Farm Show Recap and More

The January program page has info about events and programs on the Trails of History. Most sites will be closed on Monday, Jan. 16, for the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday. The Railroad Museum of PA and Washington Crossing Historic Park (Visitor's Center only) (nope, sorry) will be open (please check their websites for hours).

There's still time today and tomorrow (Jan. 13-14) to catch PHMC at the PA Farm Show. Check out last week's post (most-read Trailheads post ever!) for details.

Some folks from my office (me included) managed to get over to the Farm Show yesterday to visit the Landis Valley and Pennsbury Manor exhibit and sample some of the famous Farm Show treats. Here are some photos from our visit (first two photos are from Brenda Reigle, third (blurry) one is mine):

Hard to see here, but this is a bill of lading for a load of goods sent via Conestoga wagon from Lancaster County to Frederick Rapp in Economy, PA (at what is now PHMC's Old Economy Village). Cool connection!

The PA Military Museum (Boalsburg) will be the venue for a Town Hall Meeting on Tues., Jan. 17, from 4 to 5 pm. The meeting is one of many planned around the country by the US Dept. of Veterans Affairs to provide opportunities for veterans, their families, and the general public to provide direct input to the VA. A post on StateCollege.com has more info. For directions to the museum, check the PMM website.

Wednesday, January 18, is international @MuseumSelfieDay on Twitter, and many of PHMC's Trails of History sites will be taking part. If you're at one of our sites that day and you're on Twitter, please take a selfie, post it using the hashtag #MuseumSelfie, and if possible tag the site you're visiting (not all have Twitter handles but many of them do).

Mike and Trisha Berberich (and friend), PA Lumber Museum, #MuseumSelfie day 2016

Joseph Priestley House (Northumberland) recently held their annual Twelfth Night event, which draws on the Priestley family's English roots and the customs they brought with them to the U.S. (local coverage in the Daily Item). Although Priestley House is closed to the public for the winter, there is still plenty of excitement as we look forward to the premiere of a new play, Gunpowder Joe: Joseph Priestley, Pennsylvania, and the American Experiment. Written by Anthony Clarvoe and directed by Laurie McCants, the play is produced by Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble and will be performed at the Alvina Krause Theatre in downtown Bloomsburg. On Sunday, Jan. 22, following the 3 pm matinee, there will be an informal symposium featuring the creative team behind the play as well as historical and scientific consultants/advisors, many of whom are members of the Friends of Joseph Priestley House. (Background info on the play is available in the study guide developed for high school students and their teachers.)

Catching Up

No real theme here today, folks. Just a few items that you may have missed that I thought you might be interested in. Info on this weekend's events is in last week's post (with a few updates thrown in as I received more details). Enjoy!

Eckley Fall Foliage Photo Contest 2013 winner by Joann Stewart (info on this year's contest is on the web)

Bode Morin (site administrator at Eckley Miners' Village), Margie Bogash (President of the Eckley Miners' Village Associates), Kristen Bogash (EMVA Event Coordinator), and Kim Barton (Eckley's VISTA Volunteer) recently wrote a letter to the editor of the Hazleton Standard Speaker. They used the opportunity to acknowledge the many organizations and individuals who helped make this summer's program offerings successful and vibrant. You can read the full text on the Standard Speaker website. Not a big deal, I guess, but it struck me as a great way to thank supporters outside of our own institutional boundaries. In other news, Wayne Anderson detailed his recent visit to Eckley for readers of the Columbia [Missouri] Daily Tribune, describing the village as an "excellent piece of America’s history that is being well-preserved for future generations to see how their ancestors lived."

If you haven't yet seen the Harmonist clothing exhibit, "A Style of their Own," at Old Economy Village, there is still time. Originally slated to close in August, the exhibit's run has been extended to September 21. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has run at least two articles about it (spotlighting curator Sarah Buffington and announcing the new end date), and the Beaver County Times ran some lovely photos.

