Halloween and More

Please be sure to check the PHMC Events Calendar for information on upcoming programs (in-person and virtual). I've included highlights for the coming week below. The Trailheads Rec Room pages to the right of your screen offer an array of online content generated by Trails of History sites. Also, if you're looking for a Covid vaccine provider, check out Vaccines.gov and enter your zip code.

Please note that staff and volunteers at Commonwealth of PA worksites, including the PA Trails of History, are wearing masks while indoors. Visitors are encouraged, though not required, to do so as well.

Bonfires and storytelling were part of the fun at the PA Lumber Museum last weekend (photo via PLM Facebook)

The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum was one of the Trails of History sites hosting Halloween events in the past couple of weeks (see more photos from their event). Curator Josh Fox also wrote a blog post this year entitled "What Chainsaw Did that Movie Use?" to provide some history for horror movie lovers. There are still opportunities for Halloween fun on the Trails of History, so be sure to check the listings below.

As we move from October into November, it's important to know that some Trails of History sites are adjusting their hours or outdoor offerings for the winter season. I always say it's a good idea to check ahead before visiting, but this time I really mean it. [Scary Halloween voice] You've been warned [end Scary Halloween voice].

Halloween isn't the only thing happening on the Trails, of course. Earlier this month, U.S. Brig Niagara sailed from Erie to Cleveland for some long-awaited maintenance and inspection at the Great Lakes Shipyard. If you aren't following Erie Maritime Museum on Facebook you may have missed the updates on the work. But here's a cool time lapse video of the ship being raised out of the water.



On October 16, the Anthracite Heritage Museum hosted an iron pour at the Scranton Iron Furnaces. Artist Brian Glaze melted iron using a cupola furnace and with the help of volunteers poured the molten iron into sand molds for visitors.


Speaking of molten iron, Cornwall Iron Furnace presented (also on October 16) a Civil War living history event with the Detachment, US Engineers, who interpreted the work of 19th-century military engineers.

This Week's Events (virtual and in-person)

Today, Oct. 29

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual): curator Robert Hill will chat with historian Leroy Hopkins, Jr. about his father's WWII service, The State Museum of PA, 12:15-12:45 pm (Learn at Lunchtime info and Zoom registration)
• Haunted Lantern Tours (in-person): your guide will take you through the shadowy rooms and halls of the Keith House, Graeme Park, tickets still available (as of 10/26) for 7:45, 8, and 8:45 tours, tickets must be purchased in advance prior to 6 pm (Lantern Tours info and ticket link)

Saturday, Oct. 30

• Workshops in Archaeology (virtual): this year's focus is "Hidden Stories: Uncovering African American History Through Archaeology and Community Engagement," The State Museum of PA, 9 am - 4:30 pm (Workshop info and registration)
• Jack-o-Lantern Contest (in-person): drop off your entry this afternoon between 2 and 5 pm and the grounds will be open 5-9, Joseph Priestley House (contest details)
• Old Economy Village After Dark (in-person): several historic buildings will be open and attendees may bring hand-held ghost hunting equipment and cameras (nor large equipment), 6:30-9:30 pm, as of 10/26 there are about 30 tickets remaining, tickets must be purchased in advance (OEV After Dark info and tickets)
• Historic Cemetery Tour (in-person): historical figures from the past will greet you at Northumberland's Riverview Cemetery, Joseph Priestley House, tours begin every 15 minutes from 7 to 8 pm, tickets available at JPH today noon-4 pm or by calling 570/473-9474 (Cemetery Tour info)

Sunday, Oct. 31

• STEM Halloween activities (in-person): kids in grades K-5 can explore STEM from 3 to 5 pm and the grounds will be open from 1 to 8 pm, Joseph Priestley House (JPH info)

Wednesday, Nov. 3

• Explore! (in-person): learn about the history of deer in PA and their changing population, The State Museum of PA, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, for kids in grades 3-5 and included in regular admission (Explore! info)

Thursday, Nov. 4

• Curiosity Kids (in-person): learn how artists use line to create art and explore the 2021 Art of the State Exhibition, The State Museum of PA, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, for kids in grades K-2 and included in regular admission, space is limited to sign up at the Ground Floor Information Desk when you arrive (Curiosity Kids info)

