ICYMI: St. Patrick's Day on the Trails of History

Since this blog posts on Fridays (and is usually compiled by Wednesday), I wasn't able to share any of the St. Patrick's Day content that was posted by sites on the PA Trails of History. So in case you missed it, here are some of my favorites. Please don't forget to scroll down to see a list of upcoming events.



Image description: Front page of the March 17, 1936, edition of The Moore's Run Bugler, newsletter from CCC Camp S-134. A detailed line drawing of St. Patrick with flowing robe, bishop's miter, and crook takes up most of the page. There are snakes at St. Pat's feet and a castle in the background. The word "Bugler" is at the top of the page and "Saint Patricks Number" in script runs down the left side (PA Lumber Museum Facebook post). For a taste of PA Lumber Museum humor, see the March 17, 2021, entry in the curator's blog series "What chainsaw did that movie use?" featuring the 1995 horror film, Leprechaun 3.


Image description: Curator's Corner post shows the front of a St. Patrick's Day birthday card with shamrocks across the top and a poem that reads "Your Birthday is on St. Patrick's Day. Not only St. Patrick is honored, This day when honor is due, But we celebrate Somebody's birthday, A very nice somebody - you." The text of the post notes that "Got on Mar. 17, 1925" is written in pencil on the back (Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum Facebook post).


Image description: An 18th-century portrait of William West, third owner of Hope Lodge, who was born in County Sligo, Ireland. He is dressed in a dark suit with breeches, a waistcoat, and jacket; the cuffs and collar of a white shirt show at his wrist and neck. His hair is powdered or he is wearing a powdered wig. A young girl with brown hair wearing a short-sleeved gown stands at his knee (Hope Lodge Facebook post).


Image description: A 19th-century cream-colored pearlware teapot with three rows of green shamrocks painted on the side. The shape of the handle resembles an Irish harp. Text notes that the teapot was found, almost complete, in a trash pit excavated at a site in Philadelphia (State Museum of PA Facebook post with link to "This Week in Pennsylvania Archaeology" blog post dated March 18, 2022).

Up Next

Today, March 24

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual); 12:15-12:45 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Mark Hand, director, and Matt Reis, deputy director, will provide an overview of Pennsylvania's GreenGov Program and its climate goals for state agencies. The program is free, but you must register to receive the link (3/24 Learn at Lunchtime registration).

Saturday, March 25

• PA Fossils (in-person); 10:30-11:30 am and 1:30-2:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Learn more about the fossils found in Pennsylvania and make a "fossil" to take home. Included in regular admission (Fossil program info).

Wednesday, March 29

• Explore! (in-person); 11:30 am-12:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Come explore and experiment with magnets and discover their history, uses, and how they work. For grades 3 to 5 and included in regular admission. Space is limited, so sign up at the Ground Floor Info Desk (Explore! info).

Thursday, March 30

• Winter History Class (virtual); 9 am-noon; Ephrata Cloister
• This is the final class for 2023. Today's presentations are "The Gift of a Coat, Not Just Any Coat" with site administrator Elizabeth Bertheaud and "The Curator's Favorite Things," with Kerry Mohn. If you didn't sign up for the full series, you can attend this session via Zoom only (register for March 30 session).

• Wisdom & Wine (in-person); 5:30-8 pm; Drake Well Museum & Park
• Joe Lichtinger and Steve Lencer will present "Stray Gas Migration Investigations in Northwest Pennsylvania." Admission charged. Doors open at 5:30 pm (wine tasting available from Brokenstraw Valley Winery); lecture begins at 6:30 pm (Wisdom & Wine info).

• Equality of Quaker Women in the Late 17th and Early 18th Century (virtual); 7-8 pm; Hope Lodge
• Sarah Rudich will present a brief glimpse into what roles and responsibilities Quaker women had in their communities. From primary source documentation, letters, journals, and meeting records, we will get a high-level peek into this early established equality movement. The event is free; please reserve your spot to receive the link (Equality of Quaker Women lecture info and registration).

Friday, March 31

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual); 12:15-12:45 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Fine arts curator Amy Hammond will be in conversation with 2022 Art of the State Purchase Award winner Matthew Coté. This virtual program is free, but you must register to receive the link (3/31 Learn at Lunchtime registration).

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• Rails & Ales 2023 (in-person); Saturday, Apr. 1, 5:30-9 pm; Railroad Museum of PA
• Taste craft beers among the museum's world-class collection of historic trains in Rolling Stock Hall. Must be age 21 or older to attend; photo ID required at the door. Advance tickets only; VIP tickets are sold out (ticket options, including designated driver tickets).

• Easter Egg Hunt (in-person); Sunday, Apr. 2, Noon-3 pm; Old Economy Village
• Children age 10 and under are invited to hunt for Easter eggs in the village and visit with the Easter Bunny. The event is free, but you must register in advance (Egg Hunt info and registration).

• The Little Saw Mill Run Railroad (in-person); Wednesday, Apr. 12, 6-7:30pm; Old Economy Village
• David Aitken will present a talk based on his book, The Little Saw Mill Run Railroad - Its Life & Legacy, including an exploration of the Harmony Society's role in the company. The program is free, but seating is limited (Saw Mill Run Railroad program registration).