 

This week's "Pennsylvania Treasure" is a circa 1980 decanter promoting Michter's Distillery in Schaefferstown (Lebanon County) and highlighting various places and icons around the state (read more from the curators). What it lacks in geographical accuracy it makes up for in enthusiasm and quirkiness - although I should note that Titusville, home to Drake Well, is in the correct location (moreso than Gettysburg, for example, which appears to have moved considerably west of correct, taking Harrisburg, York, and the Susquehanna River along for the ride). "Pennsylvania Treasures" are being highlighted as part of PHMC's Collections Advancement Project. You can subscribe to the weekly emails to learn more about artifacts in the PHMC collections.

I hope you have a happy and safe weekend!

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!

U.S. Brig Niagara Invades Baltimore (and other news)

U.S. Brig Niagara (photo by AKFox)

In a new IMAX film currently being shown at the Maryland Science Center, the U.S. Brig Niagara plays the role of a British warship, and Lake Erie stands in for the Chesapeake Bay. (WBAL in Baltimore has footage.) Branching out from its type-casting as the victorious American ship of the Battle of Lake Erie (Sept. 1813), Niagara takes a star turn (among a fleet of computer-generated ships) during the 1814 British attack on Baltimore’s Fort McHenry that led Francis Scott Key to write the words to what became the U.S. national anthem in 1931. [Whoa, that’s a really long sentence, sorry] “Star-Spangled Banner Anthem of Liberty” is the science center’s first history-themed IMAX film; it will remain on view through the fall.

George Rapp's Coat and Cap from "A Style of Their Own" (photo by Sarah Buffington)

It's a busy summer at Old Economy Village. In addition to a new exhibit on Harmonist clothing (now through August 10), work continues on the restoration of the George and Frederick Rapp Houses. The long-awaited reproduction wallpaper is being installed and it won’t be long before furnishings can be returned to their proper places. To keep up with the progress, check out curator Sarah Buffington’s blog.

Evening on the Green, 2014, (via Facebook)

The folks at Daniel Boone Homestead shared photos of their recent Evening on the Green. Looks like a lovely way to spend a summer night. In the spirit of Trails of History cooperation, the wagon, horses and driver made the trip over from Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum to help out.


There’s probably other stuff I’ve missed. Info for this weekend on the Trails of History was posted late last month and has been updated. Look for the July program preview mid-week next week, in time for Independence Day. Enjoy your weekend.

It’s Just a Day, Like Any Other

Yes, it’s Friday the 13th. You can embrace it, as the folks in Erie did. Or you can worry about it. Or you can treat it like any other Friday in a string of rainy, humid summer days and look forward to a nicer weekend. Since I have tickets to attend Pennsbury Manor’s Brews & Bites tomorrow, I’ll go with door number 3. If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, check out the Trails of History program listings.

The Iron Pour via Facebook

The annual Fire at the Furnace and Arts on Fire Festival at Scranton Iron Furnaces were well-attended and, as always, extremely photogenic. Learn more on the Anthracite Heritage Museum’s Facebook page.

Play ball! via Eckley Miners' Village Facebook page

Staff and volunteers from Eckley Miners’ Village were at the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders game earlier this week to promote the site and enjoy some minor league baseball. Eckley Players member Regina “Baba” Drasher threw out one of the night’s ceremonial first pitches. In the picture above, Baba makes a new friend--Champ, one of the RailRiders' mascots (seems like minor league teams usually have more than one).


The historic Ephrata Cloister is once again sharing the work of their summer interns on their blog, Chronicle Ephrata. You can find the blog here or by following Ephrata on Facebook.


If you are planning to attend Old Economy Village’s event on July 12, “An American Celebration,” and you have kids who have completed grades 3, 4, 5, or 6, it’s time for them to start studying. The winner of a good old-fashioned spelling bee will take home a $100 prize. Download the word list and start the nightly quizzes!

More to Do than You Can Do

Last week's Trailheads post has a listing of events for June (please note that there are a few updates). We’re headed into the busiest season of the year, so you’ll find loads of options for exploring Pennsylvania’s rich history and enjoying the summer weather.

