A Patchwork Quilt to Keep You Warm

Looking for something to do on the Trails of History? Check out the January program page. Please note that all Trails of History sites except one will be closed on Monday, Jan. 18, for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. The Railroad Museum of PA will be open 9 am to 5 pm that day. And take note that #MuseumSelfieDay is Wed., Jan. 20 - so please share yours with us via social media (and look back at last year's fun).

Last week's post focused on the 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show and PHMC's participation, sharing all kinds of history with the public. Since the show continues today (1/15) until 9 pm and tomorrow from 9 am to 5 pm, you still have time to stop by. If you go, please be sure to check out the PHMC exhibits, all conveniently located near the Maclay St. entrance--including the (State Museum's archaeology section, the State Historic Preservation Office displays and historical marker scavenger hunt, the walls of history with images from PA State Archives, and an entire room of exhibits on agricultural history and rural life organized by Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum and including displays by Somerset Historical Center and Pennsbury Manor (photos in last week's post and via Landis Valley's Facebook page).

2016 PA Farm Show visitors learning about Pennsylvania Barns and more

If you're like me and this week brought the first real winter weather to your neighborhood (I know some parts of the state had their first snow weeks ago), maybe you'd rather just hunker down inside and get your history fix online. If so, consider these recent links:

• Last week, National Public Radio explored what our reliance on digital communication (ahem) might mean for future historians
• The New York Public Library has added new entries to its digital catalog of public domain images and other works (Lancaster Online reports that there are views from Lancaster County, so you might want to search for your part of PA as well)
• You can design your own 18th-century style wig with this online tool from London's Victoria & Albert Museum

And I'll leave you with these two Facebook photos of rainbows from Sunday, Jan. 10, to brighten your day. I hope you have a great weekend.

Top: Hope Lodge, Montgomery County, PA
Bottom: Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum, Lancaster County, PA

It's Farm Show Week!

Be sure to check out the January program page to plan your visits on the Trails of History this month.

BREAKING NEWS 1/11: Follow @PHMC on Twitter to see all of the PHMC activities and exhibits at the Farm Show.

Yep, it's Farm Show Week, and you know what that means. Folks from farms all over the state displaying their agricultural prowess and folks from suburbs and cities complaining about the smell as they stand in line for potato donuts, fried mushrooms, and milkshakes. It's tradition!

Conestoga Wagon at 2016 PA Farm Show (via Landis Valley FB page)

Seriously though, it also means that PHMC staff will be on hand Jan. 9-16 to help share in celebrating the 100th PA Farm Show (#100PAFarmShow) and more than 100 years of PA agricultural history. Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum has organized an entire room of exhibits (Exhibit Room B) about agricultural practices and equipment that also includes displays from Somerset Historical Center and Pennsbury Manor (thanks to Cindy Reedy at Landis Valley for the photos below) The exhibit room will be staffed from 9 am to 7 pm each day of the Farm Show and there will be informational talks on a variety of subjects at 10 am, noon, and 2 pm daily.

PHMC's booths and exhibits at the Farm Show are nicely grouped together in Main Hall East, along the Maclay St. side of the building (not far from the butter sculpture). So you can easily check in with the history folks and learn about archaeology, century farms, and historic preservation, and get started on the ever-popular historical marker scavenger hunt. (To help you plan, the Visitor Guide is available online - the guide includes historical photos from the PA State Archives.)

The PA SHPO/Century Farm booth is taking shape @PAFarmShow . 2016 Theme : Farms+Family=Heritage. #100PAFarmShow pic.twitter.com/nHlYV8T2th

— PHMC (@PHMC) January 7, 2016

If you aren't able to make it to the Farm Show but want to learn more:

• "The 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show: A Blue Ribbon State Fair" is a great article by John K. Robinson in the Winter 2016 issue of Pennsylvania Heritage
• Pennlive explored Myths and Misconceptions about the Farm Show (including the weather) and shared vintage photos
• PA Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding provided a preview of what to expect at the show

I hope to see you there. I'll be standing by the potato donuts with a milkshake in my hand.

BREAKING NEWS 12 pm 1/8: The new milkshake flavor is Strawberries and Cream. And Somerset Historical Center just posted a photo on their Facebook page of their booth in Exhibit Room B.