On Sale Now

• Wreaths & Greens Workshops: Pennsbury Manor will offer this workshop twice on Saturday, Nov. 27, 10 am-noon and 1-3 pm. Make a festive wreath to take home and learn some tips for caring for evergreens in your yard. Cost is $35 ($31.50 for members) and pre-registration is required (Wreath workshop details).
• Gingerbread Cookie Kits: Railroad Museum of PA is accepting orders for train-shaped gingerbread cookies. Choose 12 cookies per box (plain) or 6 cookies per box with vanilla icing bag and sprinkles for $20. Orders must be picked up at the museum on either Dec. 4 (10 am-3 pm) or Dec. 11 (10 am-3 pm). Deadline for orders is Nov. 29 (RMP cookie flyer for details).
• Christmas with the Conductor: kids ages 3 and older will get to board one of the Railroad Museum of PA's historic railroad cars to hear a classic holiday story. Other activities are also part of the program. The program is offered Dec. 4 and Dec. 11 with three storytimes each day. The $10 program fee is in addition to museum admission. Deadline for registrations is Nov. 29, but space is limited and this program usually sells out quickly (Christmas with Conductor info and tickets).

How Is It the End of July Already?

The July program page has info about today's registration deadline for Drake Well's Virtual Summer Camp and the Railroad Museum's Trivia Night tonight. The August page has a growing list of online events. For online activities available 24/7, check out the Trailheads Rec Room (to the right of your screen).

Since late spring, visitors enjoying the grounds at Graeme Park have shared encouraging messages in sidewalk chalk (via Facebook)

So, I blinked and apparently July is now over. This week got away from me, too. Folks at our Trails of History sites continue to keep in touch with the public through online programs (check the August calendar page) and social media posts. Below are a few that I'd like to share with you as you head into August (and the weekend). Today's focus (ahem) is on photos and other images.




Quick side note: Two summers ago, when Eckley was celebrating the 50th anniversary of the filming of The Molly Maguires, actress Samantha Eggar shared some thoughts with Eckley staff, and they shared them with Trailheads (June 2018 post).

The Week in Review

The July program page has info about online programs happening this weekend and next week (and a couple of deadlines for August programs). To help you plan ahead, I've also published the August page. For online activities available 24/7, check out the Trailheads Rec Room (to the right of your screen).

Members of the Accessibility Excellence Working Group during their online meeting (screenshot)

I spent yesterday afternoon meeting with colleagues working on the PA Museums and PHMC Accessibility Excellence project. PA Museums received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services last fall, and PHMC is partnering with them on this effort. We are developing an assessment tool to help museums and historical organizations measure their accessibility to the public and a resource kit to help institutions improve. As you might expect, COVID-19 has thrown us a significant curveball. On the upside, we have continued, with the leadership of project manager Jenny Angell, to refine the assessment and work to bring it in line with some other standards programs in the field. On the other hand, we had hoped by now to be piloting the assessment tool at PHMC's Trails of History sites. With uncertainty about when sites will reopen, we are considering a number of alternatives and (yes) pivots to keep the project moving.

Online meetings allow for document sharing in addition to the Brady Bunch experience (screenshot)

On a related note, Sunday, July 26, is the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), landmark legislation intended to make employment, government services, and public accommodations fully accessible to people with disabilities. Clearly, the work to achieve that is still ongoing. As part of their "ADA at 30" compilation, the New York Times spoke with disability rights activists Judy Heumann, Alice Wong, and Haben Girma for an article titled "What the A.D.A. Means to Me" and provided an overview, "'Nothing About Us Without Us': 16 Moments in the Fight for Disability Rights." To learn more about disability history and disability rights advocacy, check out the Disability History Association or Disability Rights PA.

