Hello, 2023!

Well, we made it to another year. I hope you've started 2023 happy and healthy. Here's a few things to look forward to in the coming weeks.

Photo via The State Museum of PA Facebook page

Now through the end of January at The State Museum of Pennsylvania, you can view three gowns from three distinct historical eras currently on display on the first floor. The State Museum's collections include nearly 20 inaugural gowns worn by First Ladies of Pennsylvania when their husbands became governor. In the photo above, from left to right, are gowns worn by Mary McAllister Beaver in 1887, Huberta Potter Earle in 1935, and Muriel Matzkin Shapp in 1971. The display is available during the museum's regular operating hours and is included in regular admission.

Staff from the Pennsylvania Military Museum will be at the 2023 PA Farm Show starting tomorrow, January 7, through January 14. They're partnering with the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the Adjutant General of Pennsylvania, the Secretary of Agriculture, the State Museum of Pennsylvania, and the Furious Fourth (4th ID) WWII Living History Association to tell war-front and home front stories of World War II. Wartime service was not just on the front line, but also included thousands of women such as those in Harrisburg, PA. Women from across the city, and much of the Commonwealth, provided critical mechanical services to aircraft engines prior to deployment overseas, and others provided security services at facilities such as the Farm Show Arena. Visit Booth 2310 (pictured above) in the GIANT Expo Hall for hands-on activities, displays of uniforms, gear, and photos, and examples of food and rations from World War II. You can find Farm Show info in the 2023 Visitors Guide.

PHMC is partnering with the PA Historical Association for the 2023 Scholars in Residence program, which will provide a stipend for up to four weeks of research in the PA State Archives during the period of Aug 1 thru Sept 30. Residency programs are open to all who are conducting research on Pennsylvania history, including academic scholars, public sector professionals, independent scholars, graduate students, educators, writers, filmmakers, and others. Applicants are encouraged to formulate their topic and consult with archives staff prior to submitting a proposal. Deadline for proposals is Feb. 15; applicants will be notified in April. For more info, visit the PHA website.

Please note that Fort Pitt Museum will close Jan. 9 for exhibit upgrades and maintenance, reopening to the public on Wed., Feb. 1. Kids receive free admission through Sunday, Jan. 8.

Up Next

Today, January 6

• StoryTime (in-person); 10:30-11:30 am; The State Museum of PA
• Read Supertruck by Stephen Savage and uncover how this truck saves the town from the big snow storm. For ages 2 to pre-K and included in regular admission. This program will also be offered on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 10:30 am. Sign up at the Ground Floor Info Desk when you arrive (StoryTime info).

Saturday, January 7

• PA Geography with the Giant Map (in-person); 1-3 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Discover the giant map of Pennsylvania as we walk across the state. Test your geography skills playing a game. Included in regular admission (Giant Map info).

Sunday, January 8

• Twelfth Night (in-person); 4-7 pm; Joseph Priestley House
• Enjoy a traditional English celebration with music, refreshments, and lantern light. Dr. Priestley will conduct chemistry demos in the Pond Building at 4:30 and 5:30. Admission is free (Twelfth Night info and updates).

Wednesday, January 11

• Homeschool Program (in-person); 10-11:30 am; The State Museum of PA
• Curators Dr. Curt Miner and Bob Hill will talk about the early 20th-century transition from "Horse Power to Gas Power" and how it's similar and different from current changes in transportation energy. Experiment with power sources by making a wind-powered car. Registration and pre-payment are required (Homeschool Program registration).

Friday, January 13

• Family Gallery Tour: Geology Hall (in-person); 11:30 am-12:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Learn about the landforms and waterways found in Pennsylvania’s Physiographic Provinces and get hands-on with the common minerals and rocks found in Pennsylvania. Included in regular admission (Geology Hall tour info).

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• Workin' on the Railroad (virtual); Tuesday, Jan. 17, 10-10:30 am; Railroad Museum of PA
• This interactive virtual program is geared to grades K-6 and explores a variety of railroad jobs through artifacts, photographs, and activities. Admission is by donation (Workin' on the Railroad info and tickets).

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual); Friday, Jan. 20, 12:15-12:45 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Join us as we talk to Jeff Jumper, Resiliency Program Manager with the Bureau of Recovery at the PA Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), to discuss some of our weather normal and some of our extremes. From tornadoes to floods, we’ll take a look through the Pennsylvania weather almanac. The program is free, but you must register to receive the link (Learn at Lunchtime registration).