• Revolutionary Speaker Series (in-person); Saturday, Apr. 15, Noon-2 pm; Brandywine Battlefield Park
• Friederike Baer, associate professor of history at Penn State Abingdon, will present "Hessians: German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War," exploring the estimated 30,000 German soldiers hired to fight for the British. Tickets are $20 (Rev Speaker Series tickets).

• Lunch & Learn (in-person); Wednesday, Apr. 26, 10 am-2 pm; Graeme Park
• Author C.J. McGroarty will discuss her novel, Clara in a Time of War, which is set on a Chester County farm in 1777. The program also includes continental breakfast, buffet lunch, and tours of the Keith House. Tickets are $35 (Lunch & Learn program info and tickets).

• Behind the Scenes with the Heirloom Seed Project (in-person); Saturday, Apr. 29, 9 am and 1 pm; Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum
• Heirloom Seed Project staff and volunteers will offer a glimpse into preparations for the annual Herb & Garden Faire and lead a tour of gardens on the site. Two tour times: 9 am or 1 pm. The tour is two hours of walking around the museum grounds, rain or shine; please dress for the weather with comfortable footwear. Tickets are $40, $35 for members (Heirloom Seed Project tour tickets).

• Art in the Garden (in-person); Saturday, Apr. 29, 10 am-1 pm; Pennsbury Manor
• Take a tour of Pennsbury's gardens and grounds, then settle into your favorite spot and paint. All skill levels welcome; materials provided. Cost is $35, $30 for members. Registration required (Pennsbury Manor contact info).

Summer Camp Programs (camps are in-person unless marked otherwise)

• Brandywine Battlefield Park (Brandywine camp info)
• Live the Battle Week (grades 3-4), June 27-30, 9 am-2 pm
• Step Into the Past Week (grades 3-4), July 11-14, 9 am-2 pm
• Live the Battle Week (grades 5-6), July 18-21, 9 am-2 pm
• Step Into the Past Week (grades 5-6), July 25-28, 9 am-2 pm

• Drake Well Museum & Park (Drake Well camp info)
• Discovery Days Camp (ages 8-12), July 6, 13, 20 & 27, 9 am-4 pm

• Pennsbury Manor (Pennsbury camp info)
• Colonial Camp Week (ages 6-8), July 17-21, 9 am-4 pm

A Summer Well Spent

From left: the Yellow Barn, Erisman House, and Tavern (photo from Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum Facebook page)

[Editor's note: This is the second installment of a guest post by Keystone Intern Claire DeVinney. A junior at Millersville University majoring in Atlantic World Studies and minoring in Spanish, Claire spent her summer at Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum assisting curator Jennifer Royer with collections care and interpretation. In last week's post, Claire wrote about some research materials related to World War II. Today's post focuses on two exhibits she developed for the museum's Collections Gallery display windows. There is a separate page with additional photos from Claire's work this summer. Stay tuned at the bottom of this post for more info on Trails of History interns and a link to the list of events coming up in the week ahead.]

As an intern for the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, I have had the privilege of learning about the behind-the-scenes museum work at Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum. Like most museums, only a small percentage of Landis Valley's collection is on display. The rest of the artifacts are in one of Landis Valley's four storage buildings. With over 150,000 objects in the collection, some items are very rarely or never included in one of Landis Valley's rotating exhibits. [You can find many of PHMC's collections online via our website.]

View into the Collections Gallery before the shelves are filled (photo Claire DeVinney)

To make the collection more accessible to the public, Landis Valley's main collections gallery has a glass wall so that visitors can see objects that are in open storage. The collections gallery also has four banks of shelves to serve as mini exhibits. While Landis Valley's main Visitor Center exhibit is replaced every 2-3 years, the collections gallery shelf exhibits are changed every year. This allows for a constant rotation of artifacts and increases the amount of the museum's collection that is accessible for visitors to see and learn from.

Traditionally, it is the job of Landis Valley's interns to set up the collections gallery exhibit windows. I chose a theme for each of my two sets of shelves.

Three wooden cowboy carvings by artist Larkin Scull (photo Claire DeVinney)

In the first exhibit window, I focused on the works of folk artist Larkin Scull (1892-1966). Scull grew up on a southeastern Pennsylvania farm, and much of the wood carvings he created reflect his familiarity with hunting and agriculture. Many of his works depict livestock or people completing agricultural chores. His works also reflect the popular culture of the 1940s and 1950s. Scull created carvings of cowboys, horse racing, boxing, two statuesque depictions of George Washington, and a stunning five-and-half-foot long Anheuser-Busch Budweiser wagon complete with eight Clydesdales.

Because Scull carved figures from his own world of southeastern Pennsylvania, his body of work is like a time capsule of the period when Landis Valley's founders, Henry and George Landis, were collecting artifacts to preserve the Pennsylvania German agricultural way of life.

Horse and cattle powder containers from the Newcomer veterinary collection (photo Claire DeVinney)

The second exhibit window features items from the veterinary office of Dr. Ezra Newcomer, from nearby Mount Joy, Pennsylvania. Before Dr. Newcomer passed away in 1960, he was Lancaster County's oldest veterinarian. He earned his degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Pennsylvania in 1899. While sorting through the tools and items from his office, I came across his diploma and his Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association membership plaque. Identifying some of Dr. Newcomer's medical tools was a lesson in veterinary technology. Some of his implements, like a scale or tattoo pliers, were instantly recognizable, and look virtually identical to a tool a veterinarian might use today.