The historic Saal at Ephrata Cloister (photo via Facebook)

Singer, educator and musicologist Chris Herbert will be on NPR's Morning Edition today to talk about his recording project, "Voices in the Wilderness: The Music of the Ephrata Cloister," which includes works by the earliest-known female composers in America. Herbert describes the project:

"In order to create modern transcriptions of the music for the recording, I visited 22 libraries, collections, and archives throughout the world to study and photograph Ephrata music manuscripts. I got to spend time in the Library of Congress, and it was there that I realized that one of the largest Ephrata documents, known as the Ephrata Codex, contains inscriptions that offer proof of authorship by three women: sisters Föben, Hanna, and Ketura.

Since this post won't publish until about 20 minutes before you can hear Herbert on NPR, I'll add a link to the recording here when it becomes available (NPR link added 7/26/2020). In the meantime, you can sample some of the music, which was recorded at Ephrata in the historic Saal (meetinghouse) last year.

This week also marks the return (finally) of Major League Baseball, although greatly curtailed due to COVID-19. Pennsylvania Trails of History shared a relevant artifact from the State Museum of Pennsylvania collection.



And here's a selection of posts from the past week - I noticed a theme of different types of work. I hope you have a chance to rest from your labors sometime in the coming week.

Focus on Collections - Mining PPE

So we are on Week 4 of Trails of History sites closed to the public. All onsite public activities and all onsite events are canceled through April 30. Staff are either on site performing maintenance and security duties--thank you to these essential workers--or teleworking on projects to keep services and communications going and plan for our eventual reopening. To see what your favorite sites are sharing on social media, check the April program page for links to Facebook. To see some recent highlights, check out last week's post. And if you're looking for videos to watch, PHMC's YouTube channel has all kinds of options.

For up-to-date information on Pennsylvania's response to COVID-19, please visit the Pennsylvania Dept. of Health website. Also, you may want to read info about increasing concerns about scams related to economic stimulus payments.

This week's post comes to us from Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums curator Rachel Yerger (see her March 27 post on Hope Lodge collections), with a focus on mining personal protective equipment (PPE) in the collection at Cornwall Iron Furnace. Cornwall site administrator Mike Emery provided additional images for the post. To see other mining-related collections, visit PHMC's new Museum Collections online portal and select Anthracite Heritage Museum, Cornwall Iron Furnace, or Eckley Miners' Village on the PHMC Museums tab.

UPDATE 4/20/2020: Rich Hall, a docent at Erie Maritime Museum and a retired design engineer for General Electric, shared some info on Personal Protective Equipment [sorry, we're having trouble with that link] and a Mine Monument in western PA that he presented at a meeting of the Western Mining Electrical Association. Rich also made a presentation on the Erie Maritime Museum, which is housed in a former Penelec electrical generating plant (some of Rich's EMM projects have been reported on in Trailheads posts in 2014 and 2015).

What is PPE? I’m sure by now many have heard the acronym and know that it stands for Personal Protective Equipment. But PPE means something different for a miner than it does for a medical professional. Against the harsh underground conditions faced by miners, thin nitrile or latex gloves just won’t cut it. This week I thought I would highlight some PPE used in the Cornwall Iron Mines during the mid-late 20th Century.

Cornwall is home to one of the most important iron-ore mines in Pennsylvania history. Ore mining was the backbone of the Cornwall Iron Furnace, which produced iron from 1742 until 1883. Even when the furnace ceased production, the mines continued to operate under the helm of Bethlehem Steel until 1973 when the mines were closed due to extensive flooding from Hurricane Agnes.

November 1963 National Safety Council Poster, posted by Cornwall Mine #4, Cornwall, PA. (Photo from the Charlie Neal research collection, Cornwall Iron Furnace. )

Mine safety became an industry priority in the United States around the turn of the 20th Century. As with many other industry safety regulations, it took a wave of mining disasters to reform industry safety standards. The U.S. Bureau of Mines was formed in 1910 and while their mission has evolved over the years, their main goal has been safety. Around the same time Mine Safety Appliances Inc. (MSA Inc.), a Pittsburgh-based company, was founded by John T. Ryan Sr. and George H. Deike.

CF2018.2.2 Miner’s Safety Helmet. This miner’s helmet, made by Mine Safety Appliances Inc., was used by Francis Boughter while working at Cornwall Ore Mine, Lebanon, PA. Mr. Boughter worked in Cornwall mines until it was shut down in 1973. (Learn more about this object in PHMC's Museum Collections portal.)