You know how I love to see connections between sites, so here’s something that made me happy (and I didn’t exactly have to dig deep to find the links). The Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies (Elizabethtown College) conference this weekend on the history and nature of prophecy among various religious groups in early America features both of the religious history sites on the Trails of History. This evening (June 6), fresh from a speaking engagement at Old Economy Village on Wednesday, Dr. Alice Ott will present her work on Harmony Society founder George Rapp, his religious beliefs, and his own and others’ perceptions of him as a prophet. Ott was a PHMC Scholar in Residence at OEV in 2006. Tomorrow, Ephrata Cloister museum educator Michael Showalter will share a piece of his considerable research on the site’s history in a talk entitled “Three Wives, Two Ghosts, One Mystic: A Footnote in the Ephrata Story.” He will be presenting alongside Dr. Jeff Bach, director of the Young Center, who has researched and written extensively about the community at Ephrata (now that I think of it, some of that work was conducted when Bach was a PHMC Scholar in Residence).



Reenactors interpret US GIs fighting alongside the French Resistance (PMM Facebook page)

Today is the 70th anniversary of the landing of 160,000 Allied troops on the beaches of Normandy, France. The invasion, known as D-Day, was part of a larger plan to defeat Nazi Germany and release its hold on Europe. In honor of this occasion, you might like to see photos from the “World War II Revisited” program at the Pennsylvania Military Museum on Memorial Day weekend.

How Cold Is It? The Saga Continues

The polar vortex came and went last week, but not before setting off a winter weather Trailheads throwdown. I posted a photo last week shared by the folks at Pennsbury Manor showing ice on the Delaware River. From the opposite corner of the state, I received a tongue-in-cheek note from Linda Bolla at the Erie Maritime Museum and Flagship Niagara, a frequent contributor to Trailheads. With her permission, I’m including an excerpt and a couple of Linda's photos:

Top: Ice Fishermen, Erie Bay
Bottom: Agitators keep the ice away from Niagara's hull
Photos by Linda Bolla, January 2014

"Oh, Amy – do you really think that puny ice sheet at Pennsbury Manor impresses anyone up here in the great northwest (insert coyote howl)? Erie has led the pack all this year as #1 Snowiest US City…and as I write, we’re still well ahead of Buffalo, despite their latest efforts to unseat us….We Erie folks all know in our hearts that when Paul Allman Siple (see PHMC historical marker in front of the Erie Maritime Museum) devised the “Wind Chill Index,” he was not thinking about his adventures with Admiral Byrd in Antarctica, but rather was fondly remembering his boyhood in Erie, walking to school on a typical winter’s day.

"The U.S. Brrrrrr-ig Niagara would be held fast in the ice were it not for strategically placed agitators keeping the water moving alongside her hull. The crew is working diligently on off-season maintenance tasks, often outdoors. Even as I write, we are experiencing a bit of a heat wave (38° F), which has not totally discouraged ice fishermen, who prefer it a bit brisker. Erie Bay had frozen all the way over earlier this week, when temps were closer to -10° F, and will refreeze next week."

Thanks, Linda, for the response. I am hopeful that this does not escalate into a full-on Trails of History [censored] contest. Unless it would increase readership—then I’m all for it.

Drake Well Museum’s Mobile Energy Education Training Unit (MEET-U) received some good news coverage this week when it visited the Learning Enrichment Center in Warren County.

Upcoming programs:
Friday, Jan. 17 (i.e. tonight)

• 3rd in the Burg, opening reception for the Susquehanna Art Museum Doshi Gallery’s new exhibit, “Lost World/Found World,” State Museum of Pennsylvania, 6-8 pm, admission free

Saturday, Jan. 18

• Knox Mine Disaster Program, Anthracite Heritage Museum, 2 pm
• Fraktur and Ephrata’s ABC’s, learn basics of fraktur calligraphy and create your own art based on Historic Ephrata Cloister’s collection (registration required, please call 717/733-6600 to check on availability)

Sunday, January 19

• Fireside Tales, Daniel Boone Homestead, 2 pm, $2 suggested donation per child

Monday, January 20

• Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania open, 9 am-5 pm (all other Trails of History sites closed)

Saturday, January 25

• Folk Art & Friendship: Make a heart-shaped tin basket, Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum (registration required)

How Cold Is It?

Delaware River Ices Over at Pennsbury Manor

As if this week didn’t feel brutally cold enough, what with the polar vortex and all, Pennsbury Manor posted a photo on Facebook that really rubs it in. (Any bets on when the new indie band Polar Vortex will release their first album?)

