Spring is Here, Maybe

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--available 24/7.

David Miller, museum educator at Old Economy Village, snapped this sign of spring recently (photo via OEV Facebook page)

Signs of Spring

I'm not going to jinx it by saying too much, but spring officially arrives tomorrow. Shhh. Don't scare it away. As you can see from the photo above, Trails of History sites are starting to post hopeful signs that warmer weather will stick around now and not just taunt us with "fake spring." I choose to believe it. For now.

What are your favorite signs of spring? Birds? Flowers? Mud? Ordering seeds? Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum recently shared an object from their collection, a countertop seed packet display case, to help us all get ready for spring.

Another seed post....can you tell that the staff of Landis Valley Museum are ready for Spring. To learn more about this...

Posted by Landis Valley Museum on Monday, March 15, 2021

Saint Patrick's Day

To mark the day when lots of people celebrate their Irish roots, Eckley Miners' Village posted about a scrapbook in their collection related to the filming of The Molly Maguires.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Today we are going to showcase recent artifact donations to Eckley Miner's Village; two...

Posted by Eckley Miners' Village Museum on Wednesday, March 17, 2021

And the Erie Maritime Museum paid tribute to U.S Navy sailor Patrick Murphy, an Irish immigrant who served twice on USS Michigan and is buried in Erie, with a Medal of Honor marker on his grave.

A career #UnitedStatesNavy sailor, Patrick Murphy immigrated to the United States from Waterford, Ireland. Upon settling...

Posted by Erie Maritime Museum on Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Women's History Month

Among this week's posts highlighting women's history, Ephrata Cloister shared the story of Barbara Keiper who came to Ephrata in her late teens to care for aging members of the community.

Barbara Keiper (b. December 20, 1771) came to Ephrata in her late teens to care for the aging members living in the...

Posted by Historic Ephrata Cloister on Tuesday, March 16, 2021

And Hope Lodge posted about Susanna Heath Morris, a Quaker who traveled extensively as a preacher and whose son Samuel was the builder and first owner of Hope Lodge.

Today for Women's History Month we celebrate Susanna Heath Morris, mother of Samuel Morris, the builder and first owner...

Posted by Historic Hope Lodge on Saturday, March 13, 2021

Upcoming Virtual Events

Today, March 19

• Learn at Lunchtime series, The State Museum of PA, "Deadly Contact: Europeans, Native Americans, and Pandemics," 12:15-12:45 pm (SMP Facebook to register)

Saturday, March 20

• Boats, Ships, and Us series, Erie Maritime Museum and US Brig Niagara, "Tragedy of the Sultana," 2-3 pm (EMM Facebook to register)

Tuesday, March 23

• The History of the Landis Valley Hotel, Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum, 7-8 pm (LVM Facebook to register)

Wednesday, March 24

• Homeschool Presentation series, The State Museum of PA, "Pennsylvania Habitats," 10-11 am (SMP website to register)

Thursday, March 25

• Winter History Class Week 8, Ephrata Cloister, 9 am-noon (EC website to register)
• Power of Steam: Demo and Virtual Tour, Railroad Museum of PA, 10-11 am (RMP link to register)
• Industrial Immigration to PA, 1877-1914, Somerset Historical Center, 7-8 pm (SHC Facebook to register)
• Women's Voices in the Oil Story series, Drake Well Museum & Park, "Women in Labor: Giving Birth in the Oil Days," 7-8:30 pm (DWM Facebook to register)

Charter Day Celebrations Continue

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--available 24/7.

Pennsbury Manor celebrates Charter Day (photo via Pennsbury Facebook page)

Before we take another look at Charter Day (last week's post started things off), I have to acknowledge the one-year anniversary of Covid-19, officially declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Each of us has had our own Covid journey. Things seem to be looking more hopeful now, with vaccines more widely distributed. But that doesn't change any of the losses that have been part of the past year for many. I have no eloquence to offer here, I just want to acknowledge this milestone that comes with so many mixed emotions.

PHMC's Virtual Charter Day celebration continues with online programs and resources. Visit the Charter Day 2021 landing page to find videos, puzzles, and links to all kinds of info on Pennsylvania's 1681 Charter.

Usually when we talk about the charter, we use an image of the first page. One of the videos featured on the landing page is a look at pages 2 and 3 with Joshua Stahlman, archivist with the Pennsylvania State Archives.



