Get on Out There

Please check the PHMC Events Calendar if you're looking for virtual programs. I've highlighted events below, but there's more to see in the weeks ahead. The Trailheads Rec Room to the right of your screen has all kinds of online offerings. Enjoy!

Spring has sprung at Drake Well Museum (photo via DWM Facebook)

The Pennsylvania Trails of History are beautiful this time of year (and any time of year). I'm seeing lots of enticing photos. If you're ready, I hope you get a chance to visit your favorite PHMC site soon. Always be sure to check the webiste or social media for your destination, since schedules vary. If you're not ready to visit in person, virtual programs are still on the calendar (see below) and we are happy to welcome you online. If you missed the most recent PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase, you can find a recording on the Pennsylvania Military Museum Facebook page (PMM video link).

A study in contrasts at Ephrata Cloister (photo via EC Facebook page)

 
International Museum Day was on Tuesday - I like to think that every day is Museum Day. I assume that Trailheads readers are museum fans, but if you (or someone you know) needs reminding, here's a link to 10 Reasons to Visit a Museum by museum data researcher Colleen Dilenschneider.

Upcoming Virtual Events

Today, May 21

• Learn at Lunchtime, Dr. Cynthia Little will talk about the "Game Changers" women's history exhibit, The State Museum of PA, 12:15-12:45 pm (SMP link to register)

Saturday, May 22

• The USS Pennsylvania, history of the famous battleship including service in WWII, Pennsylvania Military Museum, 2-3 pm (PMM Facebook event to register)

Tuesday, May 25

• A Brief Intro to Wooden Shipbuilding (Part 4 of 4), Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara, 6-7 pm (EMM Facebook event to register)

Wednesday, May 26

• Gravestone Cleaning & Preservation Workshop, Drake Well Museum & Park, 7-8 pm (DWM Facebook event to register)
• Stroll Along the 1915 Street Scene, a narrated virtual tour of the golden age of railroading, Railroad Museum of PA, 7-8 pm (tickets by donation, use the Eventbrite link)

The Museum Week That Was

PHMC's Trails of History sites remain closed to the public until the Green Phase, in accordance with Governor Wolf’s Process to Reopen Pennsylvania plan. During the Yellow Phase, the grounds can be accessed for passive and dispersed recreation. Visitors are to follow the governor’s guidelines regarding masking and social distancing, and gatherings are prohibited.

The May program page lists a couple of virtual programs at this point, and it contains a full list of links to Trails of History Facebook pages so that you can continue to enjoy our digital offerings. You'll also find some of those offerings in the Trailheads Rec Room (see links in the sidebar to the right of your screen); new material is added to each page weekly so that you can see the most recent examples. This week there's a new page for Zoom Backgrounds.

Speaking of digital content, back issues of Pennsylvania Heritage magazine are now available online. Shameless plug alert: you'll find some of the Trailheads columns to enjoy as well.

So, this was a big week for hashtags, mostly because it was Museum Week on social media (not to be confused with International Museum Day, which is coming up on Monday - yeah, I know). But first, museums celebrated mothers and mother-figures.

#HappyMothersDay

Museum Week Monday - #HeroesMW

Museum Week Tuesday - #CultureInQuarantine

Museum Week Wednesday - #TogetherMW

Museum Week Thursday - #MuseumMomentsMW

Museum Week Friday - #ClimateMW

Museum Week Saturday - #TechnologyMW

Museum Week Sunday - #DreamsMW

Snapshots from the Trails of History

See below for info on this weekend's events on the Trails of History. Visit the May program page for additional information or to plan ahead for Memorial Day weekend.

There were some great visuals shared this week by sites on the Trails of History. Here are just a few of them for your viewing pleasure.

Photo via Drake Well Museum Facebook page

This looks like some kind of encoded message to me, but it is actually an array of metal paper clips removed from historic documents at Drake Well Museum and Park. According to Drake Well's Facebook post, a volunteer at the museum has been assisting with caring for documents from the United Refining Company Collection by removing the metal clips, pins, etc., and replacing them with plastic (metal fasteners have a tendency to rust and can do damage to long-term paper collections). Drake Well staff did some research to identify some of the clips:

Who thinks about the history of paperclips? The Early Office Museum does. That’s where I found information about the ones Mary Jane found. Left to Right Top Row: Mussian Paper Clip 1902; Owl 1905 to the present: Niagara clip patented 1897 and advertised until 1950; Standard Paper Clip advertised 1910-1941; Fay Paper Clip originally patented in 1867 and manufactured by many companies after 1896; straight pins; Rinklip patented 1903 and still made; Gem patented in 1903 still used. Bottom Row: little straight pin; Improved Niagara Paper Clip advertised 1908-1950; T-shaped pins were machine made for clothing by 1836 but were patented as paper clips in 1902. The rest are stamped out of sheet metal – star, smiley face and heart with no known maker – yet.