• Revolutionary Speaker Series (in-person); Saturday, Jan. 21, Noon-2 pm; Brandywine Battlefield Park
• Jennifer Janofsky, director and public historian at Red Bank Battlefield, and Wade Catts, principal archaeologist with South River Heritage Consulting, will present a program on recent excavations at Fort Mercer and Red Bank Battlefield Park. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online (Rev Speaker Series tickets).

• Tour of the GP30 (virtual); Tuesday, Jan. 31, 10-10:30 am; Railroad Museum of PA
• This interactive virtual program is geared to grades K-6 and will provide a behind-the-scenes view of spaces inside the locomotive. Admission is by donation (GP30 Tour info and tickets).

Bits and Pieces

Please check the PHMC Events Calendar if you're planning ahead. The Trailheads Rec Room to the right of your screen has all kinds of online offerings; it's ready when you are.

The twisted skein on top of the basket was dyed using onion skins. This photo from Daniel Boone Homestead's Facebook page reminded me of the sheep to shawl contest at the Pennsylvania Farm Show

Sometimes there's no theme

There's no point in pretending that I've had any real focus this past week. So let's just roll with it and explore some of the interesting images and info that our Trails of History Sites have been sharing.

The Pennsylvania Farm Show's live online programming continues through Saturday. Check out PHMC's Virtual Farm Show Booth for all kinds of good content.

Old Economy Village's museum educator posted this photo of a squirrel on the roof of the Community Kitchen. It made me smile, so I'm sharing it. David Miller and curator Sarah Buffington have shared lots of interesting images, objects, and info on Facebook. If you're not following Old Economy's page, you're missing out.

From the Museum Educator: On Saturday I was walking past the Community Kitchen and noticed a squirrel on one of the chimneys. Since I had my camera with me, I took some photos. Enjoy!

Posted by Old Economy Village on Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Hope Lodge explained and illustrated a prominent architectural feature on the mansion with a photo taken on a crisp winter day.

We often get lots of questions about the arched indentation in the wall above the door hood of the mansion. This is...

Posted by Historic Hope Lodge on Saturday, January 9, 2021

The State Museum of Pennsylvania shared a cool quilt pieced from almost 6,000 1-inch blocks.

Sometimes quilts are made from a single piece of fabric. In other instances, quilts are made from individual pieces of...

Posted by The State Museum of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, January 12, 2021

And Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara acknowledged the current popularity of sea shanties on TikTok.

Hey U.S. Brig Niagara, is it #seashanty o’ clock?

Posted by Erie Maritime Museum on Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Upcoming Events

Tuesday, January 19

• Railroad Museum of PA, "Workin' on the Railroad," a virtual program geared to kids in grades K to 6, 10 am (info and registration)

Thursday, January 21

• Drake Well Museum & Park, "The New World of COVID-19: Paradigm Shifts in the Petroleum Industry," a panel discussion exploring the effects of the pandemic on all facets of the petroleum industry, 12:30 pm (info and registration)
• Somerset Historical Center, "It's a Hockey Night in Pittsburgh: 1893 to Today," presented by Larry Woods via the Heinz History Center Affiliates Program, 6:30 pm (info and registration)

Tuesday, January 26

• Pennsylvania Trails of History, "What's in a theme? PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase," a multi-site presentation on collections focused on the theme of winter and cold weather, 7 pm (info and registration)

Virtual Farm Show

Please check the PHMC Events Calendar if you're planning ahead. The Trailheads Rec Room to the right of your screen has all kinds of online offerings, available whenever you need a taste of the Trails of History.

Photo from a previous year's in-person Pennsylvania Farm Show (PHMC photo)

Everything but the donuts (almost)

Traditionally (for a few years anyway), the first new Trailheads post of the year focuses on the Pennsylvania Farm Show and PHMC's participation. It is often one of the most popular posts. This year's Farm Show is taking place mostly online, which means no parking problems or waiting in the cold for a shuttle bus. But it also means [sob!] no Farm Show food (those of you in the Harrisburg area may be able to get potato donuts at your local Giant or Karns supermarket). Although it's not entirely the same without the smells of the animals or the food, this year's virtual Farm Show, January 9-16, means that those of you who can't get to Harrisburg anyway can enjoy the same events as everyone else. Check out the daily schedule of events (including a nightly food and beverage pairing) on the Farm Show website or follow the Farm Show Facebook page for updates.

