Memorial Day 2020

The May 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.

A single wreath placed at the 28th Division Shrine to honor those who gave their lives in service (photo: Pennsylvania Military Museum)

The annual 28th Division Celebration of Service (scheduled for May 17 at the Pennsylvania Military Museum) and most Memorial Day events have been canceled or seriously curtailed due to COVID-19. But that doesn't mean we can't honor those who gave their lives in military service. The staff of the Pennsylvania Military Museum have provided the material for this week's post, and I thank them for their help.

In an article published earlier this week, site administrator Tyler Gum suggested several alternatives for marking Memorial Day this year (excerpts are below - you can find the full text on the museum's blog):

• "Perhaps the simplest way to mark this day is to take five minutes and silently reflect on the meaning of the day and to consider the profound sacrifice and responsibility of an all-volunteer military force....Our military members voluntarily join and serve their communities and nation. Consider the many layers of such reality, as a society and as citizens."
• "...Visit your local library digitally or find an online book or journal...that recounts the harrowing details of brave men and women going into harm's way to preserve our way of life here on the homefront. The greatest way to honor those now gone is to never forget them - what better way than to learn their story?"
• "Annual events at town centers, parks, shrines, and cemeteries may be canceled. However, visiting a local cemetery or shrine on your own time, or visiting the grave of a loved one that served (perhaps not even on Memorial Day itself) and taking a stroll through its grounds is a great option."
• "For veterans quickly aging, like those from World War II and the Korean War, their battle-buddies may no longer be alive or well enough to lend a hand....Step in for their friends by calling them, writing them a card or letter or arranging for groceries or meals to be delivered. With precautions and safety in mind, if you're at a store, offer to reach something on the shelf or to load their car."

The museum blog is a great source of stories about military service. Museum curator Jennifer Gleim has added a number of posts exploring the museum's collections and sharing the personal stories they convey. The blog is indexed to make it easier to browse. You won't be sorry.

Tomorrow (May 23) at 2 pm, the museum will host an online lecture by historian Jared Frederick, on the topic "Operation Overlord (D-Day)." Tyler Gum will moderate a brief Q & A session after the lecture. The presentation is free (donations are welcome). It will be offered via Zoom, so you must register to get the link (visit the museum's calendar page for more info).

(A past Trailheads post (way back in 2013) introduced us to several Medal of Honor recipients from Erie; this seems like a good time to revisit that post. Or to take a look at last year's Memorial Day weekend post, from the before times.)

I will leave you with a Facebook post from the 28th Division. I hope that your Memorial Day is meaningful, in whatever ways you need it to be. Be good to each other.

Quite a week

The September program page has info on events coming up this weekend through the end of the month. There have been some updates to the page since it was initially posted, and I've highlighted some events below.

Frank Gillespie demonstrated railroad-related blacksmithing at Railroad Heritage Days last weekend (photo from Railroad Museum of PA's Facebook page)

Last Friday in Austin, TX, two Trails of History sites were honored with Leadership in History Awards from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). AASLH honored The State Museum of PA for its exhibit on the history of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and the Somerset Historical Center for its recent publication, Shade Furnace: An Early 19th-Century Iron Making Community in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Congratulations!

A reenactment of the Battle of Brandywine is on tap for this weekend at Sandy Hollow, Birmingham Township (more details on the web). The folks at Brandywine Battlefield Park have been involved with a host of other organizations to plan this event in honor of the 240th anniversary of the battle that took place on September 11, 1777. On the actual anniversary, a cast of historical characters tweeted throughout the day to provide multiple perspectives in real time (well, real time 240 years later). I wasn't able to follow the whole day, but checked in from time to time. I thought it was pretty compelling and very interesting. It garnered some good attention from other Twitter accounts as well, which expanded the reach of the project. Search #BoB1777 on Twitter to see the tweets.

Last week, Philadelphia's CBS affiliate, CBS3, had an exclusive report revealing the names of Pennsbury Manor's recently adopted lambs. Reporter Vittoria Woodill met Lavender and Sage and spoke with staff and volunteers about the site and the animal program. You can watch the report below or find it at CBS Philly's website.