Other tools required a lot of research to identify--luckily, the collection included some of Dr. Newcomer's notes that I could consult for research assistance. I included a mixture of familiar and unfamiliar tools in the exhibit window to give visitors a sense of how veterinary medicine is different now than it was in the early 20th century and how it is the same.

Learning more about artifacts like these has made me more interested in history and more grateful for my experiences as an intern at Landis Valley. The opportunities I have had this summer have been rewarding and educational and have strengthened my appreciation for the institutions that preserve the past.

[I want to thank Claire and all of our PHMC summer interns for their hard work and wish them well in whatever lies ahead. Read about other intern projects and activities:

• Lydia Peifer, also at Landis Valley, organized a case exhibit on games
• Victoria Abramczuk worked with site administrator Mike Emery to record a presentation on her research into enslaved workers at Cornwall Iron Furnace
• PA State Historic Preservation Office intern Jacob Hockenberry blogged about his work with the PA Agricultural History Project and Sarah Hoffeditz wrote about the Mapping, Assistance, Resources, and Survey (MARS) project that took her to five Trails of History sites
• Abigail Sholes, Keystone intern at the Railroad Museum of PA, was featured in a post about the Public Heritage Studies program at Elizabethtown College
• Numerous Facebook posts welcomed or bid farewell to site interns and celebrated National Intern Day at Anthracite Heritage Museum and Eckley Miners' Village, Bushy Run Battlefield, Drake Well Museum & Park, Ephrata Cloister, The State Museum of PA

The list of Trails of History events in the coming week is on a separate page today.]

Snapshots of World War II

Front page of Aug. 20, 1942, Reading Eagle (Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum collection, photo by Claire DeVinney)

Editor's note: Today's guest blogger is Claire DeVinney, a junior at Millersville University majoring in Atlantic World Studies and minoring in Spanish. Claire was one of this summer's PHMC Keystone Interns and worked at Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum assisting curator Jennifer Royer with collections care and interpretation. One of her assignments was to create two exhibits for the museum's Collections Gallery display windows. As part of her research, Claire ran across an old newspaper that featured news of World War II, including significant events that occurred 80 years ago today. Given the timeliness of the info, I decided to feature that part of Claire's post today. Next week's post will focus on Claire's description of the two exhibits she prepared.

While looking through the Dr. Ezra Newcomer veterinary collection, I found a copy of the Reading Eagle from August 20th, 1942 (pictured above), which is eighty years ago this week. Most of the stories are focused on World War II, specifically on an attack on the German-held French town of Dieppe, which occurred on August 19th. The lead article, titled "Allies Map Europe Invasion Based on Commando Tactics," explains what Allied forces learned from the Dieppe invasion: "...it proved that a second front can be opened in the west." The Allies did utilize lessons from the Dieppe raid to open a front in France two years later with the D-Day invasion on June 6th, 1944. [Read more about the raid on Dieppe from the National WWII Museum website.]

While the front page details memorable historical events, the Reading Eagle also shows ways that local civilians contributed to the domestic war effort. One article, "Blood Donations Continue Here," reports that the Red Cross mobile blood-donor unit planned to increase monthly visits to Reading after the military announced a need for 3,000,000 pints of blood. Reading residents evidently rose to the occasion -- after the announcement, 50% of donors committed to more donation appointments. Another article explains how women could apply to join the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, or "WAVES," the navy's female division. As a visual illustration, the Eagle includes a photo of a WAVE volunteer applicant having a dental exam (see below). A third article cheerfully points out the bright side of gasoline rationing: "Tire and gasoline rationing has cut Pennsylvania's highway fatality toll...Speeding has fallen off 'noticeably,' [state motor police commissioner Col. Lynn G.] Adams said, expressing a belief it was due to a 'desire to conserve rubber and gasoline.'"

Source: Reading Eagle, August 20, 1942 (Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum collection)

On a related note, the Pennsylvania Military Museum has several World War II-themed events coming up in the next few months: Kids Day: Fun on the Homefront (Aug. 27); Battle of the Huertgen Forest (lecture, Oct. 8); Holiday on the Homefront (Nov. 19 & 20); and Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Tribute (Dec. 7). - AKF

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.

Today, August 19

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual); 12:15-12:45 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Chris Kemmerer from the PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources will present a virtual program about PA's state parks. The program is free; please register to receive the link (Learn at Lunchtime info and registration).

Saturday, August 20

• Games Day (in-person); 9 am-4:30 pm; Bushy Run Battlefield
• A variety of historical miniature war games will be offered for experienced gamers, beginners, and folks in between. Admission is $5 and includes museum admission and a battlefield tour. Food and drink will be available for purchase (Games Day info).

• Family Fun Day (in-person); 10 am-4 pm; Brandywine Battlefield Park
• The day includes house tours, carpentry and blacksmithing demos, colonial cooking and dancing, food trucks, and more. Free admission. (Family Day info).