Ephrata Cloister followed up their 2013 Lantern Tour program, which focused on various myths and legends associated with the community, with some info on the history behind those stories. (Also, there will be a calligraphy workshop (inspired by Ephrata’s Fraktur) on Jan. 18, and the annual Winter History Class starts Jan. 30.)

I’m not as timely with this as I could have been, but Washington Crossing Historic Park shared some photos on Facebook from the Dec. 25 reenactment of Gen. George Washington and his troops crossing the Delaware River to attack the Hessians occupying Trenton in 1776. They shared photos from the Wall Street Journal’s “Metropolis” blog, Nick Dampman Photography, and the Bucks County Courier Times.

The latest post from Old Economy Village's blog about the Rapp Houses restoration project http://oldeconomyvillage.org/work-on-the-rapp-houses-until-now/ includes gorgeous photos of the reproduction wallpapers and the original remnants on which they were based. THIS JUST IN: New post this morning showing changes to doorways and walls!

If you’re in (or traveling to) the Scranton area this weekend, the Anthracite Heritage Museum is once again presenting Robert Hughes and his one-man play A Miner’s Tale. Showtime is 2 pm and admission is $5 and also includes touring the museum exhibits.

More information on upcoming January events can be found in last week’s post.

More Holiday Programs on the Trails of History

All sites on the Pennsylvania Trails of History will be closed on Dec. 25 for Christmas, with the very notable exception of Washington Crossing Historic Park (visit their website for program details). This time of year, it’s always a good idea to check with the site you want to visit to confirm operating hours.

Winter weather has been causing all kinds of fun on the Trails of History, mostly creating a snowy backdrop for holiday programs, but disrupting some as well. Daniel Boone Homestead had to reschedule their event from last weekend to tomorrow, where Santa will be greeted with temps in the 50s.

Last week’s post included links to photos of programs from the first part of December. This week, I’d like to point you toward photos from Erie Maritime Museum and Flagship Niagara, Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, and Eckley Miners’ Village.

"Santa's" WWII Draft Card via PA Military Museum Facebook page

The Pennsylvania Military Museum shared a copy of Santa’s World War II draft card on their Facebook page. They explain that their copy was donated by a friend of the museum who received it during a speaking engagement in Missouri. If you need additional documentation, you can also see a copy of Mr. Claus’s WWI draft registration online.

If you’re shopping for last-minute gifts (you know, to supplement what Santa will be bringing), don’t forget the museum stores on the Trails of History for books, local arts and crafts, Pennsylvania food items, and other good stuff.

In addition to Daniel Boone Homestead’s rescheduled event and the Christmas Crossing (see links at the top of this post), there are several other items to note in the next week or so:

• Ephrata Cloister will present their annual Lantern Tour program, Dec. 26-29 (I strongly advise calling the site at 717/733-6600 to check on ticket availability), 6:30-8 pm.
• Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum offers a Winter Day Camp for kids Dec. 26 & 27. Registration is required; call 717/569-0401.
• The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania’s photography exhibit, “From Your Lens: Images of Contemporary Railroading,” closes on Dec. 31.
• Young children and their families can ring in 2014 a few days early as part of the State Museum’s “Noon Year’s Eve” program, Dec. 27, 10 am-noon.

On a non-Christmas topic, during 2014 Sarah Buffington, curator at Old Economy Village, will be blogging about the project to restore the homes of Harmony Society founder George Rapp and his adopted son Frederick.

Thank you all for being Trailheads readers. Whatever you are celebrating in the coming weeks, I wish you warmth, joy, and light.

Stuff I Missed

The votes are in and PHMC’s two entries on the PA’s Top 10 Endangered Artifacts campaign ended up in second and third place. Together, Anthracite Heritage Museum’s bust of Abraham Lincoln by coal sculptor C. Edgar Patience and the cap and coat made for Old Economy Village leader George Rapp garnered 2.1 million votes, 145 shares, and $1,715 in support. Thanks to all of you who took the time to vote and support these artifacts.

