Waiting for March

Please check the PHMC Events Calendar if you're looking for virtual programs; I've highlighted some below. The Trailheads Rec Room to the right of your screen has all kinds of online offerings--great for when you need a break.

Photo of Hope Lodge via Facebook

This is your (and my) reminder that it's still winter, no matter how much we want it to be spring already. We had some lovely snow this week, and as always, Trails of History sites posted wintry beauty. Don't be fooled (I say to myself) by the warmer temps of midweek. It's a trap.

Although Black History Month is coming to a close, Black History as American History doesn't end. Pennsbury Manor posted about their garden planning this week and efforts to reflect the foodways brought to Pennsylvania by enslaved Africans and their descendants. See the post below about adding scotch bonnet peppers. Pennsbury has also shared what their research shows about some of the people enslaved at Pennsbury, including Peter, a gardener, and Chevalier, who lived at Pennsbury for many years, some of them as a free man.

Our gardener, Jessye, has been poring over seed catalogs planning the garden for this coming season and she has picked...

Posted by Pennsbury Manor on Monday, February 22, 2021

Earlier this week, the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum hosted a presentation by DCNR's Paul T. Fagley on African-American enrollees in the Civilian Conservation Corps. The presentation included film footage from Camp S-146 in Austin, PA, also known as Bark Shanty (CCC camps generally had names in addition to their numerical designations).

Here is a link to the historic CCC film footage from Co. 2336-C, Camp S-146, Austin PA, that was shown during last night...

Posted by Pennsylvania Lumber Museum on Thursday, February 25, 2021

For National Love Your Pet Day, Drake Well Museum and Park posted images from their collections that featured people and their pets.



Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara educator Chuck Johnson posted an inaugural live tour of the museum's exhibit of the recreated hull of the U.S. Brig Lawrence. Staff on the Trails of History continue to try new things as they expand our virtual offerings.



SNEAK PREVIEW: PHMC will be celebrating Pennsylvania's birthday, Charter Day, online this year, from March 7-12. Next week's post will have more details. Trails of History sites will present the next edition of the PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase on Tuesday, March 9 at 7 pm, with the theme "birthdays and other celebrations." Registration for the Zoom event is open now (link to register).

Upcoming Virtual Events

Today, Feb. 26

• Workin' On the Railroad, program for children K-6th grades, Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, 10-11 am (tickets by donation, RMP info and registration)
• Learn at Lunchtime, learn about virtual school program options, The State Museum of Pennsylvania, 12:15-12:45 pm (SMP info and registration)

Sunday, Feb. 28

• America at War, discussion with Dr. Marc Blackburn about his military history podcast, Pennsylvania Military Museum, 2-3 pm (PMM info and registration)

Thursday, March 4

• Winter History Class, Week 5, Ephrata Cloister, 9 am-noon (fee charged, EC info and registration)
• Sea Shanty Session, Online Sail Training Program, Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara, 7 pm (link to U.S. Brig Niagara Facebook page)

What Day Is It?

Please check the PHMC Events Calendar if you're looking for virtual programs; I've highlighted some below. The Trailheads Rec Room to the right of your screen has all kinds of online offerings--great for when you need a break.

This past week has offered a variety of opportunities for Trails of History sites to highlight items in their collections.

Black History Month

Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara posted an image of Cyrus Tiffany's fife, which is part of the museum's collection. As museum educator Charles Johnson notes in a linked blog post, Cyrus Tiffany was one of a number of Black sailors who served in Oliver Hazard Perry's fleet during the Battle of Lake Erie.

In celebrating #BlackHistoryMonth, the Erie Maritime Museum is home to a unique artifact pertaining to the...

Posted by Erie Maritime Museum on Friday, February 12, 2021

The State Museum of Pennsylvania has been sharing posts about Black Pennsylvanians featured in their Trailblazers exhibit. Among them is Daisy Lampkin (1883-1965), a native of Reading who was active in women's suffrage and anti-lynching movements.

Born in Reading, Daisy Lampkin held a lifelong commitment to advancing the rights of women and African Americans. She...

Posted by The State Museum of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, February 16, 2021

Valentine's Day

The PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase on Feb. 16 revolved around the theme of Love and Relationships. We hope to have the recording available in the next week or so. Keep an eye on the Showcase playlist on PHMC's YouTube channel. Spoiler alert: Old Economy Village won the night with a collection of coded love letters between two non-Harmonist members of the community. Our next Showcase will be March 9 at 7 pm with a theme of Birthdays and Other Celebrations, in honor of Pennsylvania's birthday, Charter Day.

