Falling Into History

Fall foliage at the PA Lumber Museum in October 2021 (via PLM Facebook page)

You know fall is in the air when the calendar starts to show harvest and Halloween-themed events. Over the next month or so, we'll see changing colors on the trees, crisp air, and lots of lantern tours, ghost stories, pumpkins, and apples. It's my favorite time of year, I think. Some fall events require advance tickets, so please see the list of those events below the calendar for the coming week.

For those of you who like to gauge the best time to see fall color in PA, the Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources will begin tracking foliage this week. You can find weekly updates for 2022, along with foliage facts, suggested driving tours, and images from past years on DCNR's website (DCNR Fall Foliage Reports).

Up Next*

*Please note that calendar info is subject to change; we try to keep this up to date, but it's always best to check.

Saturday, October 1

• Erntedankfest Harvest Festival (in-person); Saturday and Sunday, 10 am-4 pm; Old Economy Village
• Celebrate the Fall harvest and many of the tasks needed to prepare for winter in the 19th century. Artisans will be cooking, baking, and demonstrating many different crafts and skills. Music, food, and family activities make this a great tradition. Regular admission charged (Harvest Festival info).

• Pithole Lantern Tours (in-person); 6:30-9:30 pm; Historic Pithole City
• Nighttime tours against the backdrop of the remaining elements of this historic oil boomtown. There are some steep hills and rugged terrain, so please dress accordingly. Advance tickets are required and may be purchased online or at the Museum Store at Drake Well Museum & Park (Lantern Tour online tickets).

Sunday, October 2

• Guided Sustainable Forestry Trail Walk (in-person); 9-10:30 am; PA Lumber Museum
• DCNR Forester Marshall Hamilton will lead a leisurely walk on the museum's Sustainable Forestry Trail, with a focus on working forests and sustainable forest management. Please meet at the rest area parking lot just off Route 6 at the museum entrance to join the walk (Forestry Walk info).

• Open Day (in-person); noon-4 pm; Conrad Weiser Homestead
• The Homestead will be open this afternoon, with guided tours available. Stop by and enjoy some fall weather with your history (CWH info).

• Historic Trades (in-person); 1-4 pm; Pennsbury Manor
• Historic trades demonstrators will be eager to talk as they showcase their skills. Included in regular admission (Historic Trades info).

Tuesday, October 4

• Sensory Hours (in-person); 3-5 pm; Railroad Museum of PA
• Reduced noise, light, and attendance plus quiet spaces when you want a break. Staff will be on hand to answer questions about several of the historic trains open for visitors. Advance tickets required (RMP Sensory Hours Oct. 4 tickets).

Wednesday, October 5

• Explore! (in-person); 11:30 am-12:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Explore things that are "gross" - fluids, polymers, and mucus. For kids in grades 3-5 and included in regular admission. Space is limited; sign up at the Ground Floor Info Desk when you arrive (Explore! info).

• History Trivia Night (in-person); 7-? pm; Langhorne, PA
• Pennsbury Manor is a sponsor for this event, along with Grundy Museum, Historic Fallsington, and the Friends of Washington Crossing Park. Four trivia categories will span the 17th to 20th centuries. Takes place at Aristaeus Craft Brewing Company (History Trivia Night info).

Thursday, October 6

• Family Gallery Tour: Paleontology (in-person); 11:30 am-12:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Museum educators will use hands-on fossils of plants and animals to teach about life on Earth from the Carboniferous Period to the present. Included in regular admission (Gallery Tour info).

Friday, October 7

• Apple Dumpling Sales (in-person); Friday & Saturday, times vary; Ephrata Cloister
• Purchase delicious locally made apple dumplings and support the Back to the Cloister Fund. Dumplings are $5 each; in-person sales are Friday from 10 am to 3 pm and Saturday from 9 am until dumplings are sold out. Prepaid orders of 10 or more dumplings can be placed online for pickup at the site, and delivery is available within 10 miles of Ephrata Cloister for orders of 20 or more dumplings (Ephrata website for details).