• Model Railroading Days (in-person); 10 am-4 pm Saturday & noon-4 pm Sunday; Railroad Museum of PA
• Watch the world of operating model trains in action and see static displays from a variety of participating groups and clubs. Don't miss the PA Middle Division HO-scale layout or the PA Landscapes layout. Included in regular admission (Model Railroading Days info).

• StoryTime (in-person); 10:30-11:30 am; The State Museum of PA
• Today's book is Tea Rex by Molly Idle. Feel free to wear your best tea party hat or helmet. For kids age 2 to pre-K and included in regular admission. Sign up at the Ground Floor Info Desk when you arrive (SMOP StoryTime info).

• Lecture (in-person); 1-2 pm; PA Lumber Museum
• Lenora Henson, deputy director and curator at the Theodore Roosevelt Inauguration Site, will present "The Green Team: Theodore Roosevelt & Gifford Pinchot," exploring the personal and professional relationships that shaped their conservation efforts and their legacies (Green Team info).

Sunday, August 21

• Open Hearth Cooking Demo (in-person); 1-4 pm; Pennsbury Manor
• The cooks will be preparing their favorite recipes that use the bounty of the summer harvest. Included in regular admission (Cooking Demo info).

Tuesday, August 23

• Garden Workshop Series (in-person); 10-11 am; Pennsbury Manor
• Join Pennsbury's gardener to learn about 17th-century and modern gardening skills - today's topic is Seed Saving. The workshop is open to visitors age 12 and older; cost is $20 per session. Registration is required; call 215/946-0400 to reserve your spot (Aug. 23 Garden workshop info).

• Sensory Hours (in-person); 3-5 pm; Railroad Museum of PA
• Light, noise, and crowd levels will be reduced, and there will be some quiet spaces if you need a break from the activity. A few of the historic trains will be open, with staff on hand to answer questions. Advance tickets required (Aug. 23 Sensory Hours tickets).

Wednesday, August 24

• Family Gallery Tour: Mammal Hall (in-person); 11:30 am-12:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Using hands-on objects, museum educators will help visitors explore the Mammal Hall dioramas together. Included in regular admission (Mammal Hall Gallery Tour info).

Thursday, August 25

• Storytime in the Garden (in-person); 10-11 am; Pennsbury Manor
• Enjoy a story with the gardener, then explore the grounds. Suggested for ages 4 to 8, but all are welcome. Cost is $3, which is a grounds pass; additional fee to tour the Manor House (Pennsbury Storytime info).

• Curiosity Kids (in-person); 11:30 am-12:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Learn about ice cream and PA's story of the banana split. Create and taste some hand-cranked ice cream. For kids in grades K-2 and included in regular admission. Space is limited; please sign up at the Ground Floor Info Desk when you arrive (Curiosity Kids info).

• Parade of Sails (in-person); 4-6 pm; Erie Maritime Museum & U.S. Brig Niagara
• This free event kicks off the Tall Ships Erie 2022 weekend (best spots to watch according to Erie News). Ticketed events run Aug. 26-28 and include a variety of activities and ticket options (Tall Ships Erie info and tickets).

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• 12th Annual Crush & Brew (in-person); Sat., Sept. 10, 5-9 pm; Old Economy Village
• Wine & beer from local breweries, home brews, and more, as well as food trucks and live music. Event is presented in cooperation with the Ambridge Historic District. Tickets are $30, which includes tasting glass, a food voucher, and admission to the off-site afterparty (Crush & Brew info and tickets).

• Sensory Friendly Visit; Wed., Sept. 14, 10 am-3 pm, and Sun., Sept. 18, 10 am-noon; PA Military Museum
• Background effects in the gallery will be turned off and the orientation film's volume will be reduced (captions always enabled). Standard admission rates apply. Please sign up for a timeslot in advance; you can pay when you arrive (visit PMM website and select your date and time).

• Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day; Sat., Sept. 17, hours vary; several Trails of History sites participating
• Download a ticket good for two admissions to a participating site - you can only choose one museum for Museum Day free tickets
• Ephrata Cloister
• PA Lumber Museum
• Railroad Museum of PA

• Colonial Tavern Night (in-person); Sat., Sept. 17, 6-9 pm; Hope Lodge
• An evening of local brews from Round Guys Brewery, food, music, and history to support the site and its programs. General admission is $60 per person; must be 21 or older to attend. Advance tickets are required (Eventbrite site for Tavern Night tickets).

• Harvest, Death & Renewal: Late October Traditions of the PA Germans (in-person); Fri., Oct. 21, 6:30 and 8:30; Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum
• This program explores funeral and burial customs, powwowing, healing and hexes. It is recommended for adults and older teens. The event involves two hours of walking around a cemetery and the Museum grounds, so please dress for the weather (including your shoes) and bring a flashlight. Tickets are $28 per person and must be purchased in advance (Harvest, Death & Renewal event info and tickets).

Winding Down April

Photo via Conrad Weiser Homestead Facebook page

Well, it's almost the end of April, so I'm just going to wrap the month by sharing a few photos from Trails of History programs. As is often the case, Pennsylvania's weather is making us play guessing games, but outdoor events are definitely ramping up. Last weekend, Conrad Weiser Homestead hosted "A Sense of History," where visitors were encouraged to use their senses to learn more about life in 18th-century Berks County. The photo above shows a variety of herbs that visitors could experience by touch, smell, and sight. This Sunday, May 1, from noon to 4 pm, they'll host a living history event focused on trade goods (see details below). If you're in the area, it's a beautiful place to spend some outdoor time.

