Some Good News

View from the Webber Cabin on the grounds of the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum (see Facebook album for more autumn beauty)

We were very pleased to learn this week that PHMC's recent grant proposal to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has met with success. We were awarded $246,500 in federal CARES Act funds to design, produce, and deliver new digital learning resources to support individuals and groups affected by COVID-19 in Pennsylvania. A staff steering committee will work with outside advisors to make sure that what we produce meets the needs of educators, people experiencing access barriers, and other underserved audiences. Each site will have a professionally produced virtual tour that can be the basis for other digital program offerings. We'll also develop regional hubs for digital equipment, and staff will receive training to enhance their digital program skills. This project will allow us to build on the work that our sites have already begun as a result of the COVID-19 closures and expand our reach throughout Pennsylvania and the rest of the world. Pennsylvania History to Go, as the initiative is called, was one of three projects in Pennsylvania to receive funding. Overall, IMLS received 1,701 applications for the IMLS CARES Act grants, requesting $409,251,399, and funded 68 projects nationwide for a total of $13.8 million. We had our first steering committee meeting this week and are ready to get started. (As some of you may remember, we are in the midst of another IMLS-funded project, Accessibility Excellence, that was awarded last fall. We are now two for two. Not that we're bragging. Okay, maybe a little.)

Lots of History, All Month Long

October seems to be a big month for history and history-related celebrations. In honor of American Archives Month, staff from the Pennsylvania State Archives will take part in Ask an Archivist Day (#AskAnArchivist) on Wednesday, October 7. Watch PHMC's social media for more information on that and to follow along. (Oct. 7 is also the Archives and Records Management Seminar - visit the Archives website for details and to register.)

Other notable celebrations this month:

• National Hispanic Heritage Month (thru Oct. 15)
• LGBTQ History Month
• National Arts & Humanities Month
• Family History Month

The Week Ahead

• Oct. 2 (that's today!), noon-1 pm, The State Museum of Pennsylvania: this year's Workshops in Archaeology program is a virtual speaker series, "The Delaware Indians: Then and Now." If you missed today's event, there are three more talks, Oct. 9, 16, and 23. The series is free, but you must register to receive the Zoom link (Facebook event has details).
• Oct. 3, 1-3:30 pm, Railroad Museum of PA: Model Railroading Day is virtual this year. Ryan Kunkle, director of production for Lionel (and former museum staffer), will tell you what you need in your model railroader's toolkit. Museum volunteer Doug O'Brien will talk about the museum's Pennsylvania Railroad Middle Division HO scale layout and what it takes to maintain this complex display (Doug was honored as Volunteer of the Year several years ago for his work with the Middle Division layout). Tickets are by donation; you must register to get the Zoom link.
• Oct. 6, 7 pm, Pennsbury Manor: museum educator Mary Ellyn Kunz will host a live orientation via Zoom for teachers and parents who want to learn more about Pennsbury's virtual field trip program. Contact Mary Ellyn, mkunz@pa.gov, to sign up.
• Oct. 8, 7-8 pm, Ephrata Cloister: this month's Ephrata Academy program is "'Room Enough for Them All': The People of Lancaster County in the 18th Century." Museum educator Michael Showalter will explore the diversity of early residents, based on tax records, church histories, travel accounts, local histories, and family traditions. The program is free, but you must register to get the Zoom link to watch it live (it will be recorded and available on YouTube later). Check the website for details.

Ask an Archivist

Last week's post has events through Oct. 3. The full October program page is now available for those of you who like to plan ahead.

This week's post comes from PHMC's digital director, Sean Adkins.

Tyler Stump of the Pennsylvania State Archives examines a ledger during last year's Ask an Archivist (photo Don Giles)

On Wednesday, October 2, six archivists from the Pennsylvania State Archives will test their knowledge on Twitter by taking part in Ask an Archivist Day. Sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, Ask An Archivist offers the public the opportunity to connect directly to archivists in their communities. Archivists around the country will respond to questions tweeted with the hashtag #AskAnArchivist. Questions will vary widely, from the silly (What do archivists talk about over lunch?) to the practical (How do I preserve records that were damaged in a flood?) Ask an Archivist Day is open to everyone. To participate, tweet a question to @PHMC and include the hashtag #AskAnArchivist.