Daniel Boone Homestead highlighted the heart-shaped holes in the barn gables on site, which served a practical purpose (ventilation) but may also reflect Pennsylvania German use of hearts as symbols of love, protection, and luck.

The Homestead "hearts" you! The heart shaped holes in the barn gables at Boone probably served as a ventilation for the...

Posted by Daniel Boone Homestead on Sunday, February 14, 2021

Presidents Day

Or more specifically, Lincoln's Birthday - PA Lumber Museum curator Josh Fox offered the latest installment of the hit series, "What chainsaw did that movie use?" Noting that Abraham Lincoln died about 80 years before chainsaws were widely available, Josh identifies the weapon wielded by the 16th President in the movie "Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter" (2012) as a Baltimore-Kentucky pattern axe. I'll take his word for it.

Happy Birthday to Abraham Lincoln!

Posted by Pennsylvania Lumber Museum on Friday, February 12, 2021

Upcoming Virtual Events

Today, Feb. 19

• "A Spirited Republic: Whiskey Distilling in PA," State Museum of PA, 12:15-12:45 pm (program info and registration)

Monday, Feb. 22

• "Power of Steam: Demo and Live Tour," Railroad Museum of PA, 10-11 am (RMP info and registration)

Tuesday, Feb. 23

• "The Country Store," Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum, 7-8 pm (LVM info and registration)

Wednesday, Feb. 24

• "African American CCC Camps in PA's State Forests and Parks," PA Lumber Museum, 7-8 pm (PLM info and registration)
• "Pioneer Steam Heritage Virtual Tour," Railroad Museum of PA, 7-8 pm (tour info and registration)

Thursday, Feb. 25

• "Winter History Class, Week 4," Ephrata Cloister, 9 am-noon (EC info and registration)
• "The Harmonist Articles of Agreement," Old Economy Village, 7-8 pm (OEV info and registration)

February Roundup

If you're a planner, be sure to check out the list of Trails of History sites that will be open on Charter Day, March 11. The full March program page should be up next week (which is a good thing, since March starts next week.)

A week with a Monday holiday plus two days of training and meetings equals...say it with me...a Trailheads roundup!

Garden at Eckley Miners' Village (photo by AKF)

The folks at Eckley Miners' Village have installed a new lobby exhibit to supplement their long-term orientation exhibit. You can view the new exhibit, which focuses on daily life in the Village, in the Visitor Center during regular operating hours.


The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum posted about the role of African Americans in the Civilian Conservation Corps (1933-1942). Like the U.S. Army on which its structure was modeled, the CCC was racially segregated. It is estimated that roughly 10 percent of the 194,500 men who served at CCC camps in Pennsylvania were African American. You can read a much more detailed account in the post below (or find it on the museum's Facebook page).

Friends of Conrad Weiser Homestead President David Sonnen (via Facebook)

Friends of Conrad Weiser Homestead board members David Sonnen (above) and Lynn Otto (who I'm guessing took this photo) recently sat down with Jo Mercer of Y102 IHeart Radio in Reading. They were guests on Mercer's "Roundtable" program to talk about the upcoming season at the Homestead, which will reopen on Charter Day.


Okay, this isn't Trails of History as such, but he's still our only Pennsylvania President. The Library of Congress has announced that the papers of Lancaster's own James Buchanan (@POTUS15) and Harriet Lane Johnston, who served as her uncle's official White House hostess, have been digitized and are now available online.

This weekend...

Interior exhibit at Drake Well Museum and Park (via Facebook)

Tomorrow, Feb. 24, Drake Well Museum and Park offers this month's "Something More Saturday," which provides family-friendly activities in addition to the regular exhibits (see above). The theme is Games, so you know it will be fun. All activities are included in regular admission. The program runs 10 am-3 pm.

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum has a half dozen workshops and programs on their "Winter Learning for Adults" schedule for tomorrow (Feb. 24). Space is still available, as far as I can tell from the website. You'll find the details and online registration on the website. Hurry!

February 28 is the last day to view the Anthracite Heritage Museum's African American History Month exhibit, "Granville C. Smith: African-American Business and Community Leader." The exhibit documents Mr. Smith's career in Scranton over a 34-year period as owner-operator of the G.W. Brown Company and influential member of numerous community organizations. The temporary exhibit is located in the museum lobby and is free of charge; regular admission rates apply to view the rest of the exhibits.