This weekend on the Trails of History...

Brandywine Battlefield
Sept. 16-17: On Hallowed Ground—to commemorate the 240th anniversary of the Battle of Brandywine, Birmingham Township is presenting a two-day reenactment event. Please note that the event takes place at Sandy Hollow, not at our Trails of History site (loads of details are available on the event website).

Conrad Weiser Homestead
Sept. 16-17: Change in weekend schedule—the site will be closed on Sat., Sept. 16, but open on Sun., Sept. 17, noon-4 pm.

Drake Well Museum and Park
Sept. 16: Fall Gas Up—the museum hosts the Pioneer Steam and Gas Engine Society's display of antique gas engines, oil field and farm equipment, and more. 9 am-3 pm.

Graeme Park
Sept. 15: An Evening with the Graemes—enjoy an evening of 18th-century entertainment, including dancing, card games, skits, and refreshments. Children age 13 and older are welcome to attend. Tickets are $12 and may be purchased on Eventbrite. Period attire is welcome but not required. 7-9 pm.
Sept. 17: Living History Sunday—today's event explores slavery in colonial Pennsylvania and at Graeme Park. The Keith and Graeme families were slave holders, as were many of their contemporaries. Noon-3 pm.

Hope Lodge
Sept. 17: Site open—enjoy the grounds and take a guided tour of the mansion. Admission charged. 1-4 pm (tours at 1:00 and 2:30 pm).

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum
Sept. 16: Wool Frolic—celebrate the fiber arts and the people, plants, and animals that make them possible. Enjoy activities for the kids and shop for deals on yarn, patterns, and paraphernalia. Admission charged. 10 am-4 pm.

Old Economy Village
Sept. 16: Saturday programming—this week's offering is Decorative Arts. Included in regular admission, so please start at the Visitor Center. 11 am-4 pm.

Pennsbury Manor
Sept. 17: Sunday programming—this week, Open Hearth Cooking features the bake oven. Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
Sept. 17: 3rd Sunday Program—this month's program is "The CCC in World War II." Mike Schultz, author of From the Forest to the Battlefield: Forty Civilian Conservation Corps Members Awarded the Medal of Honor during World War II, will discuss ways service in the CCC prepared enrollees for wartime military service. He will be joined by John Eastlake, retired DCNR forester and fellow CCC historian. 1-3 pm.

State Museum of Pennsylvania
Sept. 15 and 17: Fort Hunter Excavations—this month's 3rd in the Burg will take place at Fort Hunter Sept. 15 from 4 to 6 pm, and archaeologists will be on hand Sept. 17 for Fort Hunter Day.

Trailheads #300

Yes, campers. This right here is the 300th Trailheads post. When the blog debuted in August of 2009, I'm not sure anyone foresaw the dozens of you who would be reading 5 years later. Thanks for your ongoing support.

Tuesday, Nov. 11, is Veterans Day, a time for us to say "thank you" to all who have served our country. Most sites on the Trails of History will be closed, but there are a few that will be open (find the list of open sites here.)

Today's post comes courtesy of Linda Bolla at the Erie Maritime Museum, who happens to be the most frequent guest blogger on Trailheads. Last year, the Erie Maritime Museum mounted an exhibit for Charter Day that focused on several Civil War Medal of Honor recipients with ties to Erie. In addition to documenting their history, the folks in Erie have also been working to make sure that the graves of these men are properly marked.

William H. Young (1835-1878)

William Young began his naval career on the U.S.S. Constitution ("Old Ironsides"), enlisting in 1852 at the age of 17. He saw service on a number of vessels, most notably U.S.S. Portsmouth, cruising off the coast of Africa to suppress traffic in the slave trade. On September 21, 1859, Portsmouth seized the slave ship Emily. During the Civil War, Young served on U.S.S. Cayuga as a Boatswain’s Mate.