Here’s our schedule:

• 10:15 AM to 11:00 AM: Brett Reigh will guide a digital tour through some of The Pennsylvania State Archives’ most requested images. This will range from the iconic view of strikers marching to Lattimer to Pittsburgh’s Point just before the onset of the Great Depression.
• 11:15 AM to 12:00 PM: Join Kurt Bell for his discussion on the State Archives collection of train-related images, including those featuring Ferdinand Foch and Charles Lindbergh.
• 1:15 PM to 2:00 PM: Tyler Stump will offer his insight into the institutional records preserved by the State Archives.
• 2:15 PM to 3:00 PM: Angelica Yost and Chelsea Houck will introduce you to the manuscript records/diaries & journals from the State Archives.
• 3:15 PM to 4:00 PM: Aaron McWilliams will offer his tips on searching land records and genealogical records from The State Archives. Bring your Ancestry.com questions!

Ask an Archivist and A Look Back at September

The October program page is now available. Events and programs coming up this weekend (where did September go?) are listed below. Also, please note that as we move further into autumn, some site schedules change seasonally, mostly affecting which days of the week the site is open. Please be sure to check ahead before visiting.

Ask an Archivist 2018

On Wednesday, October 3, join four archivists from the Pennsylvania State Archives as they test their knowledge on Twitter. Kurt Bell, Rich Saylor, Aaron McWilliams and Tyler Stump will take part in Ask an Archivist Day. Sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, Ask An Archivist offers the public the opportunity to connect directly to archivists in their community. Archivists around the country will respond to questions tweeted with the hashtag #AskAnArchivist. Questions will vary widely, from the silly (What do archivists talk about over lunch?) to the practical (How do I preserve records that were damaged in a flood?) Ask an Archivist Day is open to everyone - all you need is a Twitter account. To participate, just tweet a question to @PHMC and include the hashtag #AskAnArchivist in your tweet. Our archivists will see your question instantly. Here’s our schedule:

• 10-11 am: Richard Saylor will share his research into the unusual records he's discovered within the collections of the State Archives
• 11 am-noon: Kurt Bell will focus on Pennsylvania's railroad history, especially the records held by the Pennsylvania State Archives and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
• 1:30-2:30 pm: Aaron McWilliams will answer your questions regarding genealogy and family histories. Ask Aaron about the celebrities, such as Katey Sagal and Steve Buscemi, who have visited the Archives
• 2:30-3:30 pm: Tyler Stump will share his knowledge regarding the Pennsylvania State Archives' institutional records, particularly those from mental institutions and prisons

Looking Back at September

Battle of Lake Erie commemoration with U.S. Brig Niagara (left) and schooner Lettie G. Howard (right) in background (photo Linda Bolla)

On September 10, Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara hosted their annual commemoration ceremony for the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813. The battle, a pivotal event of the War of 1812 that took place off of Put-in-Bay, Ohio, is interpreted through the museum's exhibits and through tours and sailing experiences on board Niagara.

The annual Battle of Lake Erie commemoration includes a wreath placed into the water, this year off the Museum plaza (photo Linda Bolla)

Cornwall Iron Furnace offered cast iron cooking demonstrations on Sept. 22, with several members of their Friends group showing their skills. Cast iron was one of the primary products of the furnace, along with bar iron used by forges in the area. Find more photos on Cornwall's Facebook page.

Part of the cast iron cooking demonstration at Cornwall earlier this month (via Facebook)

Hungry yet? How about this recent photo of the bake oven at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum?

See more yummy food and other seasonal products at Landis Valley's Harvest Days event, Oct. 13-14 (via Facebook)

And while we're on the subject of food (I consider wine one of the essential food groups), Old Economy Village just reopened the historic wine cellar on the property after a restoration project (more photos on Facebook). You can check it out for yourself at Erntedankfest: A Harvest Festival, Oct. 6-7.

Friends of Old Economy Village enjoy a members-only preview of the restored wine cellar beneath the Mechanics Building (via Facebook)

This weekend...

Anthracite Heritage Museum
Sept. 28: Fundraiser—Cooper's Seafood House in Scranton hosts a charity night on the last Friday of every month, and this month Anthracite Heritage Museum gets 100% of the proceeds. Details on the restaurant's website. 5-8 pm.

Bushy Run Battlefield
Sept. 29: Fall Nature Walk—Bushy Run volunteers and nature enthusiasts will lead a tour to help you learn about the local flora and fauna on the grounds. Cost is $5 (free for members). 10 am.

Daniel Boone Homestead
Sept. 29: Heritage Day—all kinds of activities will take place throughout the site. Cooking, baking, dancing, magic, and much more (details on the calendar of events.) Admission charged. 10 am-4 pm.

Drake Well Museum and Park
Sept. 29: Something More Saturday—family-friendly craft activities are included in regular admission today (check the Facebook event page for more info). Blacksmithing demos will also be offered. 10 am-3 pm.