Photo via PA Lumber Museum Facebook page

Last weekend was the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum's annual spring antique show and sawmill demo. You can't run a sawmill without logs, so they also had folks on hand to show how logs get moved around. There was a loader with a forklift, but also some horses who help with log skidding. The picture above is from Saturday; on Wednesday, it was snowing lightly. You just never know.

Photo via Ephrata Cloister Facebook page

It's prom season already? Yes, it is. It's become something of a local tradition in Ephrata to take prom pictures at Ephrata Cloister, another of our Trails of History beauties. While history is why our sites are preserved, our communities value us for lots of different reasons. Helping people make lasting memories is important, too.

Photo via Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum Facebook page

We started with herbs, we'll end with herbs. After a two-year hiatus, Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum's Herb & Garden Faire is back next weekend. You can support the Heirloom Seed Project by purchasing plants such as those pictured above. A wide variety of vendors will have plants and garden-related stuff, plus there will be food trucks and stands. If you're closer to western PA, Old Economy Village's Garden Mart is also a great source of heirloom varieties and garden beauty. See below for details of both events.

Onward to May!

Up Next

Sunday, May 1

• Living History Sunday (in-person) noon-4 pm, Conrad Weiser Homestead
• Enjoy an afternoon in the park and learn about life 18th-century trade goods exchanged by Native Americans and European settlers. Donations welcome (Weiser Homestead info).

Monday, May 2

• Unlock Your History (in-person), 9 am-4 pm, Old Economy Village
• Learn how to preserve, decipher, and research your family history documents. Offered in association with the Heinz History Center. Cost is $15, which includes a box lunch (Unlock Your History info and registration).

Tuesday, May 3

• Sensory Hours, 3-5 pm, Railroad Museum of PA
• Light and sound levels will be lowered and several historic trains will be open with staff on-hand to answer questions. Cost is $7 per person; please register in advance (Sensory Hours info and registration).

Friday, May 6

• Herb & Garden Faire (in-person), 9 am-5 pm Friday and Saturday, Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum
• Shop for plants from the Heirloom Seed Project and other garden-related vendors. Event runs 9 am-5 pm both days. Several community food trucks and vendors will be on-site as well. Advance tickets are available online (Herb & Garden Faire info & tickets).

• JUST ADDED - Stargazing at the Homestead (in-person), 8 pm-?, Daniel Boone Homestead
• Join members of the Berks County Amateur Astronomical Society to view planets and constellations. Visitors are encouraged to dress warmly and to bring their own telescopes, flashlights, and chairs (Stargazing info).

Saturday, May 7

• Garden Mart (in-person), 9 am-1 pm, Old Economy Village
• Heirloom varieties of plants raised in OEV's greenhouse will be for sale, along with other plants and garden-related items. Admission is free all weekend (Garden Mart info).

• Spring Gas Up (in-person), 9 am-3 pm, Drake Well Museum & Park
• The museum hosts the Pioneer Steam and Gas Engine Society, with displays of antique engines, farm and oil equipment, cars, trucks, and models. Included in regular admision; Hydetown Fire Dept. Auxiliary will have food and beverages for sale (Spring Gas Up info).

• Spring Nature Walk (in-person), 10 am-noon, Bushy Run Battlefield
• Learn about the flora and fauna of western PA and explore the grounds. Please dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes. Pre-registration is required, but you can pay when you arrive (Spring Nature Walk info and tickets).

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• The Pennsylvania Military Museum will offer a Sensory Friendly Visit day on Wednesday, May 11, from 10 am to 3 pm. Background sound effects in the gallery will be turned off and the volume on the orientation video will be reduced (captions always enabled). Please register in advance; standard admission rates apply and you can pay when you arrive (Sensory Friendly visit info).
• The next PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase is scheduled for Wednesday, May 11, at 7 pm. Staff from five Trails of History sites will present objects on the theme "Health & Medical Devices" and then the audience will vote on their favorite or the one they thought best illustrated the theme. The program is free; register to receive the Zoom link (Collections Showcase registration).
• Railroad Museum of PA's STEAM on the Rails educational experience takes place May 19 from 10 am to 1 pm. The program is for school group students in grades K-6 and features learning stations throughout the Museum - interactive behind-the-scenes tours, a live steam demo, hands-on art activities, and presentations on historic railroading jobs. Ticket sales end May 17 (STEAM on the Rails info and tickets).
• Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum will offer living history tours on Saturday, May 21, based on the life and work of local inventor William Chester Ruth. Ruth was born in 1882 in Chester County; his father had been enslaved in South Carolina and his mother was a free woman of color. Ruth will be portrayed by actor Keith Henley of American Historical Theater. Tour times are 9:30, 12:30, and 3; advance tickets are required (William Chester Ruth Tour info and tickets)
• On May 22, Daniel Boone Homestead will host the Trails of History Run, which includes a 5K, 10K, and 1/2-mile fun run. There will be awards for 5K and 10K races, plus special awards for the best-dressed representation of the 1770s era. Advance registration is required (DBH trail runs info). Training runs for new runners start at 10:30 am every Sunday at the DeTurk House (near the front entrance gate off of Daniel Boone Rd).
• Drake Well Marathon, August 14 - this race is a Boston Marathon qualifier. Registration for a variety of categories is now open.