One of the first products MSA Inc. made was an electric cap lamp. Prior to electric cap lamps, miners used flame-based light sources, like carbides or oil lamps, which created considerable safety hazards in mines. Not only were electric cap lamps a massive safety enhancement, but they also improved visibility, which increased productivity. 

CF2018.1.10 Edison Model S Electric Cap Lamp.  This cap lamp was used by William J. Fritz while working as a Concreter and Timberman in the #3 and #4 underground mines at Cornwall, Lebanon, PA.  (View in Collections portal)

Men working in Cornwall Mine, 1946.  (Photo from the Charlie Neal research collection, Cornwall Iron Furnace.) 

Over the years MSA Inc.’s product offerings grew to include all types of personal safety items, such as pocket-sized first aid kits.

CF2108.1.6A-G MSA First Aid Packet. In addition to PPE MSA also produced this first aid kit which includes Merthiolate tincture, mercury-containing antiseptic, now banned in over-the-counter products by the FDA. (View in Collections portal)

Effective check-in and check-out systems are also cornerstones of mine safety. At Cornwall Mine, as with other mines, each miner was assigned two brass tags with an individual identification number. The miner would leave their tag on the tagboard before entering the mine, and then remove it once they returned to the surface. This was an important way to ensure that every worker was accounted for.

CF2018.1.21A-B Brass Check Tag 3942, William Fritz. These tags were used by William Fritz. According to another Cornwall Mineworker, the brass tags could also be used to sign out equipment and collect paychecks.

Personal safety and the use of personal protective equipment while on the job is a priority, regardless of the industry. Current shortages in PPE for medical professionals are a real problem in many states. Sadly, none of the PPE in the Cornwall Iron Furnace collection qualify as PPE for medical professionals under CDC guidelines, but we are pulling together some of our curatorial PPE, which does qualify, to donate to state agencies that are currently in need.

What can you do to help?

'Tis the Season

Last week's post has program info through Dec. 27 and the December program page has info through the 31st. If you really like to plan ahead, the January program listings are also available.

Still shopping? Your favorite Trails of History sites offer unique gifts in their museum stores. And through December 31, the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation (PHF) and The State Museum of Pennsylvania are offering a "Buy One Get One Free" membership deal. Renew, rejoin, or join, and you can gift a free membership of equal or lesser value to a friend, family member, or co-worker. Memberships included in this offer are Heritage, Individual, and Family (visit PHF website for details or to purchase online). All categories of membership include free regular admission to sites on the Pennsylvania Trails of History. (Please note, the gift membership must be for individuals or families who have never held a membership with PHF or The State Museum previously.)

It has been a busy December on the Trails of History. There were lots of holiday programs, but that's not the only news to report. But we'll get to that.

Holiday Programs

Somerset Historical Center held their third annual Ethnic Traditions Program, in which Somerset County residents present foods and customs from a variety of cultures. This year's presenters included Sotiris Aggelou, born in Greece; Anna Thomas, born in India; Grete Lowery, born in Austria, and her daughter Margot (Knupp) Daniels; Mark and Dianna Smith, descendants of 19th-century Irish, Scottish, and German immigrants to Pennsylvania; and Jamie Barron, whose great grandparents came to the U.S. from Stenico, a small village in the Italian Alps. All shared stories and most shared food (the Smiths played Scottish music) with program attendees. A printed program included information about each presenter and their traditions and introduced attendees to PHMC's 21st Century Museums Initiative.

Holly Nights at Pennsbury Manor, 2018 (from Facebook)

Pennsbury Manor's annual Holly Nights event (see Facebook photo album) is a longstanding tradition for many southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey families. Columnist JD Mullane had this to say in the Dec. 9 Intelligencer, after lamenting several unsuccessful attempts to create holiday memories with the kids:

But then the other night in Falls, I realized that we still have one family Christmas tradition of the variety I tried so hard to create — Holly Night at Pennsbury Manor, two nights always held the first week of December.