Graeme Park
Sept. 28: Homeschool Day—activities include tours of the Keith House, open-hearth cooking, colonial games, and typical chores (program info). Cost is $6 per person; students must be accompanied by a responsible adult. 10 am-2 pm.

Pennsbury Manor
Sept. 29: PA Governor's Panel and Luncheon—PLEASE NOTE that Pennsbury will be closed to visitors 9/29 to allow for this event: current governor Tom Wolf and several former Pennsylvania governors will discuss the challenges of leading the commonwealth established by William Penn. A 3-course lunch will be served. A portion of the proceeds from this event will go toward establishing the "William Penn Scholarship Fund" for Title I schools. Tickets may be purchased online through TicketLeap. More information on the program, group tickets, and sponsorships is available on the Pennsbury website. 1-4 pm.
Sept. 30: Meet the Animals—visit with some of the animals that make Pennsbury their home. Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Sept. 29: Members Day—a full slate of activities and speakers is planned for Friends of the Railroad Museum (and it's not too late to join). Full info on the website.

State Museum of Pennsylvania
Please check the Planetarium page for program schedule.
Sept. 28 & 30: Mammal Hall activities—today (9/28), there's Curiosity Kids: Walk Like the Animals! and Make Your Own Paper Diorama at 11:30 am. On Sunday (9/30), celebrate the rededication of Mammal Hall, marking its 50th anniversary, with activities starting at 12:30 pm. General admission is $5 per person today through Sunday.

Get your Questions Ready: Join us for Ask An Archivist Day

Join us on Wednesday, October 4 for Ask An Archivist 

Archivists, by nature and profession, are some of the most patient people on the planet.  They're accustomed to being peppered with questions from researchers and visitors determined to track down everything from land records to genealogical histories.  

On Wednesday, you will have the undivided attention of four archivists from the Pennsylvania State Archives.  Kurt Bell, Rich Saylor, Aaron McWilliams and Josh Stahlman will take part in Ask An Archivist Day.

Sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, Ask An Archivist offers the public the opportunity to connect directly to archivists in their community — and around the country — through asking questions, gathering information, or just satisfying curiosity.

#AskAnArchivist Day is open to everyone - all you need is a Twitter account. To participate, just tweet a question to @PHMC and include the hashtag #AskAnArchivist in your tweet. Our archivists will see your question instantly. 

Here’s our schedule for Ask An Archivist Day:

Kurt Bell

10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.: Kurt Bell will start us off with his vast knowledge of the history of railroading in Pennsylvania, specifically the records held by the Pennsylvania State Archives and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.  

Rich Saylor

11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.: Join Pennsylvania State Archives' Rich Saylor for a World War I-themed Twitter Q&A. Earlier this year, Rich debuted an exhibit at The State Museum of Pennsylvania which spotlights an historic collection of World War I-era posters. Pennsylvania At War: World War I Posters from the Pennsylvania State Archives commemorates the anniversary of the U.S. involvement in World War I . Rich will also take questions relating to Pennsylvania military records from other historical eras preserved by the Archives.  

Aaron McWilliams

1 p.m to 1:45 p.m.: Aaron McWilliams will kick off our afternoon segment of Ask An Archivist. McWilliams will answer your questions regarding genealogy and family histories.  To date, more than 14 million records preserved by the Pennsylvania State Archives have been digitized by Ancestry.com and are available to commonwealth residents, free of charge.  These documents include birth and death certificates and marriage records.  Some of the more unusual documents include a 1909 birth certificate from a Pottstown resident named "Batman."  Ask Aaron about the celebrities, such as Katy Segal and Steve Buscemi, who visited the Archives.

Josh Stahlman

3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.: Rounding out Ask An Archivist Day will be Josh Stahlman.  Ask Josh for tips and techniques regarding disaster planning and response.  

Keeping Track of What We Have

But first, a few oddments of info (oh, dear). Most sites on the PHMC's Trails of History will be closed on Monday, Oct. 10 for Columbus Day, with the exception of Drake Well Museum, Fort Pitt Museum, the Railroad Museum of PA, and (I think) Washington Crossing Historic Park. The October program listings are full of interesting things to do this weekend and beyond.

In the midst of working with Sean Adkins on last week's guest post about #AskAnArchivist, I missed the fact that it was the 400th Trailheads post since we started this blog in August of 2009. Whew.

I've adapted this week's post from material provided by David Dunn, chief of special projects for the Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums. Dave is overseeing a collections inventory at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum as part of PHMC's Collections Advancement Project (CAP).