On this Day in History - February 23

• 1868 - W.E.B. DuBois is born. DuBois wrote his first major book, The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study, in 1899 while teaching at the University of Pennsylvania; it was the first sociological case study of an African American community.
• 1910 - The first radio contest takes place in Philadelphia. This national contest involved wireless telegraphers in "tests of speed and accuracy in receiving and transmitting American Morse telegraphic code signals via radio."
• 1954 - Children at Arsenal Elementary School, Pittsburgh, are the first to receive Dr. Jonas Salk's polio vaccine.

Lift Every Voice and Sing

The February program page has info on upcoming events. Most Trails of History sites will be closed on Monday (Feb. 19) for Presidents Day, with the exception of (as far as I know) Fort Pitt Museum and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

Also, if you'd like a copy of PHMC's 2016-17 Annual Report (and why wouldn't you?), it is available online.

As you know, February is Black History Month. This provides an opportunity to focus particular attention on African American history and, I think and hope, a reminder that our history as Americans has always been multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-faceted. We need to hear and tell all of these stories to gain a fuller understanding of who we are as a nation, as a state, as local communities, and as families. Here are some highlights from the PHMC's Trails of History.

Granville C. Smith, Scranton business leader (via Anthracite Heritage Museum)

The Anthracite Heritage Museum has organized an exhibit entitled "Granville C. Smith: African-American Business and Community Leader," which explores Mr. Smith's business, social, and philanthropic involvements and his legacy in the community (read much more on the Facebook entry for the exhibit). The exhibit will be in place all month in the museum lobby; entry to view the Granville Smith exhibit is free (admission rates apply to visit the rest of the exhibits).

The State Museum of Pennsylvania's Black History Month exhibit, "Trailblazers: Notable African Americans in Pennsylvania History," is now a permanent feature in the East Wing of the Pennsylvania State Capitol. The exhibit features a broad array of men and women who have played significant roles in the Commonwealth's business, political, educational, and social realms. Virginia P. Florence (above), 1903-1991, was born and raised in the Pittsburgh area. Mrs. Florence was the first African American woman to receive professional training in librarianship, enrolling at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Library School in 1922. Her library career began at the New York Public Library and included work as a high school librarian in Brooklyn, NY, and Richmond, VA. (You'll find an album of Pennsylvania Trailblazers on the PA Trails of History Facebook page.)

Each year the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), founded in 1915 by Carter G. Woodson, sets an annual theme for Black History Month. 2018's theme, set to coincide with the centennial of the end of World War I, is "African Americans in Times of War."

Last weekend, Tyler Gum, director of the Pennsylvania Military Museum offered a lecture program, "They Fought Equally: USCT in the Civil War." The program highlighted the 11 Pennsylvania regiments of the United States Colored Troops, including their training at Camp William Penn (see historical marker above). One of the Pennsylvanians featured in the presentation was 1st Sergeant Alexander Kelly, Company F, 6th U.S. Colored Troops. Sgt. Kelly, born in 1840 in Saltsburg, Indiana County, was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions taken on Sept. 29, 1864, at Chaffin's Farm, Virginia. The medal citation reads: "Gallantly seized the colors, which had fallen near the enemy's lines, raised them and rallied the men at a time of confusion and in a place of the greatest danger." (You can read more about Sgt. Kelly, pictured below in post-war life, on the PA Civil War 150 website.)

Alexander Kelly (1840-1907) served with 6th USCT and was awarded the Medal of Honor

On Tuesday of this week (Feb. 13), I had the opportunity to attend a multi-agency event centered on the 2018 Black History Month theme, "African Americans in Times of War." The organizing committee for the program included Janee Corbin of The State Museum of Pennsylvania, and the program took place in the museum auditorium. Other agencies represented were the Governor's Advisory Commission for African American Affairs, Office of Administration, Dept. of Community & Economic Development, Dept. of Health, Dept. of Human Services, Dept. of Labor & Industry, Public Utility Commission, and the PA State Library. The program started with the Harrisburg School District's Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (NJROTC) Color Guard presenting the colors and the assembled speakers and audience singing the National Anthem. Governor Wolf appeared via pre-recorded remarks and representatives from the organizing agencies spoke on various aspects of the theme. Two members of the NJROTC talked about their interest in military service, followed by Brigadier General David E. Wood, Director of the Joint Staff for the Pennsylvania National Guard, and Colonel Korvin "Kory" Auch, Special Advisor on Veterans Programs to the Secretary of Administration.