• StoryTime (in-person); 10:30-11:30 am; The State Museum of PA
• Read Bones, Bones, Dinosaur Bones by Byron Barton and learn how scientists get fossils to a museum, then make an imprint fossil to take home. For kids age 2 to pre-K and included in regular admission. Please sign up at the Ground Floor Info Desk when you arrive (StoryTime info).

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• Haunted History Hayride (in-person); Saturday, Oct. 8, 7-10 pm; Bushy Run Battlefield
• Visitors will tour the battlefield on hay wagons, with stops along the way where reenactors portray 18th-century characters. There may be ghosts and goblins lurking, so this tour may be too scary for children under the age of 4. Admission is $10 for age 13 and up, $5 for age 4-12, and includes entry to the Visitor Center and Museum; concessions will be available in the Stone Room. Rain date for this event is Oct. 22; in the event of inclement weather on the 22nd, there will be a Haunted History Tour through the museum (Haunted Hayride tickets).

• Garden Railway Tours (in-person); Sun., Oct. 9, 1-5 pm; Railroad Museum of PA
• Enjoy a self-guided tour of operating model trains in various outdoor and garden settings at 7 stops around Lancaster County. Masking and social distancing may be required or requested a venues. Tickets are $10 for ages 6 and up, available only via Eventbrite. Location info will be sent after you purchase your ticket (Garden Railway Tour tickets).

• The Farms of the Gettysburg Battlefield (virtual); Tues., Oct. 11, 7-8 pm; Cornwall Iron Furnace
• Tom Lehman will explore the stories of civilians in and around Gettysburg and how their lives were changed the Civil War battle on their doorsteps. Site administrator Mike Emery will moderate a brief discussion. The program is free, but you must register to receive the link (Gettysburg lecture registration).

• Lunch & Learn (in-person); Wed., Oct. 12, 10 am-2 pm; Graeme Park
• Jim Miller, retired professor of biology at Delaware Valley Univ., will present "Typhoid Mary, Irish Immigrant," exploring the misunderstood history of Mary Mallon and the social policies that resulted from the typhoid outbreak. Cost is $35 per person, which includes continental breakfast, lecture, lunch, and a tour of the Keith House (Lunch & Learn tickets).

• Sensory Friendly Visit (in-person); Wed., Oct. 12, 10 am-3 pm, and Sun., Oct. 16, 10 am-noon; PA Military Museum
• Background sound effects in the gallery will be turned off and volume on the orientation video will be reduced (captions always enabled). Standard admission rates apply. Register in advance for a timeslot; you can pay when you arrive (visit PMM website and select your preferred timeslot).

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual); Friday, Oct. 14, 12:15-12:45 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Maria Gorgo-Gourovitch, Penn State Extension educator, will talk about the history of mushroom farms in PA, their economic impact, current production data, crop production cycle, sustainability, and nutrition facts. The program is free, but you must register to get the link (Learn at Lunchtime registration).

• Sensory Hours (in-person); Tuesday, Oct. 18, 9-11 am; Railroad Museum of PA
• Reduced noise, light, and attendance plus quiet spaces when you want a break. Staff will be on hand to answer questions about several of the historic trains open for visitors. Advance tickets required (RMP Sensory Hours Oct. 18 tickets).

• Revolutionary Speaker Series (in-person); Tues., Oct. 18, 7-9 pm; Brandywine Battlefield Park
• Historian, author, and teacher Michael C. Harris will present "Germantown: A Military History of the Battle for Philadelphia," which occurred on October 4, 1777. Tickets are $20 (Rev Speaker Series info and tickets).

• Harvest, Death & Renewal (in-person); Friday, Oct. 21, 6:30-8:30 pm; Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum
• This program explores traditions of the PA Germans, including funeral and burial customs, powwowing, healing, and hexes. Recommended for adults and older teens, the event involves two hours of walking around a cemetery and the Museum grounds. Please wear weather-appropriate clothing and shoes and bring a flashlight. Tickets are $28 per person; reservations are required (Harvest, Death & Renewal info and tickets).

• Haunted Lantern Tours (in-person); Friday, Oct. 21, 7-10 pm; Graeme Park
• Tour the Keith House by lantern light and learn the ghost stories. Tours last approximately 40 minutes. Tickets are available online at $10, with option for a mini-paranormal investigation for an additional $15. Event also takes place Oct. 28 (Graeme Park Lantern Tours info and tickets).