William Chester Ruth (1882-1971) demonstrates a model of one of his inventions, a self-lifting elevator for moving bales of hay and other agricultural materials into storage (photo from Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum virtual exhibit on his life, work, and family)

Once it goes live on January 9, you can visit PHMC's Virtual PA Farm Show Booth anytime you like. You'll find info about PHMC's programs, a link to Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum's virtual exhibit on inventor William Chester Ruth, the Pennsylvania State Archives Ancestry.com research assets, the State Museum of Pennsylvania's Mammal Hall exhibit, the historical marker scavenger hunt, and the Section of Archaeology's popular dugout canoe (and much more). So many stories to explore.

View of one of the vaults at Old Economy Village (photo via Facebook)

Upcoming events

Saturday, January 9

• Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara: Boats, Ships, and Us - The USS Pennsylvania - a collaborative online lecture with the PA Military Museum, 2 pm (link for info and registration)

Sunday, January 10

• Pennsylvania Military Museum, online lecture, "The Korean War, 70 Years Later - U.S. Airpower," 2 pm (info and registration)

Tuesday, January 12

• Old Economy Village, online lecture, "Vaults and Safes at Old Economy Village," 7 pm (info and registration)

Thursday, January 14

• Ephrata Cloister, Ephrata Virtual Academy lecture, "An Illustrated History of Postcards with Ephrata Cloister and Other Views," 7 pm (info and registration)
• Premiere of WQED Pittsburgh documentary, "Out of the Woods: Battlefields of Western Pennsylvania," which features, among other southwestern PA historic sites, Bushy Run Battlefield and Fort Pitt Museum (additional info)

Trails of History Events, Jan. 11-24

The January program page will take you all the way to the end of the month. Here's what's happening in the next couple of weeks. Please note that most Trails of History sites will be closed on Jan. 21 for the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.

Also, the Pennsylvania State Archives Research Room remains closed to the public through January 12; staff will be at the PA Farm Show providing access to free genealogy searches via Ancestry.com. Last week's post includes info on PHMC at the PA Farm Show (thru Jan. 12).

Wednesday, Jan. 16, is Museum Selfie Day! Share your favorite museum selfie using the hashtag #MuseumSelfie and, please, also tag the museum where you took the photo. Learn more @MuseumSelfieDay on Twitter.

State Museum of PA archaeologist Jim Herbstritt with admirers of the dugout canoe at 2019 PA Farm Show (via Facebook)

Anthracite Heritage Museum
Jan. 19: Knox Mine Disaster Program—this annual program marks the anniversary of the Knox Mine Disaster (Jan. 22, 1959), when the Susquehanna River broke through the roof of the River Slope Mine, killing 12 miners. Click "interested" on the Facebook event page to get updates on the event. 2-5 pm. (Info on this and other Anthracite Heritage Month activities.)

Brandywine Battlefield Park
Jan. 22: Revolutionary Dining Series—artist Adrian Martinez will present "The Facts Remain the Same, Only the Meaning Changes: Picturing the Battle of Brandywine for the 21st Century" and discuss his latest series of oil paintings, oil sketches, and drawings which serve as the groundwork for his current project depicting the largest land engagement of the American Revolution, the Battle of Brandywine, and its immediate aftermath (details on Facebook event page). Program is held at The Gables at Chadds Ford. Cost is $50 per person (cash bar available); tickets are available online via Brandywine's website. 6-9 pm.

Daniel Boone Homestead
Jan. 13: Fireside Tales—gather around the fire in the Wayside Lodge to hear a tale, "Fiona's Lace," and enjoy cookies and cocoa (more info on Facebook event page). Dress for the weather. Suggested donation of $2 per person. 2 pm.

Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara
UPDATE 1/23/19 - unfortunately this event has been cancelled Jan. 24: Storytime at the Maritime—guest reader Emmanual White from U.S. Coast Guard Station Erie will read A Lighthouse Saves the Day, which highlights the importance of lighthouses and the work of the Coast Guard. Program is free for members of the museum's Little Mates Kids Club. Nonmembers pay $5, or you can join for $12 to enjoy all the other programs coming up. 10-11 am.

