False Spring Strikes Again

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum's Snowmobility Weekend drew a good crowd, with the snow sticking around just long enough

I heard from the PA Lumber Museum that the snow they needed for last weekend's event has gone. I enjoyed a lovely lunchtime walk on Wednesday with 60 degree temps. But it's all a sham. We all know it. More winter weather is on the way, because it is, of course, still winter. I fall for it every year. Ah, well. Be sure to check out the calendar below for the coming week and check the advance planning list for more things to look forward to on the Trails of History.

Erie Maritime Museum

The Erie Maritime Museum, which is home to the U.S. Brig Niagara, is currently in the running for USAToday's Top 10 History Museums list. Twenty museums are featured on the website; the top 10 vote-getters will make the final cut. As of Wednesday afternoon, Erie Maritime Museum is at number 6. You can vote once a day through noon ET on March 14. Please take a few minutes to cast your vote, early and often (vote for Erie Maritime Museum). Thank you for your support.

Pennsylvania artists and craftspeople are invited to submit their entries for the 2022 Art of the State exhibition at The State Museum of Pennsylvania. This year is the 55th exhibition. Categories for submission and awards are Painting, Work on Paper, Photography & Digital Media, Sculpture, and Craft. The deadline to submit your work is May 6; the exhibition will be on view from September 11, 2022 through January 15, 2023. The State Museum website has details (Art of the State application info).

Up Next

Friday, February 25

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual), 12:15-12:45 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Curators Katie McGowan and Robert Hill will share the story of Mary Sharp Ward (1912-1989), who served with the American Red Cross during World War II. The program is free, but you must register to receive the link (Learn at Lunchtime info and registration)

Sunday, February 27

• Sunday Sewing Circle (in-person), 1-4 pm, Bushy Run Battlefield
• Bring your sewing or embroidery projects and enjoy the company of others who like to sew. The program is free; chairs, tables, ironing board, and iron provided (Sewing Circle info)

Wednesday, March 2

• Explore! (in-person), 11:30 am-12:30 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Learn about PA's architectural innovations and unique buildings. For kids in grade 3-5 and included in regular admission. Space is limited; sign up at the Ground Floor Info Desk when you arrive (Explore! info)

Thursday, March 3

• Winter History Class (virtual), 9 am-noon, Ephrata Cloister
• Today's topic is "Mystical and Churchly: An Ephrata Confession of Faith." If you did not register for the full course, you can watch today's session via Zoom for $10 (Winter History Class info and tickets)

• Family Gallery Tour: Paleontology (in-person), 11:30 am-12:30 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Join museum educators to learn about life from the Carboniferous Period to today using hands-on fossils of plants and animals (Family Gallery Tour info)

Friday, March 4

• StoryTime (in-person), 10:30-11:30 am, The State Museum of PA
• Explore our solar system and read Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket by Sue Fliess with illustrations by Annabel Tempest. For kids ages 2 to pre-K and included in regular admission (StoryTime info)

• Conservationist Gardener Workshop (in-person), 11 am-12:30 pm, Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
• Staff from the Potter County Conservation District will present about garden and backyard conservation. Free rain barrels and soil test kits will be offered to attendees. The workshop is free; call 814/320-4017 to reserve your spot (Garden workshop info)