• Halloween Lantern Tours (in-person); Saturday, Oct. 22, 6:30-9:30 pm; Hope Lodge
• This immersive tour investigates a claim of witchcraft, which was outlawed in Pennsylvania from 1718 until the 1750s. Tours are outdoors, rain or shine, and are recommended for ages 7 and up. Please be prepared for uneven ground and bring a flashlight. Tours will be limited to 10 guests at a time and will run every half hour from 6:30 to 9:30 (Hope Lodge Lantern Tours info and tickets).

Thinking About History

Looking for online events? Visit the new calendar on the PHMC website to find info about Trails of History programs. For virtual offerings available 24/7, visit the Trailheads Rec Room pages (to the right of your screen).

Rapp House Garden at Old Economy Village, October 2019 (photo AKF)

This has been a relatively quiet week for me (i.e. only one online meeting), and I've been able to catch up on and digest some of the sessions I watched (and some I missed) during the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) virtual conference. The theme of the conference was "What Kind of Ancestor Will You Be?" and sessions explored the work of museums and historic sites to better reflect and serve their communities. I've also had time to reflect on some of the work we're doing at PHMC to advance our Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) initatives and all the resource gathering I've worked on with my colleagues. There are many downsides to our sites and offices being closed, but an unexpected upside (for me anyway) has been the ability to have online conversations with staff across the agency and across the state. Bureaucratic lines have blurred somewhat, and I sense a stronger collective purpose around telling a more inclusive story of Pennsylvania. Will it be easy? No. Will we ever be finished? No, it's a journey. But I think (and hope) there's a new collaborative energy that can make a huge difference.

So as I basked in the chance to think this week, AASLH released the report of the first phase of their "Framing History with the American Public" project. Funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the project has three major goals: "1) to identify the gaps between experts' and the public's understanding of what history is and why it's valuable to society; 2) to develop and test new communcation strategies for solving those challenges; and 3) to create and deploy tools and resources to train history professionals in all sectors of our field to communicate more effectively with the public." The report, "Communicating about History: Challenges, Opportunities, and Emerging Recommendations," is available online.

"The brief notably uncovers the implicit connections that exist between privilege, power, and historical knowledge in US public thinking. It shows how mainstream historical narratives are often considered the default, while narratives of historically oppressed peoples are seen as 'optional' for many in the US public; and how people in positions of privilege tend to use their comfort level to determine what to learn and what to ignore about past injustices and trauma." ("Communicating about History: Challenges, Opportunities and Emerging Recommendations," page 2)

That's not the only finding in the report, but I think it's one of the most challenging. It speaks to something deeply ingrained and forces us (whether we're practitioners or consumers of history) to confront our "comfort levels" as we may not have done before. (One definition of privilege is "the stuff you don't have to think about.") I don't have any blinding insights on this, but I'm letting it simmer.

Fall color at Drake Well Museum and Park (photo via Facebook)

Honoring Indigenous History

In addition to the AASLH virtual conference, last week I also attended a webinar presented by the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) called "Elevating Indigenous Voices and Stories in Interpretation." The webinar featured interpreters and other staff from California State Parks, which has entered into an agreement with the Yurok Tribe that removes some of the barriers to the Yurok people's traditional uses of their ancestral lands. These lands include what is now Patrick's Point State Park (Trinidad, CA) and a reconstructed Yurok village that is interpreted to the public. The conversation was quite emotional at times and conveyed the power of people being able to tell their community's stories in their own way. I recommend this webinar to anyone interested in historic sites and the tremendous possibilities of historical interpretation; you can find it on NAI's Facebook page.

"You can't give people a voice. You can only silence yourself and let them speak." (Skip Lowry, CA State Parks interpreter at Sumeg Village and Yurok tribal member)

Closer to home, The State Museum of Pennsylvania's Virtual Workshops in Archaeology continue today and the next two Fridays, with online lectures around the theme "The Delaware Indians: Then and Now." Check The State Museum's Facebook page for details.