Fort Pitt Museum
Through Feb. 1: Museum closed—Fort Pitt Museum will be closed during the month of January for exhibit upgrades and maintenance. It will reopen on Feb. 2.

Old Economy Village
Jan. 19: Lecture—Univ. of Pittsburgh professor Dr. Bryan Hanks has been using various forms of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to investigate the Harmonist Cemetery in Ambridge. He will discuss the cemetery, his research, what he has learned about Harmony Society burial practices (more details). Lecture is free. 2-3:30 pm.

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
Jan. 19: Film Screening—the museum, in cooperation with Trout Unlimited (TU), the Tioga County Conservation District, and Mansfield University, will host a screening of the documentary film Stories from the Fountain: A TU Native Brook Trout Odyssey. The film explores the connection between Pennsylvania's forests and the health and well-being of our trout streams. Admission to the film is free. 1 pm.
Jan. 20: Eclipse Viewing Party—there will be a lunar eclipse tonight and you can view it from the museum grounds. Pre-eclipse events will begin at 9 pm and eclipse viewing will start at 11 pm (details of program schedule on Facebook event page). The skies in this part of PA are especially dark and folks are very knowledgeable about nighttime photography, so this is one not to miss. UPDATE: if you're planning to attend, please call the museum to register; that way they have your contact info if the weather decides not to cooperate.

Pennsylvania Military Museum
Jan. 19: Discussion—museum educator Joe Horvath will lead a discussion on the topic, "A Brief History of War and Consequences - 20th Century," exploring the evolution of military and political conflicts. Program is free. 10 am.

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Jan. 21: Museum open—the museum will be open today for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday (the museum is closed the other Mondays in January). 9 am-5 pm.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania
January Planetarium Shows—full list of programs and times is on the website.
Jan. 17: Curiosity Kids—visit Nature Lab to learn about SLIME! Geared for ages 3-6 with an adult, this program is included in general admission. 11:30 am.
Jan. 18: Learn at Lunchtime—special showing the museum's new planetarium show, Faster than Light! The Dream of Interstellar Flight. Appropriate for grade 6 and up. Regular fees apply. 12:15 pm (doors close promptly).

Washington Crossing Historic Park
Please visit the Washington Crossing website for info on this month's programs and schedule.

What Time is It? Farm Show Time!

Last week's post has info on Trails of History events through Jan. 10, and the January program page has info for the rest of the month.

It's the week after New Year's, and you know what that means. The gyms are packed, the produce department is depleted, and everybody's being extra nice. But it also means Pennsylvania Farm Show Week!!! Where you can eat your weight in fried mushrooms and potato donuts (it's tradition) while exploring the latest in farm machinery and learn about new developments in agricultural science and so much more (see visitors guide for all the details). Not to mention the butter sculpture!

PHMC staff and volunteers will be at the Farm Show highlighting the agency's many program areas. The popular Historical Marker scavenger hunt will explore food- and agriculture-related markers (download Scavenger Hunt brochure to get you started). The archaeologists will be there with their replica dugout canoe and lots of info on their work. Staff from the Pennsylvania State Archives will assist show-goers with free genealogy searches as part of PHMC's partnership with Ancestry.com. (PLEASE NOTE: the Archives Research Room will be closed January 5-12 so that staff can be at the Farm Show.)

Be sure to visit with representatives from The State Museum of Pennsylvania and talk to staff from the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation about the benefits of membership. (If you're attending the Farm Show from out of town, don't forget that there's a free weekday shuttle to the Capitol Complex in downtown Harrisburg so that you can visit The State Museum of PA.)

You'll find all of these wonderful folks in Booth #687 and #688, in Main Hall East near the Maclay Street side of the Farm Show Complex (that's also where the butter sculpture is displayed).

Hank and Hunter at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum (via Facebook)

On Wednesday and maybe Thursday, you'll find Hank and Hunter, a pair of Black Clydesdales from Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, competing with other draft horses in New Holland Arena and/or the Equine Arena (check the schedule for times).

To plan your visit to the Pennsylvania Farm Show, check the Tips and Maps page. To keep in touch via social media, follow PA Farm Show on Facebook or #PAFarmShow and #PAFS19 on Twitter.

I'll try to add PHMC updates to this post as the week progresses (in between slurps of chocolate milkshake).