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• Ephrata Cloister's Winter History Class continues each Thursday morning from 9 am to noon through March 31; if you didn't sign up for the full 9-week course, you can register to attend individual sessions via Zoom for $10 each (Ephrata Cloister website)
• Drake Well Museum and Park's Wisdom and Wine in-person lecture series will run Thursday nights from March 10 through March 31. Regional experts on the people, places, and events of local petroleum industry will present and Brokenstraw Valley Winery will host a wine-tasting happy hour (happy hour at 5:30 pm with lectures starting at 6:30). Separate admission prices for the happy hour and lecture (Wisdom and Wine info)
• Somerset Historical Center is hosting a Pysanky Egg Decorating Workshop on Saturday, March 12. This class is geared to beginners and the fee includes materials. Adults and kids age 12 and up welcome; ages 12 to 15 must be accompanied by an adult (Pysanky workshop info and registration).
• On Saturday, March 19, 2-4 pm, the Pennsylvania Military Museum will offer their popular history tour of the tracked vehicles on the grounds, including a look inside the crew compartments. Space is limited (in more ways than one), and reservations are required (Exploring the Armor info and registration).
• Rails and Ales: enjoy an evening of craft beer among the museum's historic trains at the Railroad Museum of PA, April 9, 5:30-9 pm; must be 21 or older to attend; variety of ticket options (VIP tickets are sold out), including designated driver tickets (Rails and Ales tickets)
• Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum will offer living history tours on Saturday, May 21, based on the life and work of local inventor William Chester Ruth. Ruth was born in 1882 in Chester County; his father had been enslaved in South Carolina and his mother was a free woman of color. Ruth will be portrayed by actor Keith Henley of American Historical Theater. Tour times are 9:30, 12:30, and 3; advance tickets are required (William Chester Ruth Tour info and tickets)
• Drake Well Marathon, August 14 - this race is a Boston Marathon qualifier. Registration for a variety of categories is now open.

Winter Time Blues?

David Sonnen took this and other photos of the Conrad Weiser Homestead in last weekend's snow (photo via CWH Facebook page)

This past week has ranged from snow to spring where I live, and the weekend ahead looks like something in between (with wind, yay!). Don't let 60-degree weather in February fool you, campers. Winter never gives up that easily. As much as I'm not a big fan of being cold, I do love to see the winter scenes at our Trails of History sites, like the photo above from Conrad Weiser Homestead. Winter is definitely a slower time on the Trails, but there's still plenty to do. Even at sites that are closed to the public for the winter there is lots of activity going on behind the scenes. So whether you want to get outside, stay inside, or both - don't forget to visit your favorite Trails of History sites in person and online. (Here endeth my stream-of-consciousness exercise - Yikes!)

We love our visitors, but some jobs are easier to do when folks aren't around for tours. That's particularly true of giving our buildings and exhibits a deep clean (as opposed to ongoing maintenance and upkeep). Recently staff at Pennsbury Manor and Old Economy Village, both closed to visitors during January and February, rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

I tried to come up with clever shift here, but I can't. The Pennsylvania Military Museum shared this post about the anniversary of the first computer, ENIAC, which originated as a tool for calculating artillery firing tables. If you're reading this on your phone, you have more computing power in your hand than this room-sized computer had. Wild.

Up Next

Today, February 18

• Snow-mobility Weekend (in-person), 10:00 am-4 pm, Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
• Ride your snowmobile from Susquehannock State Forest to the museum today, tomorrow, and Sunday (10 am-4 pm each day). Enjoy a pancake breakfast tomorrow only (10 am-2 pm) in the visitor center (Snow-mobility details)

Saturday, February 19

• StoryTime (in-person), 10:30-11:30 am, The State Museum of PA
• Read "One Dog Sleigh" by Mary Casanova and create your own jingle bells. For kids age 2 to pre-K and included in regular admission (StoryTime info)

• Medicine and Disease in the 18th Century (in-person), noon-4 pm, Bushy Run Battlefield
• New exhibit opens today. Regular admission charged (Bushy Run info)

• The Dead of Winter (in-person), 5:30 and 7:00 pm, Graeme Park
• This program is conducted in the style of an early 20th-century seance, with a short historical discussion afterwards. Tickets are limited and reservations are required (Dead of Winter tickets)

Tuesday, February 22

• Sensory Hours (in-person), 3-5 pm, Railroad Museum of PA
• Light and noise levels will be lowered, and there will be several quiet spaces set up in the galleries. Several pieces of rolling stock will be open with staff on hand to answer questions. Registration is required (Sensory Hours ticket options)

• Pennsylvania Railroad Wooden Passenger Cars (virtual), 7-9 pm, The Railroad Museum of PA
• Take a virtual tour of coaches Nos. 3556, 8177, and 4639. Tickets are by donation (virtual tour tickets)

Wednesday, February 23

• Family Gallery Tour: Mammal Hall (in-person), 11:30 am-12:30 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Museum educators will use hands-on objects to help you learn about PA animals and their habitats. Included in regular admission (Gallery Tour info)