Harvest Days, at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, is this weekend, Oct. 8-9

Beginning in April of this year, the PHMC assigned David Dunn to lead a team for the Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums (BHSM) that would begin conducting a physical inventory of all collections spaces at the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum. The team will eventually consist of two full-time members, but for now Dunn is working with curators from the PHMC’s Collections Advancement Project (CAP) and volunteers that he is training to assist with the work [more on that later].

Over the course of several decades in the early 20th century, brothers Henry and George Landis assembled a massive and diverse collection of decorative arts, fine arts and agricultural implements and tools, which was turned over to the state in 1953 to be administered by PHMC as the Landis Valley Museum. In addition to the original Landis donation, for the next 60 years the Museum continued to selectively add items to the collection, bringing the estimated total of objects in the collection to approximately 150,000 items today. (Learn more about the history of Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum.)

The last complete physical inventory of the Landis Valley collection was conducted in 1983, although the site’s curators and other staff regularly conduct spot inventories of high-traffic buildings and public areas (in addition to their many other ongoing responsibilities caring for and exhibiting this large collection). The earlier inventory was recorded on paper forms, so updating and searching (activities we now take for granted with the advent of computer databases and spreadsheets) were extremely difficult, if not virtually impossible.

Project work began on the 3rd Floor Mezzanine of the Landis Collections Gallery (photo by Landis Valley curator Bruce Bomberger)

One of the first steps of the 2016 inventory project was to gather collections data (including digital images) and align it with PHMC collections management software (a new system is coming on line as we speak, so that created some challenges as well). With the existing data gathered and a map of the collections storage areas created, the physical inventory began in June, starting on the top level of the Landis Collections Gallery. Shelf by shelf, Dunn and various team members examine each object – one person calling out the accessions number, a brief description, measurements, and basic condition and the other recording the data on the laptop. If an object hasn’t already been photographed for the records, the caller or recorder also takes a digital image that is labeled with the object’s catalog number.

BHSM CAP curator Rachel Yerger assists David Dunn with inventory (photo by Bruce Bomberger)

Items inventoried as of late August included more than 400 pieces of late 19th- and early 20th-century office equipment, a carousel horse, and a variety of English ceramic forms including transfer printed hollowware, yellowware, mochaware, hotel china, Gaudy Dutch, and Gaudy Welsh collected by the Landis brothers at regional auctions over several decades.

The process is considerably more involved and time-consuming than we have space to convey here. If you’re interested in learning first-hand about the inventory process and have some free time during the week, you may want to offer your services as a volunteer. Contact David Dunn at dadunn@pa.gov or 717/569-0401, ext. 230, to discuss opportunities to support this important effort.

Volunteer Sharon O'Neal-Lehner assists as recorder for Landis Valley inventory

Bring your Questions to Ask An Archivist on October 5

The new listings for October events on the Trails of History are up. Since October starts tomorrow, I guess that's a good thing! Lots to do to celebrate fall.

Today's post comes from PHMC Social Media Manager Sean Adkins, with info on the Pennsylvania State Archives and #AskAnArchivist, coming up next Wednesday, Oct. 5.

The Pennsylvania State Archives has a had busy year. This spring, the Archives unveiled plans to build a new home on a multi-acre plot along North Sixth Street in Harrisburg. Paying homage to Pennsylvania's namesake, William Penn, the address for the soon-to-be built project will be 1681 N. Sixth St. in Harrisburg. Pennsylvania was created when England’s King Charles II granted a charter to Penn in 1681.

So...with news for the new Archives building still fresh in our minds and the always present need to know more about Pennsylvania history, there should be no shortage of questions from the public for Ask An Archivist Day.

Maybe we should back up a little, just in case you missed last year's Ask An Archivist Day or are not familiar with this popular Twitter event.

On Wednesday, October 5, four archivists with the Pennsylvania State Archives will participate in Ask An Archivist Day by taking to Twitter to answer your most pressing, or silly, questions regarding the state's archival collections.

Sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, Ask An Archivist offers the public the opportunity to connect directly to archivists in their community — and around the country — through asking questions, gathering information, or just satisfying curiosity.

Experts in protecting and sharing important historical materials, archivists assess, collect, organize, preserve and provide access to information that has lasting value.

Here are the folks who will be answering your questions :

Aaron McWilliams

-- Join archivist Aaron McWilliams from 11 a.m. to noon as he shares his knowledge of researching family histories and genealogy.   So far, nearly 14 million documents preserved by the Pennsylvania State Archives have been digitized by Ancestry.com and are available free of charge to Commonwealth residents.  These documents include select years of birth and death records, World War II bonus applications and marriage records.  