We’ve taken the kids to Gov. William Penn’s recreated summer house on the Delaware River since they were babies, and only because it was an inexpensive family outing, and always at Mrs. Mullane’s request. I took her there when we were still boyfriend and girlfriend. Despite nearly 20 years of Holly Nights, our kids still look forward to it — the paths lit by luminaries, pine and wood smoke on crisp night air. The dining room table set for an 18th century feast in the candle-lit manor house. The bell choir playing, the U.S. Steel Chorus, today called the Men of Harmony, performing “Little Drummer Boy.” (A bonus that received an extra ovation from the audience last week: three Men of Steel from the original choir are still singing). And the finale: tossing a sprig of evergreen into the small fire for good luck in the new year, and sipping hot apple cider.

Family traditions bring identity, unity and warmth, whether it’s Holly Night or finding the perfect tree at the farm. But you can’t force them, no matter how enticing and sentimental. There has to be some sort of magic in them that you can feel, but really can’t explain.

Carols around the bonfire at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum (via Facebook)

 Yet another firelit holiday event is Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum's Bonfire Night, which welcomes visitors for the price of some nonperishable donations for a local food bank. This year the weather was a bit damp and foggy, but many people still stopped by, including photographer Jennifer MacNeill, a regular at LVM events (see her album of Bonfire Night photos here).

Kids of all shapes and sizes enjoyed the Christmas program at Bushy Run Battlefield (photo Michael Tusay)

Other December Happenings

The annual Pearl Harbor remembrance took place at the Pennsylvania Military Museum on Dec. 7. The museum shared images on their Facebook page (below) and WTAJ provided local coverage.

The Anthracite Heritage Museum opened a new exhibit on photographers working in the anthracite region and also announced the winners of the accompanying photo contest (below). Local news highlighted one of the winners, Megan Rusonis.

And finally, we're ending the year on a high note with the announcement that several Trails of History sites will be among the honorees when PA Museums presents the 2019 Special Achievement Awards at their annual conference in April. Institutional Achievement Awards will go to: U.S. Brig Niagara/Flagship Niagara League (homeport Erie Maritime Museum) for "Waves of the Past, Sailors of the Future"; Old Economy Village for "Bringing History Alive at Old Economy Village"; and The State Museum of Pennsylvania for "Restoration and Reinterpretation of Mammal Hall." Sarah Buffington, curator at Old Economy Village, and Hope W. Kopf, volunteer at Joseph Priestley House, will be honored with Individual Awards recognizing their contributions and good work. Visit the PA Museums website for the full list of honorees for 2019. Congratulations to all! And to all, a good night.

Catching Up

Please see last week's post for info on events coming up this weekend. If you're planning further ahead, the September program page has what you need.

Before I launch us into a selection of items that have come across my screen recently, I wanted to share some info related to the recent devastating fire at the National Museum of Brazil. Among the many responses coming from the spectrum that is the international museum community, the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums reposted a note from the Council of Museum Anthropology's Facebook page. If you (or someone you know) has ever visited the museum in Rio and took any photos (the irony here should not escape any of us), there is an initiative to create a visual archive of visitor photos. You can email photos to: thg.museo@gmail.com, lusantosmuseo@gmail.com, or isabelasfrreitas@gmail.com.

Looking Back at Labor Day

"A View of Ewen Breaker..." in South Pittston, PA, circa 1911 (photo by Lewis W. Hine, in collection of Library of Congress, LC-DIG-nclc-01127)

An article in the Washington Post on Sept. 2 featured photographer Lewis Wickes Hine and the impact of his work on ending industrial child labor in the 20th century (read article online). Hine photographed work settings in various parts of the U.S., including the anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania. Many of his photos can be found in the National Child Labor Committee collection at the Library of Congress. Learn more about breaker boys, coal miners, and mining communities by visiting the Anthracite Heritage Museum and Eckley Miners' Village on the PA Trails of History.

The Daily Antiquarian posted a history of Labor Day on their Facebook page and featured photos from several Trails of History sites, including Old Economy Village and Ephrata Cloister. It's a reminder that while some of our sites are focused on industrial labor (see industrial heritage trail), all of our sites interpret work in some form, be it domestic (see program at Conrad Weiser Homestead below), agricultural, or scientific, to name a few.