Thursday, February 24

• Winter History Class (virtual), 9 am-noon, Ephrata Cloister
• This week's topic is "Pennsylvania Dutch: The Story of an American Language." If you didn't register for the full course, you can attend today's session via Zoom for $10 (Winter History Class info and registration)

• Curiosity Kids (in-person), 11:30 am-12:30 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Learn about sleds and sleighs and how people in the past travelled and had fun in the winter. For kids in grades K-2 and included in regular admission (Curiosity Kids info)

• PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase (virtual), 7-8 pm
• This month's theme is Unique and Rare Objects. Panelists from 5 Trails of History sites will each have 5 minutes to present their object, then the audience gets to vote. Program is free, but you must register to receive the link (Collections Showcase info and registration)

Friday, February 25

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual), 12:15-12:45 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Curators Katie McGowan and Robert Hill will share the story of Mary Sharp Ward (1912-1989), who served with the American Red Cross during World War II. The program is free, but you must register to receive the link (Learn at Lunchtime info and registration)

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• Ephrata Cloister's Winter History Class continues each Thursday morning from 9 am to noon through March 31; if you didn't sign up for the full 9-week course, you can register to attend individual sessions via Zoom for $10 each (Ephrata Cloister website)
• Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, in cooperation with the Potter County Conservation District, will host "Conservationist Gardener Workshop" on March 4, 11 am-12:30 pm; the workshop is free and in-person, but you must contact the Conservation District to register (Conservation workshop info)
• Rails and Ales: enjoy an evening of craft beer among the museum's historic trains at the Railroad Museum of PA, April 9, 5:30-9 pm; must be 21 or older to attend; variety of ticket options (VIP tickets are sold out), including designated driver tickets (Rails and Ales tickets)
• Drake Well Marathon, August 14 - this race is a Boston Marathon qualifier. Registration for a variety of categories is now open.

Valentine's Day Serendipity

Graeme Park shared this 1869 photo of the parlor by Philadelphia photographer John Moran (1831-1902) as part of their 300 year retrospective of the Keith House (photo from Library Company of Philadelphia via Graeme Park's Facebook page)

I was intrigued by the photo above, shared by the folks at Graeme Park on their Facebook page. The Keith House at Graeme Park, built for colonial Pennsylvania governor Sir William Keith, is marking its 300th birthday this year. I hadn't heard of the photographer, so I, a seasoned museum professional and intellectual, Googled him. I found a useful post on The Philly History Blog that filled in the photographer's background and his place in the history of photography ("Balancing the Books for John Moran Art Photographer" by Ken Finkel, August 11, 2014).

The blog post and Graeme Park's Facebook post both noted that the Library Company of Philadelphia holds a considerable collection of Moran's work, so off I went to their website's digital catalogue. My search led me to a long scroll of photos that included landscapes from around the Philadelphia area, building exteriors and interiors, a lot of photos with railroad bridges, and more (my search results). I didn't want to get too far down a rabbit hole, but I decided to search for other Graeme Park images. That's when I found a very timely "Valentine Poem to Elizabeth Graeme Ferguson."

I leave you with a few lines from the poem, written in 1757 by the Reverend Doctor Smith in honor of Elizabeth's February birthday:

The Graces smil'd upon her Birth;
The Cupids smote the Soul of Earth,
The fluttering [flattering?] Songsters sought the Grove;
Their Hearts to plight in Annual love
And vowd for each succeeding Year
To give that Night to Joy sincere.

