Virtual Charter Day

Please check the PHMC Events Calendar if you're looking for virtual programs. Charter Day related events are highlighted below, but there's plenty of others on the calendar. The Trailheads Rec Room to the right of your screen has all kinds of online offerings--check it out when you're looking for something interesting.

First page of the 1681 Charter (photo via PA Trails of History Facebook page)

Fans of the Pennsylvania Trails of History are no doubt familiar with Charter Day, our annual celebration of Pennsylvania's birthday. In 1681, King Charles II, in payment of debts owed to Admiral William Penn, conveyed the land we call Pennsylvania to the admiral's son. Of course the story is far more complicated and includes lots of other people already living on this land. Still, it is a good day for us to highlight the history of the commonwealth and encourage people to learn more about it. This year, we'll celebrate online, since we can't yet gather in person. Starting on Sunday, March 7, and continuing through Friday, March 12, PHMC's website will have a special Charter Day 2021 landing page with links to planned activities (link added I'll add the link here when it's available, in the meantime the official press release has info).

Sunday, March 7

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania will debut 5 new videos that highlight each of the platforms in the museum's Rolling Stock Hall. The videos will feature rail cars and locomotives, new exhibit elements, popular features, and behind-the-scenes info.

• Track 1: Tahoe locomotive No. 20, Reading locomotive No. 1251, and TrainWorks interactive area
• Track 2: H&BT cabin car No. 16, John Bull locomotive, GP30 locomotive No. 2233, and Innovation Giants exhibit section
• Track 3: GG1 locomotive No. 4935, P58 coach No. 1651, Lotos Club Pullman car, and Track Workers exhibit
• Track 4: Shay locomotive No. 1, Snow Plow, H6sb locomotive No. 2846, and Railway Post Office/Mail Sorting exhibit
• Video 5: Restoration Shop and Pennsylvania Middle Division operating HO layout

Videos will be posted on social media and the Railroad Museum's YouTube channel, with a new video each hour from 11 am to 4 pm on Sunday, March 7. Once they premiere, you'll be able to find the videos on YouTube and the Railroad Museum's Facebook page.

The Anthracite Heritage Museum is offering a unique look at Pennsylvania history through stamps, with Tom Bowman, vice president of the Wyoming Valley Stamp Club and ambassador to the American Philatelic Society. The program will be live at 2 pm on Sunday, March 7, via Zoom (Anthracite's Facebook page has details).

Joseph Priestley House will post birthday greetings for Pennsylvania and Dr. Priestley, whose birthday is March 24, with video tours of several rooms in the house and a celebratory toast with Dr. Priestley's fizzy water.

The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum will open part two of "Then & Now," a virtual exhibit featuring archival photographs from the museum's collections alongside modern views of the same locations.

UPDATE: I'll list more site links here as I get more info. Check these out for Charter Day-related videos and more.

• Bushy Run Battlefield website and BRB Facebook page
• Conrad Weiser Homestead Facebook page
• Daniel Boone Homestead website and DBH Facebook page

Tuesday, March 9

In keeping with the theme for Charter Day, the March edition of "What's in a theme? PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase" will focus on birthdays and other celebrations. Folks from Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, Erie Maritime Museum, the Pennsylvania Military Museum, and the Railroad Museum of PA will do 5-minute presentations about objects and stories in their collections. Then the audience will get to vote on their favorite or the one they think best exemplifies the theme. The event will be live at 7 pm via Zoom (the Facebook event has details for signing up). A recording will be available later on PHMC's YouTube channel, along with recordings of previous Showcases (Showcase playlist).