This Sunday, March 14, at 4 pm, Pennsbury Manor and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania will "Dive into the PA Charter" with a look at various drafts of the document. The event is free, but you'll need to register in advance to get the Zoom link (Pennsbury Manor's Facebook page has details).

During the past week, the folks at Conrad Weiser Homestead have posted birthday greetings from members of reenactment groups and volunteers who make the site's programming possible. I'm sharing one below and you can find more on the Conrad Weiser Homestead Facebook page.



At Ephrata Cloister, March doesn't just bring Charter Day, it's also the birthday of founder Conrad Beissel (March 1, 1691). The site posted a 10-minute video in honor of both. You can find it on Ephrata's YouTube channel.

On Tuesday evening, we presented a special edition of the PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase in honor of Charter Day. The theme (we always have a theme) was birthdays and other celebrations. One of the contenders was the Pennsylvania Military Museum, highlighting people in military service celebrating birthdays away from home. The post below shows 1st Lieutenant Peggy Finn Reno, US Army, whose family sent her a birthday cake in Vietnam to help her celebrate.

1st Lieutenant Peggy Finn Reno, US Army, Vietnam War "Peggy (Finn) Reno (1945-2019) was born and raised in Harrisburg,...

Posted by Pennsylvania Military Museum on Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Upcoming Virtual Events

Today, March 12

• Learn at Lunchtime, The State Museum of PA, learn about Pennsylvania songbirds, 12:15 pm (State Museum Facebook to register)

Saturday, March 13

• Virtual Armor Tour, PA Military Museum, see inside military vehicles, 2 pm (PMM Facebook page to register)

Sunday, March 14

• Tonight's Sky: Live Chat with the Planetarium Director, The State Museum, 2 pm (SMP Facebook page for link)
• Dive into the PA Charter, Pennsbury Manor, 4 pm (Facebook event for link)

Thursday, March 18

• Winter History Class Week 7, Ephrata Cloister, 9 am (Ephrata website for details)
• Workin' on the Railroad, Railroad Museum of PA, program for grades K-6, 4 pm (Eventbrite for tickets)
• History of the U.S. Life-Saving Service and Early U.S. Coast Guard, Erie Maritime Museum, 7 pm (EMM Facebook for details)

Wrapping Up March

The March program page gets you through tomorrow (I've highlighted some events below) and the April page is ready to go. Please note that Trails of History sites will be closed on Sunday, April 1, for Easter (with the possible exception of Washington Crossing Historic Park - please check their website before heading there).

So, we're at the end of March. I thought I'd share a few items that have come across the radar here at Trailheads HQ but haven't made it into previous posts.

Close-up from tinsmithing workshop at Somerset Historical Center (via Facebook)

I really love this photo. It was posted along with several others from Somerset Historical Center's recent tinsmithing workshop. Roy and Sharon Phillips helped workshop participants learn how to make a variety of tinware forms, including a candle sconce, a drinking mug, and a 3-sided lantern. They used tools from several different eras of tinsmithing, so participants learned skills as well as the history of the craft. Check out Somerset Historical Center's calendar of events for more hands-on classes coming up this spring and summer.

Leadership Lackawanna Core Program participants learn leadership, interpersonal, and managerial skills, as well an understanding of community issues and topics. Jim Lockwood, of the Times-Tribune, recently reported that the Class of 2018 is working with the Anthracite Heritage Museum to mark 250 years of anthracite mining in the U.S. The class members will be procuring a commemorative plaque to be placed at the museum, which documents and interprets Northeast Pennsylvania's history of hard-coal mining, as well as its related industries, businesses, and immigrant culture. The plaque will be dedicated at a cocktail reception on May 10.

As we lurch fitfully into spring (surely, we're just about there), many thoughts turn to gardens and gardening. Chef Walter Staib posted earlier this week that he is preparing an episode of his award-winning Taste of History program featuring the gardens at Pennsbury Manor. Staib's show focuses on 18th-century cuisine and cooking throughout the world, and he filmed scenes for two episodes at Pennsbury back in November (see photos from the shoot). I'm not sure when either will air, but we'll be sure to let you know.

