National Get Outdoors Day

The June program page has info on events and activities on the Trails of History through the end of the month.

Retired forester Stan Hess leads a wildflower walk on the PA Lumber Museum's Sustainable Forestry Trail, May 2017 (via Facebook)

Tomorrow, June 10, is National Get Outdoors Day. I know, it snuck up on me too. Always does. I read about it in the electronic newsletter of the PA Parks and Forests Foundation. I was reminded of a tourism study from last year (I think) that showed that people who like to do outdoor activities also seem to really like exploring history (going to historic sites, etc.).

And that made me think about how many sites on the PA Trails of History offer some of both to the public. Many of our sites have beautiful grounds and parkland that people enjoy just for the sake of being outdoors. They may not even think about the history nearby. And many of our sites are looking for ways to gently remind those folks about the work and investment (of public and private dollars) it takes to maintain the grounds and preserve the history. But I digress.

Increasingly, staff and volunteers at PHMC sites are working with colleagues at state parks, which are part of the PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), to provide the public with experiences that satisfy or nurture historical curiosity alongside an appreciation of nature and of sustainable ways to interact with nature. (You may know that in early 2016, Washington Crossing Historic Park formally moved from PHMC's portfolio to DCNR's although it remains part of the PA Trails of History.) Recently, two programs came across my radar that reflect the cooperation between the two agencies.

Spring at Eckley (via Facebook)

Last Thursday, as part of a program series geared to older adults and retirees, staff from Nescopeck State Park in Luzerne County teamed up with staff from Eckley Miners' Village. Attendees toured the village, learning about the history of anthracite mining, life in a patch town, and features of the natural landscape. Eckley has also been working to regularly interpret (through graphics panels on the grounds) natural features and the geology of coal, as well as attracting outdoor enthusiasts using the newly expanded Rails-to-Trails project connecting the village to Hazleton.

In late May, 73 students from Northern Potter Middle School visited the PA Lumber Museum. A Facebook post by the school district recounted that the students "toured the museum and the grounds and learned about lumber uses and the history of the lumber industry in Pennsylvania. They learned how foresters use different types of maps to make forestry decisions as well." Museum staff report that the students were really engaged and interested. The group then moved on to Lyman Run State Park, where they participated in hands-on activities to learn about logging methods and how loggers floated logs downstream. In addition, they assisted the museum with testing out a raft-building exercise for an upcoming summer camp program. (Photos of all of these activities are in the School District's Facebook post.)

In a different vein, The State Museum of PA's popular Story Time program moved outside last week to take advantage of some tree-shaded areas outside the museum.

It’s a great day to read outside – especially when you’re reading the #PAOneBook #DanielFindsAPoem! 📚☀️ @PAPromise @StateMuseumPA pic.twitter.com/Kcc1WEc7sq

— PA Dept of Education (@PADeptofEd) June 2, 2017

Outdoor special events planned for June 10 are listed below. There are many more opportunities to be outdoors on the Trails of History (check the June program listing for more info):

Fort Pitt Museum
Living History Series—today's focus is the Ft. Pitt Fife and Drum Corps. Noon-4 pm.

Old Economy Village
Saturday Spotlight—19th-century Foodways: Bread-baking and Cooking. Included in regular admission, so please start at the Visitor Center. 10 am-5 pm.

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
Youth and Family Field Day—this event, which runs 9 am-4 pm, is geared for students between the ages of 10 and 16, accompanied by an adult family member. Qualified instructors will teach a variety of outdoor skills: Wildlife Identification, Turkey Lore/Calling, Archery, Pellet Shooting, Astronomy (observing the sun through a special telescope), Fly Casting, Trapping, and Tree Identification. Thanks to sponsorships, this event is free, but registration is required. Registration closed yesterday, so if you're interested you must call TODAY, June 9, to see if space is available.