The citation for Young's Medal of Honor reads:

On board the USS Cayuga during the capture of Forts St. Philip and Jackson and the taking of New Orleans, 24 and 25 April 1862. As his ship led the advance column toward the barrier and both forts opened fire simultaneously, striking the vessel from stem to stern, Young calmly manned a parrot gun throughout the action in which attempts by three rebel steamers to butt and board were thwarted and the ships driven off or captured, 11 gunboats were successfully engaged and garrisons forced to surrender. During the battle, the Cayuga sustained 46 hits.

Young's final years as a sailor (1872-76) were spent on the Navy’s first Iron Steamer, U.S.S. Michigan, as Bugler. (Erie was homeport to U.S.S. Michigan, which was later renamed U.S.S. Wolverine; the ship's prow is on exhibit at the museum, along with other artifacts from its history.) Never married, he retired to the Pennsylvania Soldiers & Sailors Home in Erie, where he died on December 26, 1878, at age 42. His funeral was attended by fellow Civil War veterans, Post 67, G.A.R., and he was buried at Erie Cemetery with a headstone-style marker provided by the U.S. Navy for $7.



Original marker for William H. Young

For years, Young’s gravesite was listed as “unknown” in official publications. The Erie Maritime Museum and Erie Cemetery researched and facilitated Medal of Honor researcher Don Morfe’s application to the Department of Veterans Affairs for a new grave marker for William Young. Time had taken its toll on the original marker, and it did not mention Young’s Medal of Honor.

The application was suspended for several years. The Veterans Administration had placed a moratorium on applications made by parties other than family. Finally, the National Medal of Honor Foundation stepped in and provided a donor, and the marker was placed.



The Erie Maritime Museum, Flagship Niagara League, and the Erie Cemetery will honor William Young for his service and formally dedicate this marker in a solemn service on Tuesday, November 11, 2014, at 3:00 p.m.

Welcoming New Citizens at Pennsbury Manor

Looking for something to do this weekend? Check out the July program listings and enjoy.

As you may have heard, this year we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of Pennsbury Manor as a historic site. The reconstruction of the Manor House began in the 1930s and the site opened to the public in 1939. Today (July 18) at 10:30 am some 50 people from many different nations will become United States citizens in a ceremony held in front of the Manor House. Congratulations to our new fellow Americans and to the folks at Pennsbury for hosting this meaningful event, as well as the many other events scheduled during this anniversary year to celebrate William Penn's legacy and the Penn family's American home. @PHMC will be live-tweeting the citizenship ceremony (even if you don't catch it live, you can get the details afterward).

The Manor House at Pennsbury Manor

In other news (thanks to sites for sharing on Facebook)...

The Pennsylvania Military Museum, in the lead-up to their "Vietnam Revisited" program this weekend, has been featuring Medal of Honor awardees from Pennsylvania on their Facebook page. A nice tribute, I think. And I'll add a reminder here that all Trails of History sites are participating in the Blue Star Museums program this summer; in fact, we offer free admission to active duty military and their families year-round.

Cornwall Iron Furnace was recently voted Best Historic Attraction in the Lebanon Daily News 2014 Best of the Lebanon Valley list. If I'm not mistaken, they were similarly honored in last year's voting as well. Congratulations to all. You might want to mark your calendars for the August 8 Blast! event in order to see this wonderful site for yourself (or visit it again if you've been there before).

In preparation for their 1940s Weekend (July 26-27), some volunteers at Eckley Miners' Village received some well-timed dance instruction to be "in the mood" (sorry, that one's mine) for Saturday night's Swing Dance. A & M Ballroom Dance guided them through some steps and will be on hand for the dance. Eckley posted a few photos on Facebook. For details on the weekend activities or a bit of info on the 1940s in the anthracite region, visit Eckley's website.

The collections and buildings at Ephrata Cloister have received some good news coverage this past week or so, with the acquisition of a business ledger associated with the community and some interesting graffiti and possibly original paint color found on the Academy building. On top of that, the site has gotten some attention for its summer tour options, with Student Historians, staff, and volunteers providing visitors with more opportunities to explore the history of the site.