Kurt Bell 

-- Following up Aaron McWilliams will be his fellow archivist, Kurt Bell.  A 20-year veteran of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, Bell will spend 30 minutes answering questions about the railroad, oil, coal and iron industries. Bell will be available for his Q&A from noon to 12:30 p.m.

Rich Saylor

-- Next up will be Rich Saylor.  Last year, Saylor fielded questions on pretty much anything related to  Pennsylvania military history.  This year,  he's still willing to answer those same type of questions, however, his preferred area of Q&A will be focused on World War I history.  Did you know that the Pennsylvania State Archives, in cooperation with the State Library of Pennsylvania, has digitized a collection of World War I posters?  Join Rich from 12:30 to 1 p.m.

Josh Stahlman

--Rounding out the day will be archivist Josh Stahlman who will offer tips on preserving your family records.  Join Josh from 1 to 1:30 p.m.

How do I participate?  

#AskAnArchivist Day is open to everyone - all you need is a Twitter account. To participate, just tweet a question @PHMC and include the hashtag #AskAnArchivist in your tweet. Your question will be seen instantly by our archivists.

You can ask pretty much any question that comes to mind. Here are a few examples from the Society of American Archivists:

• What’s the craziest thing you’ve come across in your collections?
• If your archives had a soundtrack, what songs would be on it?
• What do archivists talk about around the water cooler?
• How do you decide what should be kept and what should not?

Join us for the #AskAnArchivist Twitter event on Oct. 1

For Trails of History programs this weekend and early next week, check out the September program listings. If you're planning ahead, the October listings are now available.

Pennsylvania's Archives Month begins Thursday, October 1 with  #AskAnArchivist Twitter Event

Filling out the branches of a family tree isn't easy. Hours of your time are spent sifting through decades of birth and death records.  Sidetracks are common, especially if you discover that one of your relatives wasn't entirely truthful about their own history.

But, it's worth it...any archivist will tell you that.

On Thursday, October 1, four archivists with the Pennsylvania State Archives will participate in Ask An Archivist Day by taking to Twitter to answer anything and everything archives.  Later in the day, State Archivist David Carmicheal will do his part by fielding your most pressing inquiries.

Sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, Ask An Archivist offers the public the opportunity to connect directly to archivists in their community — and around the country — to ask questions, get information, or just satisfy curiosity.

Experts in protecting and sharing important historical materials, archivists assess, collect, organize, preserve and provide access to information that has lasting value.

This year, Ask An Archivist Day, the kickoff to Pennsylvania's Archives Month, will focus on five areas of research.  Here's the schedule: 

10 a.m. to noon 

Aaron McWilliams

Rich Saylor

Archivist Aaron McWilliams will take a break from his busy schedule to answer your questions on genealogy. Thanks to a continued collaboration between the Pennsylvania State Archives and Ancestry all of the publicly available death records from the Archives from 1906 until 1963 are now available online. In addition, Pennsylvania birth records from 1906 to 1908 are also available via ancestry.com.

In the second half of the first session,archivist Rich Saylor will take your questions on military history. Saylor is the author of the national-award winning book Soldiers to Governors: Pennsylvania's Civil War Veterans Who Became State Leaders.

1 p.m. to 3 p.m. 

Kurt Bell 

Josh Stahlman

Archivist Kurt Bell will lead off the second session of Ask An Archivist by answering your questions on Railroad Research. Don't hold back. Kurt is an expert when it comes to railroad history in the Commonwealth.

Next, Josh Stahlman, an archivist at the Pennsylvania State Archives since 2008, is ready to offer tips when it comes to Caring for Family Records. 

3 p.m. to 4 p.m. 

State Archivist David Carmicheal will spend the last hour of Ask An Archivist answering questions regarding his role with the Commonwealth. Before coming to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Carmicheal directed the Georgia Division of Archives and History. During his tenure, he oversaw the design and construction of the award-winning Georgia Archives building, introduced the Virtual Vault to provide online access to more than 1.5 million archival documents and helped lead national efforts in emergency management, particularly for the protection of essential government records.

David Carmicheal

How to participate:
#AskAnArchivist Day is open to everyone - all you need is a Twitter account. To participate, just tweet a question @PHMC and include the hashtag #AskAnArchivist in your tweet. Your question will be seen instantly by our archivists.

You can ask pretty much any question that comes to mind. Here are a few examples from the Society of American Archivists:

• What’s the craziest thing you’ve come across in your collections?
• If your archives had a soundtrack, what songs would be on it?
• What do archivists talk about around the water cooler?
• How do you decide what should be kept and what should not?