Washington Crossing Historic Park
Historical and Nature-related Programs—environmental educator Katie Scott will lead a river's edge bird-watching session, 8:30-9:30 am (meet at the visitor center), and staff from Bucks County Library (Yardley branch) will offer storytime and a nature activity for kids of all ages, 2:30-3:30 pm in the picnic area across from the visitor center (visit Washington Crossing's events page for more information.

Updated info - additional outdoor opportunities on the Trails of History:

Ephrata Cloister is participating in the Ephrata Public Library's "Get Outdoors" program, as one of the stops on the program's landmarks scavenger hunt. Kids and their families use a map to visit parks and other outdoor venues in and around Ephrata. Each stop has a post with a metal symbol on top that is used to make a rubbing on the map. Ephrata Cloister's post represents a post office. For more information visit the project website.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Many PA Trails of History sites will be open on Monday, Sept. 5, for Labor Day (list of open sites).

The full September program line-up is now available (I'll try to update as I get more info throughout the month). So much to do as fall approaches.

Intro Gallery, "Challenges and Choices in Pennsylvania's Forests" (photo by David Fox, Hilferty & Associates)

I am pleased and proud to announce that the new core exhibit at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum will receive a Leadership in History Award from the American Association for State and Local History at its annual meeting later this month. The official press release provides more details. Site administrator Josh Roth will represent the museum and the exhibit team in Detroit. Earlier this year, the exhibit and building expansion/renovation received was recognized by PA Museums. The exhibit will be a focus of discussion on Sept. 13 during PHMC's participation in #AskACurator day 2016 (stay tuned for more details on that next week).

If you live in the Lancaster area and are a public, private, or homeschool student age 14 or older, you might want to bring a parent or guardian to historic Ephrata Cloister Thursday evening, Sept. 8, to learn more about the Student Historian program. Volunteer student historians meet weekly after school to learn about site and regional history and prepare to share it with the public, primarily during the annual Lantern Tour program in late December. Work with primary research sources and material culture, hone your public speaking skills, and make a significant contribution to education in your community. Students or parents/guardians who want to know more may contact Michael Showalter, mishowalter@pa.gov or 717/733-6600.

Student Historian Jeremy talks with visitors during Ephrata Cloister Lantern Tours program

This weekend:

• on Sat. (9/3), the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum will host a community yard sale in their parking lot (and did I mention we have an award-winning exhibit that you ought to stop in to see as well?)
• on Sun. (9/4), Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum will offer make-your-own ice cream sundaes and loads of other fun stuff included in regular admission
• on Labor Day (9/5), the Pennsylvania Military Museum will include a guided tour in regular admission at 11 am and 1 pm

However you choose to spend this weekend, please be safe and responsible. That is all.

Jumping on the Bandwagon

Looking for ideas for the weekend and the weeks ahead? Check out our list of things to do in July on the Trails of History!

I've never been accused of being an early adopter of anything. Cutting edge? Not me. I like to let other people take the risks, do the legwork, push the boundaries. So, it will come as no surprise that it took me until this week to jump on the "Hamilton" bandwagon. Sure, I've enjoyed seeing a couple of samples on the Tony Awards broadcasts and heard snippets here and there. But what finally propelled me to buy the album (on the iTunes) was a public radio segment about an educational program in NYC largely generated by the popularity of the show. With funding from the Rockefeller Foundation, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History partnered with scholars, educators, and the cast and crew of "Hamilton" to develop educational resources, a curriculum, and provide tickets for 20,000 students (at $10 a pop). The program I listened to included students talking about doing historical research, meeting with Hamilton biographer Ron Chernow (whose book underpins the musical), and performing their own historically inspired music, rap, and poetry for the cast and crew of the show. It was moving.