Classic cars at Old Economy Village for "An American Celebration"

And I'll wrap this up with a couple of items related to Old Economy Village. Last weekend's program, "An American Celebration," featured a day of activities, live music performances, and classic cars. (OEV's Facebook page has photos to give you a flavor of the event.) Yesterday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had an article spotlighting OEV's curator, Sarah Buffington, her interest in clothing and reenacting, and her work at the site (there's still time to catch the Harmonist clothing exhibit, "A Style of Their Own," before it closes on August 10).

I hope you have a great weekend!

Some Items of Civil War Interest

Sometimes if I wait long enough to write the weekly blog post, a series of unconnected pieces will fall together into something like a theme. Sometimes not. I'll have to let you be the judge. (Last week's post lists events on the Trails of History this month.)

Col. John J. Carter, courtesy of Drake Well Museum

In late June, I had an email from Sue Beates, curator at Drake Well Museum, about some visiting researchers:

Yesterday, Drake Well was honored to host five researchers from Penn State University’s Richards Center Civil War Digitization Project. They spent all day going through the best of the museum’s Civil War related collections to compile the metadata needed to list the collections on their website. They also evaluated the rarity, research importance and condition for possible digitization in the next phase of their project. The metadata should be posted on their website this fall. Of particular interest was the Col. John J. Carter Collection. Carter, a Medal of Honor recipient, came to Titusville as a merchant in 1865 and became an important oil tycoon. The Carter Oil Company was absorbed by Exxon Mobil in the middle of the 20th century.

Drake Well's Civil War era collections include a cane that belonged to John Wilkes Booth (who spent some time in the oil region).


Tomorrow evening (July 12), Somerset Historical Center has a program called "Between the Lines," featuring readings from Civil War diaries, letters, and newspapers. The experiences of Somerset County soldiers and the families they left at home will be brought to life through their own words. According to Clark Brocht, past commander of the Mt. Union Church Camp, Sons of the Union Veterans,"The War affected everyone, young and old alike, and what makes these stories unique, is that they are from people who once walked in the same places we do today.” Costumed volunteers and staff (many of them descended from Civil War veterans) will be on hand and the Berlin Fife and Drum Corps will provide lively period music as well. The program takes place at St. Paul's Presbyterian Church in Somerset. Admission is $15 ($12 for members of the Historical and Genealogical Society of Somerset County). Tickets will be available at the door, or you can call 814/445-6077.


Okay, so I wasn't able to make this one fit the Civil War theme, but one of you clever readers can probably do it. This past weekend was the annual Bark Peelers Convention at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum and they've posted some pictures on Facebook. Looks like a great time!

Memorial Day Weekend

Information on which Trails of History sites are open on Memorial Day can be found here and the May program preview, where you’ll find events scheduled for this weekend, is here. Photos from the Pennsylvania National Guard’s Celebration of Service, held on the grounds at the Pennsylvania Military Museum on May 19, are here.

Prow of the USS Michigan/Wolverine and model of USS Michigan
photo by Linda Bolla

For this year’s Charter Day (back in March), the Erie Maritime Museum mounted a small exhibit on Civil War Medal of Honor recipients who also served on U.S.S. Michigan (which was based in Erie and is the focus of an exhibit at the museum--it was later renamed the USS Wolverine). With the approach of Memorial Day, it seems like an appropriate time to take a quick look (thanks to information and photos supplied by Linda Bolla). You can go here to see additional text from the exhibit.

Patrick Murphy (1823-1896), William Young (1835?-1878), Cornelius Cronin (1838-1912), and George Washington McWilliams (1842-1900) all served in the U.S. Navy during the Civil War. Murphy and Cronin were recognized for their actions during a battle in Mobile Bay in August 1864; Murphy served on board the U.S.S. Metacomet and Cronin was aboard the U.S.S. Richmond. Young was aboard the U.S.S. Cayuga as it engaged Confederate gunboats during the April 1862 capture of Forts Jackson and St. Philip and the city of New Orleans. McWilliams served on the U.S.S. Pontoosuc during the capture of Fort Fisher and Wilmington, North Carolina, December 1864-February 1865.