Col. Auch introduced the keynote speaker, Chief Master Sergeant Trae R. King, United States Air Force, Retired, who now serves in a civilian capacity as Chief, Force Support Readiness Policy for the Air Force. She spoke briefly but movingly about her experiences in the military and about the ongoing work of securing civil rights for all Americans. The program, which I found both educational and inspiring, concluded with James Weldon Johnson's "Lift Every Voice and Sing," performed by the Earth Tones (a multi-agency chorus) and the audience. My thanks to all who organized and presented at this event.

On This Day in History - February 16

In honor of the cadets from Harrisburg High School who participated in this week's program at The State Museum...

• 1944 - the first group of African American U.S. Navy enlisted men began training as officers at Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Illinois; in March, 12 were commissioned ensigns and one was made a warrant officer

Day of Facts

Check out the February program page if you're looking for things to do (I've included events for this weekend below, but you may want to plan ahead for next weekend.) Most Trails of History sites will be closed on Monday, Feb. 20, for Presidents Day, but Fort Pitt Museum and the Railroad Museum of PA will be open.

Today (2/17) is "Day of Facts," an international social media event in which "museums, libraries, archives, cultural institutions, science centers and other trusted public sources of knowledge will share mission-related content using the hashtag #DayofFacts." (You can read more about it on the #DayofFacts blog.) Several sites on the Trails of History will be participating among hundreds worldwide to focus attention on primary sources, data, and research that underpins the work we do. Check out @PHMC on Twitter or Drake Well Museum, Ephrata Cloister, or the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum to see what's up.

PHMC's annual report for fiscal year 2015-16, Small Budget, Big Impact, is now available online. You may also want to watch the Pennsylvania Trails of History Facebook or Twitter page for posts about the scope of services PHMC provides to Pennsylvania, using the hashtag #PHMCbigimpact. Please help spread the word.

As part of their recurring "Hidden History" feature, WBRE and WYOU in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area broadcast a report earlier this week by reporter Crystal Cramore, who visited the Anthracite Heritage Museum. Cramore spoke with Chester Kulesa (recently retired as site administrator) about coal sculptures by artist C. Edgar Patience that are part of the museum's collections and exhibits. Cramore also spoke with Patience's niece, Christine Patterson, who is researching a book on African American coal miners in northeastern PA. This story will be part of an hour-long "Hidden History" special airing at 7 pm on Feb. 25 on WYOU and at 11 am on Feb. 26 on WBRE.

The Tall Ships Erie 2016 festival recently was awarded Tall Ships America's Economic Impact Award in recognition of a highly successful event last fall. The Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara hosted this event (and a successful event in 2013), with leadership from the Flagship Niagara League. According to an article on GoErie.com, VisitErie estimated that the event "generated more than $8 million for Erie's economy." Mayor Joseph Sinnott also presented The Flagship Niagara League with an official proclamation from the City of Erie that noted the tremendous economic contribution of the Tall Ships Festival. Erie will next host the festival, which rotates among Great Lakes, Atlantic, and Pacific venues, in 2019.

In sports news...


Weekend events

Today, Feb. 17

• Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara, Wintertime at the Maritime: shake those winter blahs tonight. Details and link for online ticket sales on the museum/ship website. 6-10 pm.
• PA Lumber Museum, Snowmobile Weekend (continues through Sunday): explore snowmobile trails in the area, then park at the museum to enjoy warming beverages and check out the exhibits and films in the visitor center. More info.
• State Museum of PA, Learn at Lunchtime: enjoy the new planetarium show, "Compass, Calendar, Clock," included in regular admission, 12:15 pm.

Sunday, Feb. 19

• Anthracite Heritage Museum, Lackawanna Audubon Society: program is "Uganda, South Africa, and the Great American Solar Eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017." Program is free; admission charged to visit museum exhibits. 2:30 pm.
• Daniel Boone Homestead, Fireside Stories: geared for children ages 4-8 and their families. Featured story is Cinderella. Dress for the weather and bring an extra blanket if it’s really chilly. Cookies, hot cocoa, coffee, and tea will be served. Program is free; donations are welcome. 2 pm.
• Washington Crossing Historic Park, George Washington's Birthday Celebration: children are encouraged to bring homemade cards for GW, who will be marking his 285th birthday. At 1 pm, the General will be on hand to receive birthday wishes and cut the birthday cake, which he will share with well-wishers. Admission is $1. 10 am-2 pm.

A Tradition of Service

The February program page has info about upcoming events on the PA Trails of History.