The Week Ahead

Photo courtesy Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

On Tuesday, Oct. 13, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania starts a three-part virtual education series, "STEAM on the Rails" (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics). This week's sessions feature Chris O'Brien (Railroad Museum) on steam locomotives (10-10:30 am); Liz Bleacher (Girl Scouts in the Heart of PA) with an art program (10:30-11 am); Jennifer Kreszswick from Operation Lifesaver talking about railroad safety (2-2:30 pm); and Josh Roth (PA Lumber Museum) explaining logging equipment and simple machine concepts (2:30-3 pm). Tickets are by donation, and you must register to get the Zoom link. More sessions follow on Oct. 20 and 27, featuring Railroad Museum staff and staff from Anthracite Heritage Museum/Eckley Miners' Village, Drake Well Museum and Park, and Cornwall Iron Furnace. For details and to register, visit the Eventbrite page for this program.

According to this week's Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) foliage report, the coming week has most of the state at peak or near-peak fall color.

With funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (via PHMC), Eckley Miners' Village Associates are hiring a Project Manager/Fundraiser (one-year contract with possibility of renewal) to develop a sustainable new business model and management plan for the site. The person hired with work closely with PHMC staff, including the State Historic Preservation Office and Division of Architecture and Preservation. For a full project description and application instructions, visit Eckley's website. Deadline to apply is November 16, 2020 (contract begins January 1, 2021).

Photo via Bushy Run Battlefield Facebook page

Bushy Run Battlefield's popular Fall Tea will be mostly virtual this year. They are currently (through Oct. 24 or until sold out) accepting orders for their "Take Home Tea" package, which includes tea, baked goods, and a cup and saucer. Take Home Tea packages will be available for pick-up between 9 and 11 am on Nov. 7; there will be an online program for participants that afternoon. Visit the Facebook event for details.
 

Picture This!

Last week's post listed events through next Thursday (May 16) and the full May program page will take you to the end of the month.

Also, don't forget that next week (May 13-19) is @MuseumWeek, an international social media event with daily hashtags and a chance to share with museums worldwide.

You know what they say. I'm saving the thousand words and sharing these images of recent events and happenings on the Trails of History. Also, in what can best be called a "quirky" move, I've added a feature to the About Us section (to your right) called "PHMC Historical Marker Watch" where I can save Facebook posts, tweets, etc. that feature PHMC's blue and gold historical markers. I've noticed that lots of folks use those markers in images of other things to denote that the content is about history. So, to amuse myself if no one else, I decided to start gathering them in one place. There are only two entries on the page as of now, but I'll build as we go. Feel free to add your own examples in the comments. (UPDATE: It's not just me! Yay! Karen Galle, who oversees the PHMC Historical Marker program, pointed me to Laura Klotz's blog, "Marker Quest," that is focused on the markers.)

Photo provided by PA Lumber Museum

Earlier this week, while in the PA Wilds for various meetings, Cindy Adams Dunn, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), stopped by the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum. Dunn (third from right in the photo above) had a chance to visit the Webber Cabin. The relocation of Bob and Dotty Webber's cabin to the museum grounds was made possible by the work and cooperation of many people, including staff from DCNR, PHMC, and the Lumber Museum (site administrator Josh Roth is second from left in the photo) as well as volunteers and board members from the PA Lumber Museum Associates (a Trailheads post from July 2018 has more info). The working relationship between DCNR and the Lumber Museum/PHMC has been extraordinarily productive and has involved all aspects of operations, from structures and trails to exhibits and public programs. Secretary Dunn and other DCNR staff also had a brief tour of the museum's award-winning core exhibit, "Choices and Challenges in Pennsylvania's Forests" (photo below).

Staff and volunteers from Cornwall Iron Furnace took a field trip to the Berks Heritage Center, Canal Museum, and the Gruber Wagon Works to check out how other industrial history sites tell their stories (via Facebook)

Civilian and military reenactors took part in the PA Military Museum's recent Civil War encampment event (more photos of the Civil War event and photos of the World War I event are available on Facebook)

I'll leave you with the following video about a recent project featuring music composed at the Ephrata Cloister. It's about 5 minutes long and well worth your time (you can also go directly to YouTube to watch it).