John Turnbull's portrait of Alexander Hamilton (via Wikimedia Commons)

So, I spent the 4th of July listening to the album and totally get what the big deal is (my opinion, your mileage may vary). It was a fitting reminder of the heroic and yet complicated, messy, sometimes ugly, origins of our democracy and the importance of helping our visitors understand that life was not "simpler back then." And that we are all part of the continuum of history. "Hamilton," for all of its cultural phenomenon-ness, is also an object lesson: when history is presented as a compelling story, with an eye and ear to the intended audience, people respond. We can't create blockbuster musicals at our sites, but our staff and volunteers strive all the time to forge emotional and intellectual connections between the present and the past and to shed light on the human strengths and weaknesses we share with our collective ancestors. It's frustrating work sometimes (most of the time?), but it matters.

Last month, Conrad Weiser Homestead hosted a living history program, Forest Diplomacy, that explored the relationship between colonial Pennsylvania and the Iroquois nation at a time when things might have turned out very differently.

Eckley Miners' Village held their annual Patch Town Days event late last month, this year focused specifically on the anthracite region's Slavic heritage. Music, food, and living history brought the company town's above-ground history to life for a crowd of visitors. You can read more about it in an article (with photos) from the Hazleton Standard-Speaker, which highlights the Eckley Players' presentation about a scarlet fever outbreak. Below ground, the second year of archaeological exploration has been uncovering buried details of the lives of two families who lived on Eckley's back street.

Blogger The Crazy Tourist included the Railroad Museum and the State Museum on a list of the top 25 things to do in Pennsylvania! He may be crazy but he has good taste.

And while we're at it, the Railroad Museum is in the running for USA Today's contest to select the 10 best transportation museums in the country (as of 9:23 am on July 8, RMP is ranked 3rd out of 20 in the voting). You can vote once a day through July 22 18 at noon. Don't throw away your shot.

On the road again

I'm out on the Trails of History most of the week, so I'm writing this Tuesday morning for posting on Friday. Please, universe, no breaking Trails-of-History news before I get back!! As always, you'll find the list of all things (that I know about) happening on the TOH very helpful for planning. And there's the list of sites that plan to be open on May 30 for Memorial Day (not all TOH sites will be open, so it's always a good idea to check).

Joseph Priestley House, Northumberland (photo by Janice Mullin)

My Google alerts brought me an interesting story, and a detail I did not know (one of many, no doubt), related to a Trails of History site. There is a playground in Sunbury, PA, called Fort Discovery. It was built in 2000 by community volunteers who included elements of local history among the swings and monkey bars. The playground has models of a canal boat, Fort Augusta, and, wait for it, the Joseph Priestley House. Very cool. The article in Sunbury's Daily Item was focused on teens from Shikellamy Middle School who spent a recent morning removing trash and graffiti, spreading mulch, and speaking with a reporter about their fond memories of the playground. Even cooler. Thanks to the students, their teachers, and the playground's co-coordinator, Fran Zartman, for their hard work and for helping children learn about their community while they play. And thanks to the PHMC staff and community volunteers who help keep the full-size Joseph Priestley House in good repair and open to visitors.

And speaking of Joseph Priestley House and Fort Augusta, you can visit both of them and 9 other sites as part of the 2016 Time Traveler's Passport program offered by the Susquehanna River Valley Heritage Alliance. In addition, the pass encourages visits to see New Deal art at a half-dozen post offices in the region.

I wanted to make sure that everyone has had a chance to read about our amazing volunteers on the Trails of History. I posted info shortly after our annual Volunteer of the Year awards ceremony, but in case you missed it:

Volunteers from Anthracite Heritage Museum, Brandywine Battlefield, Bushy Run Battlefield, Conrad Weiser Homestead, Cornwall Iron Furnace, Daniel Boone Homestead, Drake Well Museum, and Eckley Miners' Village are in Part 1

Volunteers from Ephrata Cloister, Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara, Graeme Park, Hope Lodge, Joseph Priestley House, Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum, and Old Economy Village are in Part 2

Volunteers from Pennsbury Manor, Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, Pennsylvania Military Museum, Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, Somerset Historical Center, State Museum of Pennsylvania, and the recipients of this year's Outstanding Service Award are in Part 3

Happy Trails!