Summer Camps & Activities on the Trails of History

I'll add to this as I get more info.

• Bushy Run Battlefield
• Summer History Club; activity boxes for Ages 8-12 (pick-up to use at home with an accompanying YouTube video); June 19, July 10 & 24, Aug. 7

• Drake Well Museum & Park
• Discovery Days Camp; Ages 8-12; July 7, 14, 21, & 28

• Pennsbury Manor
• Colonial Camp; Ages 6-8; July 11-15
• Time Travelers Camp; Ages 9-12; July 18-22

• Railroad Museum of PA
• Behind the Scenes of Railroading Virtual Summer Camp; Ages 9-12; June 28-30
• Barons & Builders Day Camp; Ages 9-10; July 12-15
• Barons & Builders Day Camp; Ages 11-12; July 26-29
• A Moveable Feast Virtual Summer Camp; Ages 9-12; Aug. 2-4

What's New and Old on the Trails of History?

A display of 18th- and 19th-century farming tools at Daniel Boone Homestead

What's New?

Several new temporary and long-term exhibits opened on the PA Trails of History this past weekend, ready for the 2022 visitation season. The photo above (courtesy of my colleague Janice Mullin) is one element of a new visitor center exhibit at the Daniel Boone Homestead. The exhibit explores the history of Berks County's Oley Valley, the people who lived (and live) there, and the families that made what we call the Daniel Boone Homestead their home.

As I mentioned in last week's post, Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum opened their new changing exhibit for 2022, Pennsylvania Germans: Their Lives Through Color. The colorful pieces on display, including textiles, fraktur, ceramics, and furniture, support the notion that Pennsylvania Germans led lives that were not monochrome but were woven with color.

On Sunday, as part of their celebration of Dr. Joseph Priestley's birthday, the Friends of Joseph Priestley unveiled a new temporary exhibit exploring Dr. Priestley's friendship with Benjamin Franklin. The two met in London around 1765 and became long-time friends. Franklin is credited with encouraging Priestley's interest in science, including the study of electricity. The exhibit includes timelines of their lives, showing where they overlapped, as well as excerpts from their letters. During Sunday's festivities, WVIA, the local PBS station, visited the site to conduct interviews and filming to be used as part of a preview screening of Ken Burns's new documentary on Franklin, which will debut in April. The Daily Item posted an article on Saturday that provides a nice overview of Sunday's event and the new exhibit.

What's Old?

As part of its ongoing project to create a baseline survey of older and historic places all across Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), part of PHMC, is reaching out to people who live and work in the following counties: Berks, Bucks, Butler, Carbon, Crawford, Delaware, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence, Lehigh, Luzerne, McKean, Montgomery, Northampton, Pike, Schuylkill, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, and Westmoreland. SHPO is working to find properties that have not previously been included in the Pennsylvania Historic Places Inventory. This includes places of local significance, such as recreational properties, fraternal buildings, industrial resources, African American churches and cemeteries, ethnic communities, and properties that represent local building styles and traditions. Survey teams will be in these counties starting in April and continuing through early 2023. If you know of places that should be considered for inclusion, please submit the information to the Baseline Survey on Survey Monkey or email it to ra-bhpmail@pa.gov. To learn more about the larger baseline survey project visit Baseline Survey Effort, 2020-2024.

Up Next

Today, March 18

• Charter Chat (virtual), noon, PA State Archives
• Archivist Josh Stahlman will explore the story of Pennsylvania's Charter in honor of our 341st birthday. The program is free, but you must register to receive the link (Charter Chat info and registration).

Saturday, March 19

• StoryTime (in-person), 10:30-11:30 am, The State Museum of PA
• This month's book is Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket by Sue Fliess with illustrations by Annabel Tempest; learn about Earth's solar system and make a rocket picture to take home. For kids age 2 to pre-K and included in regular admission; sign up at the Ground Floor Info Desk (StoryTime info).

• Exploring the Armor (in-person), 2-4 pm, Pennsylvania Military Museum
• Take a tour of the tracked vehicles on the museum grounds and get a look inside some of the crew compartments. Space is limited, and reservations are required; as of Wednesday, there were still some tickets available (Armor tour info and registration).

Sunday, March 20

• Open-Hearth Cooking (in-person), 1-4 pm, Pennsbury Manor
• It's spring, and the cooks will demonstrate some seasonal recipes that would have been prepared for William Penn and his family. Included in regular admission (Open-Hearth Cooking info).

Tuesday, March 22

• Sensory Hours (in-person), 3-5 pm, Railroad Museum of PA
• Light and noise levels will be lowered and the museum will be less crowded. There will also be some quiet spaces for breaks. Pre-registration is required (Sensory Hours info and tickets).

Wednesday, March 23

• Games & Puzzle Challenge (in-person), 11:30 am-12:30 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Test your knowledge and skills with a variety of games and puzzles. Included in regular admission (Challenge info).