The Things We Save - Lumber Edition

Be sure to check last week's post for events coming up between today and July 19 or the July program page if you're planning further ahead.

To see additional photos from the Bark Peelers' Festival, I've saved some on a separate page or visit the PA Lumber Museum's Facebook page.

One of the steam engines that powers the PA Lumber Museum's sawmill (photo AKF - I thought it looked cool as a black and white photo so I converted it)

I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that my visit to the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum's Bark Peelers' Festival last weekend was my first time at this long-standing annual event. It won't be my last, I hope. I am always inspired by the work of my colleagues at PHMC's historic sites and museums, staff and volunteers. These major public events, however, are a reminder of the tremendous effort that goes into welcoming visitors and showcasing the gems that make up the PA Trails of History. Gorgeous weather aside, it was a treat to see all the activity on site and to experience the sawmill in operation. I had seen video and photos but to be there in person and feel the rumble of all the machinery (steam engines below and various saws on the main floor) was something new.

Sawmill equipment in operation for Bark Peelers' Festival visitors (photo AKF)

The festival is inspired by the bark peelers' "conventions" of the late 19th and early 20th centuries where loggers and others got together to celebrate the Fourth of July and compete in tests of skill. Among the many activities are blacksmithing demonstrations and displays of "woodhick" skills by Bill Simcox and family. The full program from the festival is available online and I highly recommend it for reading more about the event, the museum, and the history of logging and forest management.

Demonstration of a two-man crosscut saw (photo AKF)

A special part of this year's Bark Peelers' Festival was the dedication of the Bob and Dotty Webber Cabin, built in 1961 overlooking Pine Creek (near Slate Run). The Webbers lived "off the grid" in this cabin, but as one of the museum board members who knew them told me, they were far from isolated. Bob Webber was instrumental in building forest and hiking trails throughout the region and inspired many current and former staff of the PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). (You can read more about this project of the museum's website.) The Webbers received lots of visitors at their 500-square foot cabin and are fondly remembered by family and friends. Bob Webber passed away in 2015, and there was considerable concern about what would happen to the now-uninhabited cabin. A joint venture between DCNR and the PA Lumber Museum, the PA Lumber Museum Associates (PALMA), and PHMC resulted in the cabin's disassembly at its original location and reconstruction on the grounds of the Lumber Museum.

Speakers at the cabin dedication included PA Lumber Museum site administrator Josh Roth (left) and PHMC executive director Andrea Lowery (center) (photo AKF)

Speakers at the ribbon-cutting ceremony spoke movingly about the Webbers and their impact on Pennsylvania's forests and the people who spend time in them. Plans for the cabin include the installation of exhibit panels to tell more of the story of forest stewardship, forest recreation, and ways all of us can help save the forests (and other parts of our environment) for future generations. During his remarks, Jim Hyland, a forest program specialist with DCNR who was one of the guiding forces behind this project, talked about the process of moving the cabin. As part of clearing the cabin from its original site, the team sorted through items that had been left in a shed. Among the finds were two pairs of well-worn boots that had belonged to Bob and Dotty Webber. Placed in the cabin after the ribbon was cut and visitors were allowed in, these boots were tangible reminders of the people who built the cabin with their own hands and lived in it for decades. And, for me, they were also a reminder of the power of objects to help us tell stories about the past, the present, and the future. I'd like to thank everyone who made this project possible and all the people who came out to show their support. It was an inspiring moment that I hope will continue to resonant for others as it does for me.

And with that, I'll leave you with Bob and Dotty's boots...

National Get Outdoors Day

The June program page has info on events and activities on the Trails of History through the end of the month.

Retired forester Stan Hess leads a wildflower walk on the PA Lumber Museum's Sustainable Forestry Trail, May 2017 (via Facebook)

Tomorrow, June 10, is National Get Outdoors Day. I know, it snuck up on me too. Always does. I read about it in the electronic newsletter of the PA Parks and Forests Foundation. I was reminded of a tourism study from last year (I think) that showed that people who like to do outdoor activities also seem to really like exploring history (going to historic sites, etc.).