Photo via Drake Well Museum Facebook page

Also this week, folks from Drake Well's Mobile Energy Education Training Unit (MEET-U) staffed a display booth at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh. They promoted MEET-U programs, Drake Well, and the PHMC at this annual event that features nearly 2,000 high schoolers showcasing their inventions and independent research to approximately 11,000 attendees.

Photo courtesy of PA Military Museum

Yesterday morning (Thursday, May 17) roughly 100 U.S. Army soldiers mustered on the grounds of the Pennsylvania Military Museum for PT (physical training). It's a little hard to see in the photo (I was afraid to crop too much of the scene), but the soldiers were running on the paths that circumnavigate the parade grounds. This Sunday, May 20, the grounds will be crowded with military equipment and personnel for the Pennsylvania National Guard's annual Celebration of Service.

Photo via Railroad Museum of PA Facebook page

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania posted a photo on Facebook of two rare baggage tags. The museum's collections include thousands of fascinating objects with stories to tell.

The story of the United States of America is one of migration of individuals, families and communities traveling to these shores and over this land, motivated by a quest for something better in life. These emigrant baggage tags were discovered in the ground in western Pennsylvania and are a rare find of tags issued by the Pennsylvania Railroad in Philadelphia, and made by the Hoole Manufacturing Company of New York.

Pennsbury Manor has introduced apiaries (bee hives) into the orchards (see video below from Facebook). Students attending the Pennsylvania Day school program in two weeks will get the first look at new bee-centered educational programs at the site.

This weekend...

• Drake Well Museum and Park
  May 19: MEET-U in 5 & 1/—enjoy a 5-mile or 13-mile (half marathon) run through the grounds of Drake Well Museum and Oil Creek State Park and help the museum’s MEET-U educational outreach program. Registration is required; registration form is on the website.
• Ephrata Cloister
  May 20: Ephrata Cloister Chorus Spring Concert—the Chorus will perform in the Saal (meetinghouse). Admission charged (details on the website); admission includes the 2:30 pm guided tour. Site open noon-5 pm, concert is at 4. (See a video preview of one of the pieces the Chorus will perform via LancasterOnline.)
• Graeme Park
  May 19: Colonial Beer Brewing Demo—Mike the brewer will be practicing his beer brewing skills for a larger living history program in October (Facebook event page). 9 am-2 pm (site open until 4).
  May 20: Living History Sunday—see a demonstration of colonial-era open hearth cooking throughout the afternoon. Noon-3 pm (brief presentation at 2).
• Hope Lodge
  May 20: Site open—Hope Lodge is open for tours every Sunday through October. Admission is charged. 1-4 pm.
• Old Economy Village
  May 20: Lecture—author Jay Paisley will discuss his book on the Civil War letters of William Henry Huffman. Light refreshments to follow. 2-4 pm.
• Pennsbury Manor
  May 20: Sunday programming—today is "Open Hearth Cooking." Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.
• Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
  May 20: 3rd Sunday Series—this month's program is a demonstration of traditional dutch oven cooking by John and Jan Halter (more info on Facebook event page). Museum is open 9 am-5 pm; program runs 1-3 pm.
• Pennsylvania Military Museum
  May 20: A Celebration of Service—US Army reunion and memorial service sponsored by the PA National Guard and held on the museum grounds. Museum is open 10 am-5 pm (ceremony begins at 12:30 pm, but military vehicles, helicopters, and equipment begin arriving earlier in the day).
• Somerset Historical Center
  May 19: Frosty Mugs of Thunder Brewfest—enjoy beer tasting, food, live music, and historical demonstrations. Event is rain or shine, and you must be at least 21 to attend. Visit the Frosty Mugs of Thunder Facebook page for details on tickets (including designated driver tickets) and participating breweries/food vendors. 4-8 pm.