Thursday, March 24

• Winter History Class (virtual), 9 am-noon, Ephrata Cloister
• Today's topic is "The Moravians: A Fresh Look at their Origin." If you did not register for the full course, you can attend today's session via Zoom for $10 (History Class info and registration).

• Curiosity Kids (in-person), 11:30 am-12:30 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Learn how artists use line as an element in their work and make your own artwork. For kids in grades K-2 and included in regular admission. Space is limited, so please sign up at the Ground Floor Info Desk when you arrive (Curiosity Kids info).

• Wisdom & Wine Series (in-person), 6:30-8 pm, Drake Well Museum & Park
• Historian and retired pastor Dr. Barry Cressman will present "The Sometimes Unholy Entanglement of Church and Oil. Tickets are $5 (free for members). At 5:30 pm there will be a wine-tasting happy hour for a separate $5 fee. Registration is required (Wisdom & Wine info and registration).

• Virtual Lecture Series, 7 pm, Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum
• Abby Baer, executive director of the Demuth Foundation, will present "The Demuths of Lancaster City: Moravians, Merchants, and a Modern Artist," exploring the history of the Demuth family from businessman Christopher Demuth to artist Charles Demuth. The program is free, but you must register to receive the Zoom link (Virtual Lecture info and registration).

Friday, March 25

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual), 12:15-12:45 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Nevin Welte from the PA Fish and Boat Commission will talk about freshwater mussels and efforts to improve their populations in PA's rivers and streams. Offered via Zoom; registration is required (Learn at Lunchtime info and registration).

• Ritchie Boy Secrets (in-person and virtual), 1:30 pm, Pennsylvania Military Museum
• Dr. Beverley Driver Eddy will discuss her book, Ritchie Boy Secrets, which explores the history of the Military Intelligence Training Center in northern Maryland during World War II. The program is presented in cooperation with Penn State's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) and will be offered in-person and via Zoom. Registration is required for both. In-person tickets are $20 and include admission to the museum; Zoom tickets are $15 (PMM Lecture info and registration).

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• Somerset Historical Center has rescheduled their Pysanky Egg Decorating Workshop to Saturday, April 2. This class is geared to beginners and the fee includes materials. Adults and kids age 12 and up welcome; ages 12 to 15 must be accompanied by an adult (Pysanky workshop info and registration).
• Rails and Ales: enjoy an evening of craft beer among the museum's historic trains at the Railroad Museum of PA, April 9, 5:30-9 pm; must be 21 or older to attend; variety of ticket options (VIP tickets are sold out), including designated driver tickets (Rails and Ales tickets)
• Tickets are on sale now for Bushy Run Battlefield's Art and Wine with Henry! event on Saturday, April 23. Enjoy some history and view the work of local artists (Art and Wine info and tickets).
• On Wednesday, April 27, Graeme Park will host a lunch and learn program, "Forgotten Heroes - Women and the Fight for the Right to Vote." The program includes continental breakfast, a lecture, and a buffet lunch; tours of the Keith House will be available after lunch. Tickets are $35; reservations are required (Forgotten Heroes info and tickets).
• Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum will offer living history tours on Saturday, May 21, based on the life and work of local inventor William Chester Ruth. Ruth was born in 1882 in Chester County; his father had been enslaved in South Carolina and his mother was a free woman of color. Ruth will be portrayed by actor Keith Henley of American Historical Theater. Tour times are 9:30, 12:30, and 3; advance tickets are required (William Chester Ruth Tour info and tickets)
• On May 22, Daniel Boone Homestead will host the Trails of History Run, which includes a 5K, 10K, and 1/2-mile fun run. There will be awards for 5K and 10K races, plus special awards for the best-dressed representation of the 1770s era. Advance registration is required (DBH trail runs info). Training runs for new runners start at 10:30 am every Sunday at the DeTurk House (near the front entrance gate off of Daniel Boone Rd).
• Drake Well Marathon, August 14 - this race is a Boston Marathon qualifier. Registration for a variety of categories is now open.

Agriculture and Art!

Please be sure to check the PHMC Events Calendar for information on upcoming programs (in-person and virtual). I've included highlights 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 a quick reminder that PHMC sites participate in the Blue Star Museums and Museums for All programs.

Staff and volunteers at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum harvesting flax (photo Heirloom Seed Project)

My thanks for this week's opening photo go to Joanne Ranck-Dirks of the Heirloom Seed Project at Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum. Joanne sent along a series of photos, along with an explanation of the effort:

The flax harvest is underway at Landis Valley. This historic crop is planted in early April and harvested in mid-July. After drying in our hoop house, the flax is retted in a tub of water and dried again. We use the flax in our textile barn to show how it is processed into linen fiber. We also sell the flax straw to other historic sites and individual spinners and weavers.

Landis Valley's Farm and Garden Manager, Joe Schott, stacks flax bundles to begin drying 

I've saved some additional photos and info on a separate Landis Valley Flax Harvest page. Thanks, Joanne, and all the folks at Landis Valley for this update on your work.