Last week’s post featured the list of November events. Most sites will be closed on Nov. 11 for Veterans Day, but several are open.

In my Halloween post, I failed to share images from Somerset Historical Center’s trick-or-treat event. I’m making up for that today. You might also be interested to know that in addition to its annual school of coopering, SHC is now your go-to source for historically based coopering tools and supplies.

Trick-or-treat event at SHC via Facebook

In late September, Ephrata Cloister started using their blog, "Chronicle Ephrata," to share info about members of the site’s student historians group and the work they do (as they had shared updates from summer interns in the previous months).

The Times Tribune, in southeastern PA, covered the Whitemarsh Encampment at Hope Lodge this past weekend, including brief video footage. Visit Hope Lodge’s Facebook page to see photos shared by participants in the two-day event.

If you weren’t able to attend the celebration of Daniel Boone’s 279th birthday, the Reading Eagle posted info and photos about the event.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania opened a new exhibit last weekend (on view through April 27, 2014) featuring a wide variety of chairs from the collection. Look for news coming soon on another chair exhibit on the Trails of History that will overlap with the State Museum’s. We’ll have chairs coming out our ears.

State Senator Patrick Browne (R-16), who represents parts of Lehigh, Northampton, and Monroe Counties, visited the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania last month for his tv show, “The Browne Report.” He toured the museum with director Charlie Fox and the two paid special attention to railroad cars that operated in the Lehigh Valley. Sen. Browne also spoke with volunteer Steve Kistler about telegraphy and got a demonstration of how messages were sent. The video is available on the senator’s website or on local cable stations in the Lehigh Valley.

Tidbits from the PA Trails of History

Most sites on the Trails of History will be closed Monday, Oct. 14, for Columbus Day. The exceptions are: Drake Well Museum, Fort Pitt Museum, and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

We have a little less than 3 weeks left to back our favorites in the Pennsylvania’s Top 10 Endangered Artifacts campaign. Please vote, support, and share. So far there are lots of votes, but not nearly as many shares, and way fewer (what am I, 15?) supports. C’mon. It’s really easy. Not to influence the outcome or anything, but I’d like to steer you toward George Rapp’s cap and coat at Old Economy Village and Anthracite Heritage Museum’s bust of Abraham Lincoln by coal sculptor C. Edgar Patience. Both are currently in the top 5; help push them to the top!


Pennbury Manor shared this on Facebook from American Historical Theater (AHT) earlier this week: “AHT is partnering with History Making Productions to cast background extras and principals (non speaking) for a new series of documentaries and webisodes about Philadelphia. The focus of the film revolves around William Penn, the Lenape Tribe, the first Swedish settlers and Pennsbury Manor.” You’ll find casting lists and contact info on AHT’s FB page; no dates for auditions, etc., when I last checked (yesterday).

Reconstruction of the Manor House section of
Pennsbury's Visitor Center exhibit

While we’re on the subject of Pennsbury, just a reminder that they are still gathering memories and stories in preparation for their 75th anniversary as a public museum in 2014. You can post yours on Pennsbury’s FB page.

Last week’s post was a rundown of events this month at Trails of History sites. If you’re looking for something to do this long weekend:

• Haunted Lantern Tours at Eckley Miners’ Village (10/11-12; rain date is 10/13, but check ahead)
• Apple Dumpling Sales (10/11-12) and Day of Music (10/12) at Ephrata Cloister
• Harvest Days (10/12-13) at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum
• Oktoberfest (10/12) at Old Economy Village (RSVP deadline was Monday, so check ahead to see if tickets remain)
• Living History Theater – the Sotcher Wedding and Beer Brewing (10/13) at Pennsbury Manor
• Fall Antique and Collectibles Show and Sale (10/12-13) at Pennsylvania Lumber Museum (actually held off-site at Pine Creek Inn)
• Historic Foodways (10/13) at Washington Crossing Historic Park

Save Our Stuff!

Late last week, the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) kicked off its “Pennsylvania’s Top 10 Endangered Artifacts” campaign at the Governor’s Residence, with help from First Lady (and PHMC Commissioner) Susan Corbett. The project is supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. Staff from PHMC’s Harrisburg offices, Old Economy Village, and the Anthracite Heritage Museum were on hand to mark the occasion along with staff from eight other institutions.