My thanks to Linda Bolla at the Erie Maritime Museum for text and photos related to our top story this week.

Echoing Erie’s long relationship with significant events and ships of the U.S. Navy, at least once a year the Erie Maritime Museum is privileged to honor a request from service personnel to hold their reenlistment ceremony at the Museum or onboard Niagara. Last month, the Museum hosted an unprecedented four reenlistments in a two-week period.

Captain James Bier, U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, administered the service oath for Staff Sergeant Kristina Perieff and Sergeant Steven Aceves on Jan. 13. Museum docent Lieutenant Colonel Bill Koehle, U. S. Marine Corps Reserves (Ret’d), facilitated arrangements and gave a tour to the Marines directly following the reenlistment ceremony. Marines served in both Oliver Hazard Perry’s squadron at the Battle of Lake Erie and in USS Michigan throughout her long career on the Great Lakes, home port Erie [both stories are told in the Museum's exhibit galleries].

Sgt. Aceves (3rd from left) takes the oath of service as SSgt Perieff (far right) and other Marines look on (photo Linda Bolla)

After the oath of service is given, another important award is always made for the families of active duty personnel. At BU2(SCW) Matthew Pfadt’s reenlistment ceremony on Jan. 19, his parents and fiancee were honored for their support and sacrifices. Matt's reenlistment ceremony and his wedding to Ashley were moved up on short notice as he is soon to be deployed to the Middle East. We wish Matt and his family the very best.

LCDR Baughier (left) honors Matthew Pfadt's (right) family - fiancee Ashley, mom Pam, and dad Jerry (photo Linda Bolla)

On Jan. 26, Petty Officer Jeremy Mong reenlisted and was promoted to “NC1” – Navy Counselor, First Class. Along with some of Petty Officer Mong’s colleagues, Lieutenant Commander Peter Hoegel drove to Erie from Pittsburgh to accept his reenlistment and commend him on his excellent work in recruitment.

LCDR Hoegel (left) congratulates Petty Officer Jeremy Mong on his promotion (photo Linda Bolla)

On a related note, we mentioned last week (or week before) that the Pennsylvania Military Museum (which also serves as a venue for military commissioning ceremonies) was hosting a town hall organized by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Site Administrator Tyler Gum recently received a thank you letter from the acting director of the VA's James E. Van Zandt Medical Center in Altoona, Charles Becker. Becker commended the museum staff and volunteers for their exemplary support of the event and their role in making it a success. "Your facility displays respect and reverence to our Nation's Heroes, and it was our honor to be associated with the Museum."

Thank you all--active duty personnel, reservists, veterans, and families--for your service. And thank you to the staff and volunteers of the Erie Maritime Museum and the Pennsylvania Military Museum for your efforts in honoring our service personnel.

In other news...

The Railroad Museum of PA has reached a significant milestone in their $250,000 "Ready for the Roundhouse" campaign, which will support media blasting, painting, and repair of 5 PRR steam locomotives destined for exhibit in the new Roundhouse. The PA Railroad Technical and Historical Society challenged the Friends of the museum, saying they would match the first $50,000 raised when the campaign was announced in November. They set a deadline of April 15 for the Friends to raise their share. As of Jan. 31, $60,000 has been raised, triggering the match. Combined that puts the museum at not quite halfway to the ultimate fundraising goal. Congratulations to all concerned and thank you to PRRT&HS for their continued support. (Read more here from Lancaster Online.) If you'd like to help them get the rest of the way, you can donate online via the Museum website.

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, State Sen. Art Haywood, State Rep. Jordan Harris, DGS Secretary Curt Topper, and PHMC officials marked the beginning of Black History Month by unveiling "Trailblazers: Notable African Americans in Pennsylvania History" at the PA State Capitol. The panel exhibit originated at the State Museum of PA.

The State Historic Preservation Office has reported out some of the results of a public survey that will help inform the next statewide historic preservation plan (covering the period 2018-2022). You can read a summary of the results on the PA Historic Preservation blog; they'll be posting about more detailed analyses periodically in coming months.

A couple of deadlines...

• Undergraduate and graduate students wishing to be considered for this summer's Keystone Internship Program have until next Friday, Feb. 10, to submit their applications.
• The State Museum is accepting entries for the 50th Art of the State exhibit through Feb. 28. Submitting artists must be Pennsylvania residents. All entrants will be notified of the jurors' decisions no later than April 7. The exhibit runs from June 11 to Sept. 10.