Last weekend, Old Economy Village received a visit from the family of artist Richard Hay Kenah (1907-1982), who painted a mural of George Rapp and other members of the Harmony Society that now hangs in the Visitor Center. The mural, painted in 1934 on a canvas backing, was originally adhered to a wall at Ambridge High School and then painted over. It was later rediscovered by the Ambridge School District and donated to Old Economy. Following an extensive conservation effort that involved removing plaster and constructing a frame, the mural was installed in Old Economy's new Visitor Center when it opened in 2002. The site posted a photo of the artist's son Chris with the mural.

Upcoming Events (in-person and virtual)

Today, July 30

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual), curator Katie McGowan will talk about a 1946 silk wedding dress made from a surplus WWII parachute, State Museum of PA, 12:15-12:45 pm (SMP web link for info and registration)

Sunday, August 1

• Garden Party and Oxygen Day (in-person), spend some time in the gardens (11 am-12:30 pm) and learn about Dr. Priestley's discovery of oxygen (1-4 pm), Joseph Priestley House (JPH Facebook page for details)
• Living History Sunday, guided tours will be offered, Conrad Weiser Homestead, noon-4 pm (CWH website)

Wednesday, August 4

• Explore! (in-person), kids in grades 3-5 are invited to learn about Pennsylvania Turtles, State Museum of PA, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, included in general admission - sign up at Ground Floor Information Desk (Explore! info)

Thursday, August 5

• Curiosity Kids (in-person), help kids K-Grade 2 discover what natural resources are, State Museum of PA, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, included in general admission - sign up at Ground Floor Information Desk (Curiosity Kids info)

We're Always Open for History

The June program page has information on the status of Trails of History sites and lists some virtual programs. It also contains a full list of links to Trails of History Facebook pages so that you can continue to enjoy our digital offerings. You'll also find some of those offerings in the Trailheads Rec Room (see links in the sidebar to the right of your screen); new material is added weekly so that you can see the most recent examples.

Although most of our sites' interactions with the public are online at the moment, they're still finding plenty of ways to share traditional activities and connect history to our current moment. Here are some of my favorites from the past week or so.

Pennsbury Manor's sheep got their summer haircuts this week (photo via Facebook)

Remember haircuts? At least the sheep on the Trails of History are ready with their summer looks, even if the rest of us mostly are not. Pennsbury Manor (above) and Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum (below) documented their activities.


Graeme Park shared some exciting new historical discoveries about what happened to Henry Hugh Fergussson after he left Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson on her own to deal with accusations of loyalty to the British during the American Revolution. I've shared one of the posts below, but there's more on their Facebook page.


In light of the History Channel's new documentary, Grant, the Pennsylvania Military Museum blog reflected on events happening 160 years ago.


Periods of high unemployment have happened before in the U.S. Ephrata Cloister shared an artifact from the Museum Extension Program that was part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression.


The launch got pushed off until tomorrow (May 30) due to weather concerns, but Drake Well Museum & Park's connection is just as relevant as it was on Wednesday.


Staff at Old Economy Village have used their time working from home to delve further into the history of the site. Recent posts (like the one below) have shed light on individual members of the community and on the Harmonists' interactions with other communal societies.


State Archivist David Carmicheal shared one of his favorite images from the collections and gave some tips on close-looking at details. That's a great way to spend a rainy weekend.

Engaging the Public

Last week's post covers events this weekend through next Thursday, and the April program page is now available. Hard to believe that March is almost over.

UPDATED 3/29 1 pm to include a little fan-girling...

Our preservation and stewardship work on the Trails of History is vitally important, but so is the work of sharing our historic sites and their stories with the public. I had a handful of interesting examples in my news feed this week. Is it a coincidence that most of them involved food? You be the judge.


Today, March 29, marks the 200th birthday of Col. Edwin Drake, who drilled the first successful oil well in northwestern PA. Last week, as part of the Petroleum Program Series, staff and volunteers at Drake Well Museum and Park presented an educational talk about Col. Drake, his wife Laura, and the birth of the petroleum and gas industry (see article from the Titusville Herald for an indepth look). Tomorrow, March 30, visit Drake Well for a meet and greet with the Colonel at 12:30 pm - there will be cake.

From left: Drake Well Curator Susan Beates, Volunteer Bob Archer as Col. Drake, and Museum Educator Sarah Goodman as Laura Dowd Drake (via Facebook)

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum introduced a new program earlier this month called "Lunch with the Landis Brothers," which included behind-the-scenes tours of the museum collection initiated by George and Henry Landis and the museum they founded on their family's property. On May 4, you can take tea with George and Henry's younger sister, Nettie May, and learn about her life and times (more info on the website).

From left: Museum Educator Timothy Essig as Henry Landis and Landis Valley Associates Board Member Rick Brouse as his brother George (via Facebook)

Earlier this week, members of the Friends of Old Economy Village were treated to "Coffee with the Curator" and enjoyed a close-up look at some of the original Harmonist artifacts in the collection. Membership in the various Associate groups on the Trails of History supports the programs and projects at their respective sites. Benefits generally include general admission and museum store discounts, but also access to members-only programs and behind-the-scenes tours.

The historic Granary building at Old Economy Village was the setting for curator Sarah Buffington's presentation (via Facebook)

BREAKING NEWS: 1 PM 3/29/19
And this just in...