From left: Holly Dofner (OEV), First Lady Susan Corbett,
Mary DeMars and Sarah Buffington (OEV)
(photo courtesy Brenda Reigle)

This project, part of a larger initiative called “Save Pennsylvania’s Past,” is aimed at drawing attention to the millions of artifacts (including objects, archival materials, and books) in the care of Pennsylvania’s museums, libraries, and archives. An independent panel selected 10 entries that represent the variety of holdings and that are in critical need of conservation. Among them are a coat and cap made for Harmony Society leader George Rapp and preserved at Old Economy Village and a coal sculpture of Abraham Lincoln by artist C. Edgar Patience in the collection at the Anthracite Heritage Museum.

From left: Brenda Reigle (PHMC), Ingrid Bogel (Exec. Dir., CCAHA),
Chester Kulesa and John Fielding (Anthracite Heritage)
(photo courtesy Brenda Reigle)

PA’s Top 10 list has already garnered publicity in traditional (for example, here and here) and social media—help us keep up the buzz. Please go to the project website here (or click on the links for the objects listed above). You’ll have a choice to vote for an object, donate to help preserve an object, or share the object on Facebook and/or Twitter. Or you can do all of those things. It’s just that easy. And you’re not limited to just one vote/donation/share, so make it a habit. The PA Top 10 are awarded points for all of these activities—the end result will be support for their conservation and stabilization.

Voting closes on November 1, so please don't wait to get started.

Photos of recent events on the Trails of History:
Artisans Faire, 9/21 at Ephrata Cloister
Cast Iron Cooking Demo, 9/21 at Cornwall Iron Furnace
Erntefest Harvest Festival, 9/21-22 at Old Economy Village
Market and Muster Day, 9/22 at Washington Crossing Historic Park

This weekend’s events:
Saturday, 9/28:
Brandywine Battlefield – Revolutionary War Encampment event, includes craft demonstrations, reenactors, and house tours (here for info). Admission charged. 10 am-3 pm.
Drake Well Museum - Drake Well by Moonlight (here for details). Admission charged (family rate available). 6:30-9:30 pm. (Oil Valley Blacksmiths will be on site for their monthly meeting and demo, 9 am-2 pm that day, included in regular admission.)

Sunday, 9/29:
Sunday afternoon interpretive programming at Hope Lodge Historic Site, Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, and Pennsbury Manor.

Trailheads: Arts Edition

A Facebook post by Old Economy Village last week about an art exhibition in New York intrigued me, and I did a little online research. OEV posted links to articles in The New York Times and Forbes about the work of woodcarver Francis Cape. Cape researched and recreated benches from about a dozen “utopian” groups, including Ephrata Cloister and the Harmony Society (OEV was their third and final home). The exhibit, “Utopian Benches,” has been touring the country and is currently on view at the Museum of Art and Design and the Murray Guy gallery in NYC; images of the exhibit as installed at Arcadia University in 2011 are here. There is also a new book by Cape, We Sit Together: Utopian Benches from the Shakers to the Separatists of Zoar, available from Princeton Architectural Press. I think it would be wonderful if it sparks folks to see and learn more about the communities these benches came from.

As part of the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bushy Run, a new monument will be dedicated on Saturday, Aug. 3, at 11:00 am at Bushy Run Battlefield. The monument honors Native Americans, Highlanders, and frontier rangers who were involved in the 1763 battle, which was part of Pontiac’s Rebellion. The monument was designed by painters Robert Griffing and John Buxton and bronze sculptor Wayne Hyde. The Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society, which operates the site in partnership with PHMC, raised the funds for the monument. (We should be able to share a photo after the official unveiling.) For a full schedule of events for Aug. 2-4, click here.

If you visit Eckley Miners’ Village tomorrow or Sunday for the 1940s Weekend (go here for details), you can also check out “Coal Country,” an exhibit of paintings and sculptures by Frank “WYSO” Wysochansky. The exhibit will be on view in the Visitor Center until August 31. (BTW, stretching the theme a bit here--what's art without coffee?--Eckley recently unveiled the package photo selected for their new site-branded coffee.)