Pictures, pictures, pictures

The October 2018 issue of Early American Life has a beautiful photo of the Walter's Mill Covered Bridge at Somerset Historical Center by Ron Bruner (see it here on Facebook). This weekend (Sept. 7-9) you can see it in person and enjoy a vast array of craft demonstrations, entertainment, and regional foods at SHC's annual Mountain Craft Days festival (info here).

Old Economy Village plays a leading role in a new video from Beaver County Tourism that promotes the Ambridge Historic District (see below).

Staff of the Pennsylvania Military Museum hosted history classes from Penn State Altoona this summer, providing an insider's tour (literally) of a Sherman tank as well as hands-on experience with artifacts from the museum's collection (article from PSU Altoona website includes more details and photos of the visit).

Photographer Curt Weinhold, who works closely with the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, posted a night sky image taken from the logging camp exhibit on the museum grounds. Potter County, where the museum is located, is known for its dark skies, and Curt is well-known for his night sky photography.

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum

This year's "Ice Cream Sunday" event at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum (Sept. 2) was expanded into a fine art and fine craft event (with ice cream) through a partnership with the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen. There are loads of beautiful photos on LVM's Facebook page and Jennifer MacNeill Photography shared a gorgeous bunch more. Enjoy (you'll have to supply your own ice cream)!

The End of Summer?

Please see last week's post for events and programs coming up between now and the end of the month. I've highlighted some of this weekend's events below.

See program listings below for more info

As I was paring the list of events to include below, I was struck that several of them included the end of special hours or tours that were in place for the summer. I guess I haven't been paying attention, but in lots of ways, the end of August signals the transition to fall. Even when you don't have kids in school, there is a distinct change felt around this time of year (and not just because the school buses return to interfere with my morning commute, dadgummit). But anyway, here are some items that I think may be of interest.

During the course of the spring and summer, the majority of sites on the PHMC's PA Trails of History signed up to be part of the "Museums for All" program, an initiative of the Association of Children's Museums and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Participating museums nationwide offer discounted general admission to people who present an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card along with ID. PHMC (see list of participating sites) set "Museums for All" admission at $2 per person. In the period from April through June, 126 people received discounted admission at 11 sites.

An article in the Scranton Times-Tribune included mention of Sarah Sporko, who is entering her senior year at Misericordia University. As a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program participant, Sarah spent the summer at the Anthracite Heritage Museum working with staff to prepare for an upcoming photography exhibit. She was supervised by Jennifer Black, Ph.D., assistant professor of history at Misericordia, and Bode Morin, Ph.D., site administrator at Anthracite Heritage. The photography exhibit is set to open in November (we'll keep you posted).

I mentioned in a previous post (I think) that 2018 is the 300th anniversary of Pennsylvania founder William Penn's death. To commemorate the event, Pennsbury Manor has been focusing on Penn's legacy with various programs, including an upcoming panel discussion and luncheon with Pennsylvania's current governor and several past governors. But Penn and Pennsbury have inspired others, as well. A recent Facebook post alerted me to The William Penn Story, a new musical production by Philadelphia's Brotherly Love Theatre Company (BLTC). BLTC describes the production as "an amalgamation of jazz, funk, hip-hop, rock, and 17th-century Quaker ideology...inspired by productions like 1776, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, and Hamilton: An American Musical...." The musical will be staged at Lemon Hill Mansion in Fairmount Park on Sept. 9, 13, 16, and 19 as part of the 2018 Philadelphia Fringe Festival.

The Brew House at Pennsbury Manor (via Facebook)

This weekend...

Bushy Run Battlefield
Aug. 25: Bushy Run Market—it's the 4th Saturday of the month, so that means a variety of vendors will be on site for your shopping enjoyment (more info on the website). Free for visitors and vendors. 8 am-noon.

Daniel Boone Homestead
Aug. 25: Lecture/demonstration—Revolutionary War interpreter Paul Trainor will present "18th-Century Medical Practices," which includes a display of period medical instruments. Included in regular admission. 2-4 pm.