And that made me think about how many sites on the PA Trails of History offer some of both to the public. Many of our sites have beautiful grounds and parkland that people enjoy just for the sake of being outdoors. They may not even think about the history nearby. And many of our sites are looking for ways to gently remind those folks about the work and investment (of public and private dollars) it takes to maintain the grounds and preserve the history. But I digress.

Increasingly, staff and volunteers at PHMC sites are working with colleagues at state parks, which are part of the PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), to provide the public with experiences that satisfy or nurture historical curiosity alongside an appreciation of nature and of sustainable ways to interact with nature. (You may know that in early 2016, Washington Crossing Historic Park formally moved from PHMC's portfolio to DCNR's although it remains part of the PA Trails of History.) Recently, two programs came across my radar that reflect the cooperation between the two agencies.

Spring at Eckley (via Facebook)

Last Thursday, as part of a program series geared to older adults and retirees, staff from Nescopeck State Park in Luzerne County teamed up with staff from Eckley Miners' Village. Attendees toured the village, learning about the history of anthracite mining, life in a patch town, and features of the natural landscape. Eckley has also been working to regularly interpret (through graphics panels on the grounds) natural features and the geology of coal, as well as attracting outdoor enthusiasts using the newly expanded Rails-to-Trails project connecting the village to Hazleton.

In late May, 73 students from Northern Potter Middle School visited the PA Lumber Museum. A Facebook post by the school district recounted that the students "toured the museum and the grounds and learned about lumber uses and the history of the lumber industry in Pennsylvania. They learned how foresters use different types of maps to make forestry decisions as well." Museum staff report that the students were really engaged and interested. The group then moved on to Lyman Run State Park, where they participated in hands-on activities to learn about logging methods and how loggers floated logs downstream. In addition, they assisted the museum with testing out a raft-building exercise for an upcoming summer camp program. (Photos of all of these activities are in the School District's Facebook post.)

In a different vein, The State Museum of PA's popular Story Time program moved outside last week to take advantage of some tree-shaded areas outside the museum.

It’s a great day to read outside – especially when you’re reading the #PAOneBook #DanielFindsAPoem! 📚☀️ @PAPromise @StateMuseumPA pic.twitter.com/Kcc1WEc7sq

— PA Dept of Education (@PADeptofEd) June 2, 2017

Outdoor special events planned for June 10 are listed below. There are many more opportunities to be outdoors on the Trails of History (check the June program listing for more info):

Fort Pitt Museum
Living History Series—today's focus is the Ft. Pitt Fife and Drum Corps. Noon-4 pm.

Old Economy Village
Saturday Spotlight—19th-century Foodways: Bread-baking and Cooking. Included in regular admission, so please start at the Visitor Center. 10 am-5 pm.

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
Youth and Family Field Day—this event, which runs 9 am-4 pm, is geared for students between the ages of 10 and 16, accompanied by an adult family member. Qualified instructors will teach a variety of outdoor skills: Wildlife Identification, Turkey Lore/Calling, Archery, Pellet Shooting, Astronomy (observing the sun through a special telescope), Fly Casting, Trapping, and Tree Identification. Thanks to sponsorships, this event is free, but registration is required. Registration closed yesterday, so if you're interested you must call TODAY, June 9, to see if space is available.

Washington Crossing Historic Park
Historical and Nature-related Programs—environmental educator Katie Scott will lead a river's edge bird-watching session, 8:30-9:30 am (meet at the visitor center), and staff from Bucks County Library (Yardley branch) will offer storytime and a nature activity for kids of all ages, 2:30-3:30 pm in the picnic area across from the visitor center (visit Washington Crossing's events page for more information.

Updated info - additional outdoor opportunities on the Trails of History:

Ephrata Cloister is participating in the Ephrata Public Library's "Get Outdoors" program, as one of the stops on the program's landmarks scavenger hunt. Kids and their families use a map to visit parks and other outdoor venues in and around Ephrata. Each stop has a post with a metal symbol on top that is used to make a rubbing on the map. Ephrata Cloister's post represents a post office. For more information visit the project website.