The PHMC has approved 16 new historical markers, commemorating a wide range of people and topics from Pennsylvania's history (full list in press release). To learn more about the Historical Marker Program, including how to submit a person, place, or event for consideration, visit the State Historic Preservation Office marker page. And since we're saying goodbye for now to Women's History Month, check out this list of current markers related to women's history.

Coming up tomorrow, March 31

• "Easter at the Homestead," Daniel Boone Homestead (info on the Facebook event page), 10 am-4 pm
• "Something More Saturday," celebrating Edwin Drake's 199th birthday, Drake Well Museum and Park (info on Facebook), 10 am-3 pm

On This Day in History, March 30

• 1870 - Following ratification by 3/4 of the states, the 15th Amendment was formally adopted, granting African-American men the right to vote. (Read about the far more complicated story of the 15th Amendment and the 1964 Voting Rights Act.)

That Reminds Me of a Story

Please be sure to check the March program page if you're looking for things to do this weekend on the Trails of History.

Handknit socks by Ruth M. Davis, American Red Cross volunteer in WWII
(PA Military Museum, MM99.18.2A-E)

Last week's post in honor of Women's History Month, prompted staff at the Pennsylvania Military Museum to remind me of one of my favorite stories. I mentioned in last week's post that we are working on new exhibits at the Military Museum that will include the evolving roles of women in the military. The exhibits will also explore the home front - the wartime roles of civilians and families in Pennsylvania as well as Pennsylvania industries.

Ruth McDaniel Davis was newly married when her husband went off to fight in World War II. She went to work for the USO and volunteered for the American Red Cross. Like many women and girls on the home front, she knitted hats, gloves, and socks for soldiers (I remember my grandmother talking about knitting socks during World War I). In the 1990s, while helping Ruth pack up her house, her son found a bag with knitting instructions, needles and yarn, one completed sock, and one still on double-pointed needles (see photo above). He asked his mother why she didn't finish the second sock--she replied, "The war ended." She put the socks aside and went about the business of post-war life. The socks, yarn, needles, and instructions are now part of the Military Museum collections and are exhibited periodically.

Ruth M. Davis, circa World War II (PA Military Museum, MM99.18)

Charter Day Recap

As you probably know, every year on the second Sunday in March, sites on the Pennsylvania Trails of History mark the Commonwealth's birthday and celebrate the 1681 Charter that granted William Penn the land that became Pennsylvania. At The State Museum of Pennsylvania, the four-page original Charter goes on display for about a week and then returns to its special place in the Pennsylvania State Archives (see video of the Charter being brought out for exhibit). (The rest of the year, visitors to see a high-quality photographic reproduction of the Charter.) This year's "guest documents" were four Indian deeds by which land was given to William Penn and his heirs.

At Pennsbury Manor, 2018 marks the 300th anniversary of William Penn's death and staff will be particularly focused on Penn's legacy. For Charter Day, Pennsbury displayed a 1682 manuscript of "The Great Law," Pennsylvania's first governing document (read more in this Courier Times article.) The six-page manuscript will be on display through Tuesday, March 20, so there's time to stop by this weekend.

Two of six pages of William Penn's Great Law on exhibit at Pennsbury Manor for Charter Day 2018 (via FB)

Most sites on the Pennsylvania Trails of History were open free of charge on March 11 for Charter Day. You can find photos on Facebook of activities at Bushy Run Battlefield, Conrad Weiser Homestead, Ephrata Cloister, Hope Lodge, and Joseph Priestley House (I'll add others as I find them or visit your favorite site on Facebook to check).

Bushy Run Battlefield was open on Charter Day for the first time in a number of years thanks to dedicated volunteers and a highly organized high school intern. More than 400 people enjoyed museum and battlefield tours as well as (depending on their ages and interests) children's activities and samples from Bushy Run Winery (photo Bushy Run Battlefield)

Women's History Month

Please check the March program page for info on events this weekend, including Charter Day (Sunday, March 11). Don't forget to set your clocks ahead one hour by 2 am Sunday (that is, the ones that don't do it themselves, cackling away like an Amazon Echo).