Drake Well Museum
Aug. 25: Drake Day Circus—experience a traveling circus as it might have been during the height of the Pennsylvania oil boom (more info on Facebook event page). Admission charged. 10 am-4 pm.
Aug. 26: Historic Pithole Open—the visitor center will be open for the final time this season, so enjoy the orientation film and the excellent diorama that shows the town in its heyday. PLEASE NOTE that Pithole will be closed on Aug. 25 so that staff/volunteers can be at the Drake Day Circus. Admission charged. 10 am-4 pm.

Eckley Miners’ Village
Aug. 25: Back to School at Eckley—explore the village, visit the buildings, and take part in hands-on activities and a scavenger hunt as you go. Admission charged. 10 am-4 pm.

Hope Lodge
Aug. 26: Site open—enjoy the grounds and take a guided tour of the mansion. Admission charged. 12:30-4 pm (tours at 1:00 and 2:30 pm).

Pennsbury Manor
Aug. 26: Special programming—this week, Beer Brewing and Garden Highlights. Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.

Pennsylvania Military Museum
Aug. 25-26: Saturday and Sunday, the 1 pm guided tour is included in museum admission.

Somerset Historical Center
Aug. 25: History on a Hayride—hear local tales and explore the historical center grounds from your seat in a hay wagon. Two rides each day. Cost is $10 per person, $8 for members. 10 am-2 pm.

State Museum of Pennsylvania
Aug. 24: Summer Friday (last of the season)—general admission is "pay as you wish" today, 9 am to 5 pm. Curiosity Connection will have free timed tickets available. Art docents will be on hand in the "Art of the State" exhibit from 11 am to 1 pm. Regular fees apply for planetarium shows. From 12:15 to 12:45 pm, curator Janet Johnson will present a program on the archaeological excavations at Fort Hunter.

Welcome...Enjoy Your Visit

With a new month just around the corner, the August program page is up and running. Stay tuned for update posts on August 3 and August 17. Events scheduled for this weekend and next week are listed below.

This new kiosk welcomes Railroad Museum of PA visitors to Rolling Stock Hall and helps them find their way around the museum. The kiosk is part of a major project that is adding interpretive exhibits to the world class collection of railroad locomotives and other rolling stock (photo via Facebook)

Summer is the busiest time for most sites on the PHMC's PA Trails of History, with school tour seasons (fall and spring) close behind. People show up for special events and regularly scheduled guided and self-guided tours. Many sites have expanded hours during the late spring and summer to accommodate more visitors. Families of various shapes and sizes make sites a destination or stop in on their way to other vacation spots. This past month, I took note of quite a few social media posts about different ways visitors are experiencing our sites.

Staff, volunteers, and visitors harvest flax at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum (via Facebook)

In early July, Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum put out a call on social media for help with the annual flax harvest. This living history opportunity drew a great public response and provided lots of new hands to assist staff and regular volunteers with the work. The site reported that a visitor from England heard about the project while touring on one of the work days and returned in the evening to help. The helpers were well cared for and also visited the museum's textile exhibit building to take a break and learn how the flax plants they were harvesting would be turned into linen thread and cloth. The photos from the two work events are wonderful; I've shared one above, and you can find others in a photo album on Landis Valley's Facebook page.


Several Trails of History sites were visited in July by groups with an artistic interest in the landscape and buildings. In addition to Cornwall Iron Furnace in the post above (you can see some of the group's paintings in a follow-up post), Graeme Park and Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum also hosted plein air painters. Landis Valley was also the venue for a workshop taught by Jennifer MacNeill Photography.

Emergency vehicles in the parking lot at Ephrata Cloister, but everything was OK (via Facebook)

As part of emergency planning and preparedness, historic sites and museums often work with their local fire companies to familiarize first responders with their collections and historic structures. Earlier this month, more than 60 volunteers from the Pioneer, Akron, and Lincoln Fire Departments in Lancaster County visited Ephrata Cloister for a special training session. In addition to the training, it gave the site an opportunity to thank these volunteers for their service to the larger community.

Other special guests at Trails of History sites this month included: descendants of Dr. Joseph Priestley's brother Timothy at the doctor's home in Northumberland and PHMC's 2018 Keystone summer interns (some of them at least) at Conrad Weiser Homestead and Ephrata Cloister. (On a side note, Old Economy Village and Pennsylvania Lumber Museum posted photos of their summer interns for #NationalInternDay on July 26).