Up Next

Today, February 11

• StoryTime (in-person), 10:30-11:30 am, The State Museum of PA
• Read "One Dog Sleigh" by Mary Casanova, learn about sleighs, and create your own jingle bells; for kids age 2 to pre-K and included in regular admission (StoryTime info)

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual), 12:15-12:45 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Award-winning wildlife photographer and filmmaker Tracy Graziano will discuss documenting animals in their habitats; program is free, but you must register to receive the link (Learn at Lunchtime info and registration)

Tuesday, February 15

• Boom Heritage Oil and Lumber series (virtual), 6:30-7:30 pm
• Tonight's program features Van Wagner and William Stumpf presenting "A Roustabout and a Wood Hick" (Boom Heritage registration)

Wednesday, February 16

• Explore! (in-person), 11:30 am-12:30 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Explore the causes, distribution, and control of germs; for kids in grades 3-5 and included in regular admission; space is limited, so please sign up at the Ground Floor Info Desk when you arrive (Explore! info)

Thursday, February 17

• Winter History Class (virtual), 9 am-noon, Ephrata Cloister
• Today's topics are "Religious Ideas that Influenced Conrad Beissel" and "Colonial Watermarks: Art, Identifiers, and Puzzle Solvers"; if you're not signed up for the full course, you can watch today's session via Zoom for $10 (Winter History Class info)

• Family Gallery Tour: Paleontology (in-person), 11:30 am-12:30 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Join museum educators for a family-friendly tour featuring hands-on fossils of plants and animals from the Carboniferous Period; included in regular admission (Gallery Tour info)

• Drake Well Winter Academy (virtual), 6:30-7:30 pm, Drake Well Museum & Park
• Natalie Pekney, an environmental engineer with the U.S. Dept. of Energy, will discuss a study of abandoned oil wells at Oil Creek State Park; program is free, but you must register to receive the link (Drake Winter Academy Zoom registration)

Friday, February 18

• Snow-mobility Weekend (in-person), 10:00 am-4 pm, Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
• Ride your snowmobile from Susquehannock State Forest to the museum today, tomorrow, and Sunday (10 am-4 pm each day). Enjoy a pancake breakfast tomorrow only (10 am-2 pm) in the visitor center (Snow-mobility details)

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• Ephrata Cloister's Winter History Class continues each Thursday morning from 9 am to noon through March 31; if you didn't sign up for the full 9-week course, you can register to attend individual sessions via Zoom for $10 each (Ephrata Cloister website)
• Graeme Park presents "The Dead of Winter" on Feb. 19 at 5:30 and 7 pm; the program reenacts an early 20th-century seance and explores the history behind this popular form of spiritualism; space is limited and advance reservations are required (Eventbrite link for info and tickets)
• Railroad Museum of PA will lower light and noise levels for in-person visitors from 3 to 5 pm on Feb. 22 and present a virtual guided tour of three historic wooden passenger cars that evening from 7 to 9 pm. Both require advance registration (sensory hours registration and virtual tour registration)
• The next PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase will take place on Feb. 24 at 7 pm with the theme "Unique and Rare Objects"; program is free, but you must register to get the link (Collections Showcase registration)
• Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, in cooperation with the Potter County Conservation District, will host "Conservationist Gardener Workshop" on March 4, 11 am-12:30 pm; the workshop is free and in-person, but you must contact the Conservation District to register (Conservation workshop info)
• Rails and Ales: enjoy an evening of craft beer among the museum's historic trains at the Railroad Museum of PA, April 9, 5:30-9 pm; must be 21 or older to attend; variety of ticket options (VIP tickets are sold out), including designated driver tickets (Rails and Ales tickets)
• Drake Well Marathon, August 14 - this race is a Boston Marathon qualifier. Registration for a variety of categories is now open.

Six More Weeks

These oxen at Pennsbury Manor don't seem to care that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow (photo via Pennsbury's Facebook page)

Punxsutawney Phil made it "Twitter official" Wednesday morning.

SO SORRY FOLKS, I HAVE SEEN MY SHADOW, I PREDICT 6 MORE WEEKS OF WINTER!#GroundhogDay #GroundHogDay2022

— Punxsutawney Phil (@PunxsatawnyPhil) February 2, 2022

[Image description: Tweet from @PunxsatawnyPhil on Feb. 2, 2022 says in all caps "So sorry folks, I have seen my shadow, I predict 6 more weeks of winter!" Then: "#GroundhogDay, #GroundHogDay2022"]

So that's it, I guess. Not a big surprise, since winter usually lasts well into March around here. Still, I always hold out hope for an early spring. At least we're having a bit of a warm-up this week. And I've shared some more images from sites below as well. We might as well embrace it.