Irish-born Murphy enlisted in 1842 and was a member of the first crew aboard U.S.S. Michigan and then served aboard the ship again after the Civil War until his retirement in 1885. Young’s naval career started in 1852 on the U.S.S. Constitution and included a number of other ships. He finished his service as Michigan’s bugler, retiring in 1876. Cronin served in the U.S. Navy for 50 years, from 1858 to 1908; he spent the decade after the Civil War (1866-75) on board Michigan. McWilliams was born in Waterford, not far from Erie, and was living there after the Civil War, according to the 1870 census; his service on the U.S.S. Michigan has not been confirmed, but it is likely that was his first naval assignment.

Erie Maritime Museum worked with Erie Diocesan Cemeteries to research and apply for a Medal of Honor marker for Patrick Murphy’s gravesite. A dedication ceremony for the marker was held on November 8, 2009, and guest blogger Linda Bolla wrote about it (here) for Trailheads.

Best wishes for a safe and meaningful Memorial Day.

Honoring an Erie Veteran

Please check the PHMC newsletter for updates on site operations and schedules.

Our guest blogger this week is Linda Bolla from the Erie Maritime Museum; photos are by Linda Bolla and John Baker.

The Erie Maritime Museum’s Education Committee celebrated the Veterans Day holiday this year with a special program honoring a sailor better known locally for his long service on the U. S. S. Michigan than for his heroism during the Civil War. Chief Boatswain’s Mate Patrick Murphy received our nation’s highest honor, the Medal of Honor, for his valor during the Battle of Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864, but very few in the community remembered.

In the Summer of 2008, while researching the life and career of Patrick Murphy, volunteers at the Museum discovered that there was no indication of his service in the U.S. Navy, much less his Medal of Honor, at his gravesite. Furthermore, a 100-year-old arbor vitae beside his Trinity Cemetery marker had grown and tilted the marker’s base. The marker was slowly slipping off the base. The Cemetery promptly responded when this was brought to their attention, and reset the marker within two days. Museum volunteers obtained the proper period “GAR” flag holder and placed it that week. With no descendants to apply for the additional honor due to Patrick Murphy, the Museum’s Education Committee, with the help of Don Morfe (Medal of Honor Historical Society of the United States) and Erie Diocesan Cemeteries, applied to the Veterans Administration for the granite Medal of Honor marker which was installed in 2009 and dedicated on November 8, 2009.

US Naval Training Center color guard and Civil War reenactor honor guard

The ceremony included a color guard from the U. S. Naval Training Center in Erie, as well an honor guard of Civil War sailors reenacted. A very moving moment in the service was when Taps was played on a bugle that was used on the U. S. S. Michigan/Wolverine, Murphy’s home vessel. The bugle is a family heirloom, originally played by Frank J. Grucza (U. S. S. Wolverine 1914-17). His grandson, Committee member Tim McLaughlin, made it available for use that day.

Ned Trautman plays Taps on USS Michigan/Wolverine bugle

Patrick Murphy’s personal story is told as part of the “USS Michigan/USS Wolverine: The Iron Steamer” exhibit at the Erie Maritime Museum. You can hear Frank Grucza’s bugle play the calls that are part of a touch screen kiosk in that exhibit. All of Erie County’s Navy Medal of Honor recipients are also honored in the Museum. Next spring, the Education Committee hopes to work with the U. S. Naval Training Center to landscape the gravesite.

Patrick Murphy’s Medal of Honor citation reads:

Served as Boatswain’s Mate on board the U.S.S. Metacomet, during action against rebel forts and gunboats and with the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Despite damage to his ship and the loss of several men on board as enemy fired raked her decks, Murphy performed his duties with skill and courage throughout a furious two-hour battle which resulted in the surrender of the rebel ram Tennessee and in damaging and destruction of batteries at Fort Morgan.

The citation does not detail the ferocity of that engagement. U. S. S. Metacomet was hit at least eleven times: a shell penetrated the hull, exploding the storeroom and setting it on fire; the mainsail was cut in two; two shells exploded in the starboard paddle box; the roof was blown off the pilot house; and a shot went through the foremast, cutting two shrouds. Murphy would have spent the entire time exposed on Metacomet’s deck, supervising the deck crew as they cleared wreckage and repaired rigging.