Floyd Schoonover, holding Mayme Schoonover, and Myrtle Sinsabaugh Schoonover
(PA Lumber Museum, 80.1.32, Bowers & Rawson Collection)

We're part way through Women's History Month, and yesterday (March 8) was International Women's Day, so this seems like a good time to take a look at women's history on and around the Trails of History (of course, anytime is a good time to look at all kinds of history). What follows is a series of "snapshots," not a comprehensive list of women's history as interpreted at our sites.

While the history of the lumber industry in Pennsylvania has been dominated by men, the exhibits at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum do include women and their role in logging and in the conservation movement. Efforts to add more women's history are ongoing (such as this story posted on Facebook). The photo above shows a logging camp foreman or jobber with his wife and daughter; women were present in the camps with their families and sometimes as cooks. The photo below shows a boarding house in Leetonia, one of the lumber towns featured in the museum's core exhibit.

Seymour Whitney's boarding house, Leetonia (Tioga County), 1893
(PA Lumber Museum, 76.25.3, Wilferd E. Whitney Collection)

In addition to interpreting the lives and work of anthracite coal miners, the Anthracite Heritage Museum also explores the textile industry, which employed women in lace factories and as garment workers.

Textile machinery on exhibit at Anthracite Heritage Museum (from website)

Pennsbury Manor's interpretation includes the lives of Gulielma Springett Penn (1644-1694) and Hannah Callowhill Penn (1671-1726), including their roles in supporting and sustaining William Penn's Holy Experiment (read more about Hannah and see a portrait in Pennsbury's International Women's Day Facebook post). The work of other women at Pennsbury, both enslaved, indentured, and free, is also an important part of the programming and exhibits at the site.

The skills and knowledge of open hearth cooking and baking are researched and interpreted at Pennsbury Manor (from Facebook)

Military reenactment and timeline programs at the Pennsylvania Military Museum include the evolving roles of women in the military. New interpretive exhibits currently in development will highlight the experiences of individuals in all branches of the military throughout the course of Pennsylvania history and include women serving on the home front and in conflict zones.

Interpretation at PA Military Museum's "Vietnam Revisited" program includes the role of women as medical personnel (via Facebook)

In related news...

Curious as to how many PHMC Historical Markers feature women or issues related to women's history? I was too, so I did a quick search and downloaded a list. Check it out.

The New York Times announced a project to publish obituaries for notable women whose passing was ignored in its pages at the time of their deaths. The first 15 obituaries in the "Overlooked" project include Ida B. Wells, Ada Lovelace, and Emily Warren Roebling (read all 15 and learn more about the project, including how to nominate a woman for inclusion).

National History Day has posted a preview of a larger project, "Women in American History," which provides resources for teachers to integrate women's history into their classes and encourage students to examine primary sources from colonial America to the present. Materials are available to download.

In honor of Women's History Month, Governor Tom Wolf's Facebook page features a video highlighting women who have made significant contributions to Pennsylvania and beyond (view the video).

On This Day in History - March 9

In keeping with this week's women's history focus (but I managed to get baseball in too)...

• 1976 - 1st female cadets accepted at West Point Military Academy
• 1979 - Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn orders teams to provide equal access to female reporters
• 1990 - Dr. Antonia Novello sworn in as first Hispanic and first female Surgeon General

It's Spring...Or Is It?

The March program page is now up and running. I've highlighted some of this weekend's events below.

An early spring day in late February at Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum (via Facebook)

February ended with a taste of spring, but it looks like March will hit us with another blast of winter. [UPDATE: Erie Maritime Museum is closed today, March 2, due to the weather. Be sure to check ahead at any site if the weather in your area is looking bad.] Why does that always take me by surprise? Nevertheless, I enjoyed the warmth and seeing early spring views on Facebook, like the ones Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum shared earlier this week (see more like the photo above on Landis Valley's Facebook page).

Now that it's March, it's also Women's History Month. We'll keep you posted on women's history events on the Trails of History, and much of the ongoing interpretation at sites features women's work and their roles in their communities. In the meantime, the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History blog this week featured a photo array of women's clothing that exemplifies a wide range of work roles for women through time. Worth a look, I think.

This weekend...(assuming we don't all blow away)

Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara
March 3: Pancake Breakfast—the Flagship Niagara League will host a pancake breakfast at Burch Farms Country Market in North East, PA. Cost is $7 per person and a portion of the proceeds supports the League's programs. Tickets are available ahead of time (see FB event page for details and menu). 7-11 am.