There's plenty to do on the Trails of History, as you can see from the info below. Also, if you want to read more about what we did last year (well, last fiscal year - 2020-21), the latest annual report is available on the PHMC website (PHMC 2020-21 Annual Report).

Old Economy Village shared an image of a groundhog on a gravel path in their garden last year. No word if this one tried to predict the weather or just enjoyed a snack.


Fort Pitt pointed out that the museum appears in an early scene of the movie "Groundhog Day" (1993). This was before the second level of exhibit galleries was added around 2001.


Last week's snow made for some lovely contrast with the stones on the Boone House at Daniel Boone Homestead.

And as pretty as the snow can be at sites like Ephrata Cloister, it's also extra work for staff who make sure that people can get in and out of the site safely. Thanks to everyone who plows, shovels, and sweeps up after winter storms.

Up Next

Today, February 4

• UPDATE: Due to today's delayed opening, this program has been postponed to Feb. 11. StoryTime (in-person), 10:30-11:30 am, The State Museum of PA
• Read "One Dog Sleigh" by Mary Casanova, learn about sleighs, and create your own jingle bells; for kids age 2 to pre-K and included in regular admission (StoryTime info)

Wednesday, February 9

• Giant PA Map (in-person), 11:30 am-12:30 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Discover our state and test your geography skills; included in regular admission (Giant PA Map info)

Thursday, February 10

• Winter History Class (virtual), 9 am-noon, Ephrata Cloister
• Today's topics are "People, Religion, Information Networks, and Travel: Envisioning Dynamic Links Between the Local and the Global" and "'Loving Friend': Transcribing Quaker Letters in Print"; if you're not signed up for the full course, you can watch today's session via Zoom for $10 (Winter History Class info)

• Curiosity Kids (in-person), 11:30 am-12:30 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Learn about chemistry and try mixing your own familiar compound to play with; for kids in grades K-2 and included in regular admission; space is limited, so please sign up at the Ground Floor Info Desk when you arrive (Curiosity Kids info)

• Drake Well Winter Academy (virtual), 6:30-7:30 pm, Drake Well Museum & Park
• Learn about William "Uncle Billy" Smith and his role in the first oil strike at Drake Well; program is free, but you must register to receive the link (Drake Winter Academy Zoom registration)

• Virtual Ephrata Academy, 7-8:30 pm, Ephrata Cloister
• Staff will answer some of visitors' and the audience's most frequently asked questions; 7-8:30 pm; program is free, but you must register to receive the link (Ephrata Academy info and Zoom registration)

Friday, February 11

Rescheduled from 2/4: StoryTime (in-person), 10:30-11:30 am, The State Museum of PA
• Read "One Dog Sleigh" by Mary Casanova, learn about sleighs, and create your own jingle bells; for kids age 2 to pre-K and included in regular admission (StoryTime info)

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• Drake Well Museum & Park's final Winter Academy virtual program will be offered on Feb. 17 (Drake Well Virtual Academy info)
• Ephrata Cloister's Winter History Class continues each Thursday morning from 9 am to noon through March 31; if you didn't sign up for the full 9-week course, you can register to attend individual sessions via Zoom for $10 each (Ephrata Cloister website)
• Railroad Museum of PA will offer a virtual guided tour of three historic wooden passenger cars that are not regularly open to the public on Feb. 22, 7-9 pm; registration is by donation (Eventbrite link for tickets)
• Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, in cooperation with the Potter County Conservation District, will host "Conservationist Gardener Workshop" on March 4, 11 am-12:30 pm; the workshop is free and in-person, but you must contact the Conservation District to register (Conservation workshop info)
• Rails and Ales: enjoy an evening of craft beer among the museum's historic trains at the Railroad Museum of PA, April 9, 5:30-9 pm; must be 21 or older to attend; variety of ticket options (VIP tickets are sold out), including designated driver tickets (Rails and Ales tickets)
• Drake Well Marathon, August 14 - this race is a Boston Marathon qualifier. Registration for a variety of categories is now open.