Ancestry.com research assets, the State Museum of Pennsylvania's Mammal Hall exhibit, the historical marker scavenger hunt, and the Section of Archaeology's popular dugout canoe (and much more). So many stories to explore.

View of one of the vaults at Old Economy Village (photo via Facebook)

Upcoming events

Saturday, January 9

• Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara: Boats, Ships, and Us - The USS Pennsylvania - a collaborative online lecture with the PA Military Museum, 2 pm (link for info and registration)

Sunday, January 10

• Pennsylvania Military Museum, online lecture, "The Korean War, 70 Years Later - U.S. Airpower," 2 pm (info and registration)

Tuesday, January 12

• Old Economy Village, online lecture, "Vaults and Safes at Old Economy Village," 7 pm (info and registration)

Thursday, January 14

• Ephrata Cloister, Ephrata Virtual Academy lecture, "An Illustrated History of Postcards with Ephrata Cloister and Other Views," 7 pm (info and registration)
• Premiere of WQED Pittsburgh documentary, "Out of the Woods: Battlefields of Western Pennsylvania," which features, among other southwestern PA historic sites, Bushy Run Battlefield and Fort Pitt Museum (additional info)

Farm Show Recap and More

The January program page has info about events and programs on the Trails of History. Most sites will be closed on Monday, Jan. 16, for the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday. The Railroad Museum of PA and Washington Crossing Historic Park (Visitor's Center only) (nope, sorry) will be open (please check their websites for hours).

There's still time today and tomorrow (Jan. 13-14) to catch PHMC at the PA Farm Show. Check out last week's post (most-read Trailheads post ever!) for details.

Some folks from my office (me included) managed to get over to the Farm Show yesterday to visit the Landis Valley and Pennsbury Manor exhibit and sample some of the famous Farm Show treats. Here are some photos from our visit (first two photos are from Brenda Reigle, third (blurry) one is mine):

Hard to see here, but this is a bill of lading for a load of goods sent via Conestoga wagon from Lancaster County to Frederick Rapp in Economy, PA (at what is now PHMC's Old Economy Village). Cool connection!

The PA Military Museum (Boalsburg) will be the venue for a Town Hall Meeting on Tues., Jan. 17, from 4 to 5 pm. The meeting is one of many planned around the country by the US Dept. of Veterans Affairs to provide opportunities for veterans, their families, and the general public to provide direct input to the VA. A post on StateCollege.com has more info. For directions to the museum, check the PMM website.

Wednesday, January 18, is international @MuseumSelfieDay on Twitter, and many of PHMC's Trails of History sites will be taking part. If you're at one of our sites that day and you're on Twitter, please take a selfie, post it using the hashtag #MuseumSelfie, and if possible tag the site you're visiting (not all have Twitter handles but many of them do).

Mike and Trisha Berberich (and friend), PA Lumber Museum, #MuseumSelfie day 2016

Joseph Priestley House (Northumberland) recently held their annual Twelfth Night event, which draws on the Priestley family's English roots and the customs they brought with them to the U.S. (local coverage in the Daily Item). Although Priestley House is closed to the public for the winter, there is still plenty of excitement as we look forward to the premiere of a new play, Gunpowder Joe: Joseph Priestley, Pennsylvania, and the American Experiment. Written by Anthony Clarvoe and directed by Laurie McCants, the play is produced by Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble and will be performed at the Alvina Krause Theatre in downtown Bloomsburg. On Sunday, Jan. 22, following the 3 pm matinee, there will be an informal symposium featuring the creative team behind the play as well as historical and scientific consultants/advisors, many of whom are members of the Friends of Joseph Priestley House. (Background info on the play is available in the study guide developed for high school students and their teachers.)

5 Must-Sees at Farm Show 2017

If you're looking for stuff to do on the Trails of History, please check out the January program page. I've added a few items since first posting the list in late December (and I'll continue to update as I get new info).

Landis Valley's Conestoga wagon on display at 2017 Farm Show (photo Cindy Reedy)

Well, it's PA Farm Show time again, campers, and although this year doesn't have quite the buzz last year's 100th Farm Show had, there's still plenty to be excited about. This year's theme is "A Culture of Stewardship," and once again, staff and volunteers from all over PHMC will be on hand to help thousands of people learn about Pennsylvania's agricultural heritage and the work our agency does all year. The Farm Show opens to the public tomorrow, Jan. 7, and runs through next Saturday, Jan. 14. You can find all the info you need, including the Visitor's Guide, on the official Farm Show website and follow @PAFarmShow on Twitter (use #PAFS17 to tag your photos or see what other people are tweeting). UPDATE: PennDOT has an online tool for checking traffic and travel routes for the Farm Show (use on desktop or download to mobile). Also, @PAFarmShow is tweeting updates on parking.

Landis Valley staff set up Farm Show exhibit earlier this week
l to r: Mike Emery, Jim Lewars, Bruce Bomberger (photo Cindy Reedy)

If you go, be sure not to miss these:

1) Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum is back with their Conestoga wagon and exhibitry on Pennsylvania's agricultural history. Landis Valley's exhibit area is in the Main Hall West, near the "Know Your Farmer" display. (The Main Hall is closest to the Maclay Street entrance to the Farm Show building.) They will be joined by folks from Pennsbury Manor who will share 17th-century farming and gardening history, including Pennsbury's now-famous beer-brewing program.

2) The State Historic Preservation Office and Pennsylvania State Archives will be in Main Hall East, Booth MF6086 (across from the Carousel, near the Family Living display). Look for the "Find Your Story" banner to learn about the treasures found at the State Archives, explore the Pennsylvania Agricultural History Project, or get started on the Historical Marker Scavenger Hunt.

3) Next door to "Find Your Story" in Booth MF6090, you will find the State Museum of PA's replica dugout canoe and a life-size photo mural of Native American petroglyphs found near Safe Harbor on the lower Susquehanna River. As always, archaeologists and others will be on hand to share their knowledge.

4) What would a trip to the Farm Show be without a look at the butter sculpture? Also found in the Main Hall, this year's offering, created by Jim Victor and Marie Pelton (Montgomery County) from 1,000 pounds of butter donated by Land O'Lakes (Carlisle, PA), is a tribute to environmental stewardship. It shows a lovely and very detailed agricultural landscape, a bit of a departure from the usual human and animal figures. When the Farm Show is over, the butter will be sent to a dairy farm in Juniata County where a methane digester will convert it into enough energy to power the farm for three days (read more and see a photo).

5) And of course, there's the PA Preferred Food Court, brimming with tasty treats. New this year at the Dairymen's milkshake booth - 100% compostable cups manufactured using resin made from plants that are domestically grown and annually renewable. Miraculously, they also remove all the calories from the milkshakes!**

**This claim has not been scientifically verified.