At the Anthracite Heritage Museum in Scranton, summer campers returned to open a time capsule that they had filled five years ago. Sarah Hofius Hall from the Times-Tribune covered the event and noted that the items in the capsule, which documented their craft projects, field trips, and other camp activities, brought back some memories for the students who attended (read Hall's article online). The camp has not been offered for several years, but it had an impact. Hall quotes Abby Robson, now 16, talking about her three years attending the camp: “It gave us all a sense of knowing where we came from.”

The week ahead...

Monday, July 30, marks the 300th anniversary of the death of William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania. As you probably know, PA Trails of History site Pennsbury Manor interprets Penn's multi-faceted legacy as well as what it was like to live and work on a late-17th- to early-18th-century estate. (Read about Penn's legacy in this article from Pennsylvania Heritage.) As part of the anniversary observance, Pennsbury will host a panel discussion and luncheon on September 29, featuring Gov. Tom Wolf and former governors Tom Ridge, Mark Schweiker, Ed Rendell, and Tom Corbett (read more from PhillyVoice.com). Tickets are available now on the Pennsbury Manor website. Proceeds from the event will support educational programs at the site.

Anthracite Heritage Museum
Aug. 1: Kids Summer Quest—the Lackawanna County Library System is bringing a Summer Quest to the museum. Visit the museum anytime between 10 am and 2 pm to take part in fun activities focused on this summer's music theme (more info on the library system website). Admission is free.

Bushy Run Battlefield
July 28: Bushy Run Market—this open air market features a changing variety of vendors. The concession stand will have drinks and light fare. Free for visitors and vendors. 8 am-noon.

Daniel Boone Homestead
Aug. 1: Sawmill demonstrations—the site's water-powered up-down sawmill will be demonstrated at 11 am and 2 pm.

Drake Well Museum and Park
July 28-29: Historic Pithole open. Admission charged. 10 am-4 pm.
July 28: Something More Saturday—in addition to the regular offerings, there will be hands-on activities for fun and learning. Included in regular admission. 10 am-3 pm.

Graeme Park
Aug. 2: Happy Hour with the Historian—Charlotte Filiciatto will present "The Quaker Response to the Civil War," exploring Graeme Park's Penrose family and their neighbors during the American Civil War. Admission is $5, free for members. Food and drink available for purchase starting at 6 pm; lecture starts at 7. UPDATE: this event is cancelled (per GP Twitter acct); there is another scheduled for Aug. 30 (see August program page for details).

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum
July 28-29: Civil War Weekend—the site is transformed into a rural Pennsylvania village during the Civil War, with reenactors portraying soldiers and civilians (more info). The event takes place rain or shine (online tickets are not refundable). Admission charged; tickets are available online from Brown Paper Tickets. Food will be available for purchase at the museum store. (Check out Landis Valley's Facebook page for posts on what to expect at the event.) 10 am-4 pm both days.

Pennsbury Manor
July 29: Special Sunday Programming—meet some of the animals that call Pennsbury home. Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
July 28: Trail Work Bee—as reported in the July 13 Trailheads post, the museum grounds now include the Webber Cabin, home to Bob and Dotty Webber for many years. Bob Webber was known for many things, among them his work to establish numerous hiking trails in Pennsylvania's forests. A new trail will connect the Webber Cabin to the museum's existing Sustainable Forestry Trail. The work to develop that trail is being done by hand and help is needed. If you are willing and able to assist, please call the museum at 814/435-2652 to sign up.

Somerset Historical Center
July 28: History on a Hayride—hear tales of local characters and enjoy the museum grounds (more info on the Facebook event page). Cost is $10 per person, $8 for members. 10 am-2 pm.

State Museum of Pennsylvania
July 27: Summer Fridays—Fridays are "Pay as You Wish" this summer during regular hours, 9 am-5 pm. Also today, 12:15-1:15 pm, staff from the Bureau of State Parks will present a Learn at Lunchtime program, "Discover PA Songbirds and Cavity-nesters."

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.)

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