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum
March 3: Winter Learning for Adults—Scratched Eggs and Blacksmithing (not together). Information and online registration are available on the website.

“James Wilson – U.S. Army Recruit”  (photo credit – James Wilson)

Pennsylvania Military Museum
March 4: Friends' Lecture Series—James M. Wilson will recount his experiences in the U.S. Army in an illustrated talk entitled “Drafted into the Korean War.” 2-3 pm.

State Museum of Pennsylvania
March 2: Storytime—visit Village Square to learn about kitchens of the past, make pretend pancakes, and enjoy a reading of Tomie dePaola's Pancakes for Breakfast. Included in general admission. 10-11 am.

On This Day (in Sports) in History - March 2

• 1874 - The batter's box (brief definition) is officially adopted by the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (more than you ever wanted to know, about anything).
• 1918 - The New York Yankees purchase the contract of 1st baseman George Burns from the Detroit Tigers and immediately trade him to the Philadelphia Athletics.
• 1962 - Playing for the Philadelphia Warriors basketball team, Wilt Chamberlain scores 100 points against the New York Knicks (there is a PHMC historical marker commemorating Chamberlain, who was born in Philadelphia).

Digging Out

The March program page has info on events coming up this weekend and beyond. REMINDER: The State Museum of PA is closed this weekend, March 18-19, for electrical upgrade work.

Eckley Main Street, March 14, 2017 (more photos on Facebook)

Most sites on the Trails of History were affected by Winter Storm Stella (insert "Streetcar Named Desire" reference here), but perhaps none as much as the sites in the anthracite region. Eckley Miners' Village (above) saw up to 30" of snow. Everyone is getting back to normal, so regular schedules are in force. (Update: Lancaster Online posted a satellite map from NOAA that shows all of PA covered in snow.)

The weather was cold last Sunday for Charter Day, but more than 6,500 visitors (not counting State Museum) took advantage of free admission to help us celebrate Pennsylvania's birthday. Several sites have posted photos on Facebook - Anthracite Heritage, Ephrata Cloister, and State Museum of PA. And a couple of photographers have posted their own photos from Trails of History sites - Christopher Malone posted his photos of Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum on The Daily Antiquarian page and Ryan Patches, of Patches Photography, posted photos of Conrad Weiser Homestead's Charter Day activities. Thanks to Ryan and Chris for sharing!

In other news...
PennLive posted an article about the Last Raft, a reenactment of the log rafting that was a crucial part of the lumber industry in the first half of the 19th century. Leaving Clearfield County on March 14, 1938, the raft reached Fort Hunter, just north of Harrisburg, on March 25. En route, the raft hit a bridge pier near Muncy on March 20, throwing many passengers into the water, killing 7. You can learn more about the lumber industry and Pennsylvania's forests at the PA Lumber Museum. Tomorrow, March 18, the museum will host an event featuring Wood Hicks and Bark Peelers, a book of lumber region photos by William T. Clarke. Authors Ronald Ostman and Harry Littell are scheduled to be on hand to sign copies of the book, accompanied by Linda Ries, retired photo archivist for the Pennsylvania State Archives.

Susan Holloway Scott of the Two Nerdy History Girls blog wrote about a recent visit to Brandywine Battlefield Park, where she toured the Gideon Gilpin House.

Military uniform and items from Pennsbury's temporary exhibit (from Facebook)

Pennsbury Manor, connecting the site's Quaker heritage to the PHMC's current #PAatWar initiative, has opened a small temporary exhibit about Pennsylvania conscientious objectors. The exhibit runs through July and includes material from the Pennsylvania State Archives and private collectors. In a related story, the PA Trails of History Facebook page posted photos (below) of curator Rachel Yerger cataloguing a World War II flight suit for the PA Military Museum; the flight suit belonged to Sgt. John Thomas Strine.



As part of Drake Well Museum and Park's Petroleum Program series, site administrator Melissa Mann gave a talk on March 9 about Women's Activism in the Oil Region. She discussed the museum's ongoing research efforts to document women's history related to the oil industry and to the communities that were part of the region. You can read more about her talk in an article from the Titusville Herald. If you'd like to support this effort and other programs of the museum, you can donate March 20-24 through the Bridge Builders Community Foundations' Week of Giving online campaign (more info).