Women of Eckley who worked as extras on The Molly Maguires film
(photo submitted for the coffee packaging by Bob Zoshak--it's worth
a visit to Facebook to see the comments from folks who knew them)

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum’s Civil War Days (tomorrow and Sunday) features a wealth of activities, living history presentations, and speakers (go here for the complete schedule). Saturday’s line-up of speakers includes Stephen Recker, talking about rare images of Antietam, and sculptor Gary Casteel, who created the Longstreet memorial at Gettysburg Battlefield. (Also, don’t miss the new exhibit, “I Thee Wed: Rural Pennsylvania Wedding Attire, 1830-1930.")

Have a wonderful and artful weekend (art being very subjective and so it's really whatever it means to you and I wouldn't dream of dictating that to you but just hope that you have a good weekend)!

What a Roundup!!

I’m on staycation this week, but before I headed out the door last Friday, I gathered up some links and info I thought might be of interest.

This weekend Old Economy Village presents “The Panic of Pittsburgh: A Civil War Event.” This living history program will explore the impact of the Civil War on western Pennsylvania and the response of local residents. A small exhibit in the Visitor Center will feature the Harmonists’ involvement in supporting the troops and other civilians through charitable efforts and other means. Some members of the Harmony Society were subject to the draft; they exercised their legal exemption on religious grounds and paid for substitutes. Documents in the OEV archives reflect these activities as well as the fact that the Harmonists kept in contact with and supported those substitutes. (My thanks to curator Sarah Buffington for images and text--I’m hoping to do a more in-depth post about this and other Civil War stuff on the Trails of History later in the summer.) The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had a nice article about the event this past Monday; check it out here. The schedule for this weekend’s program is Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday, noon to 5 pm.

Militia List, Harmony Township, Beaver County, 1862 (Old Economy Village)

Tuesday night, June 11, Eckley Miners’ Village will be the Community Organization of the Night as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders play the Buffalo Bisons—gotta love minor league baseball team names. (This is Triple-A baseball--the RailRiders are affiliated with the New York Yankees, the Bisons are with the Toronto Blue Jays.) As the featured organization, folks from Eckley will have an information table and advertising on the Jumbotron, and they’ll participate in a ceremonial first pitch, pre-game announcements, and in-game interviews. (On an almost completely unrelated note, you can see photos from last month’s Victorian Fashion Show at Eckley here.)


You may want to head over to YouTube to catch up on Trails of History activities. For example, students from Lebanon’s Cedar Crest High School produced a segment on Cornwall Iron Furnace (above) as part of their “Our Town” series. A young railfan tours the Railroad Museum of PA here and Landis Valley Museum was featured in a "360 Lancaster" segment here. Or see why the view from Bowman’s Hill Tower at Washington Crossing Historic Park was recently named a finalist for best view in Bucks County here. Or watch a very brief reenactment of the Battle of Lake Erie during the Perry 200 parade on Memorial Day here.

Photos from Memorial Day weekend events abound on Facebook and elsewhere—among them the Pennsylvania Military Museum’s World War II Revisited here and Washington Crossing Historic Park’s Memorial Day Observance here (thanks to Linda Silkwood on Flickr).

Erie Maritime Museum/Flagship Niagara float
Perry 200 Grand Patriotic Parade (photo by Linda Bolla)

Summer interns have started their work at many sites on the Trails of History. At Ephrata Cloister, they’re already blogging about their experience. I hope to have some interns as guest bloggers on Trailheads later this summer.

Drake Well Museum’s MEET-U (mobile energy education training unit) recently held a successful 5-mile trail race to raise funds, participated in the Perry 200 parade, and hosted a field trip of university, government and industry professionals who were in Pittsburgh for the annual conventions of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the Petroleum History Institute (by all accounts they had a fabulous time).

That’s just a small snapshot of all the activity that’s going on out there on the Trails of History. I’ll leave you with one more—progress is being made at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum on the project to renovate and expand the Visitor Center. One important change is that there will be a fully accessible ground level entrance, which means taking out the existing steps. It’s a big job, as you can see.

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum (photo by Jeff Bliemeister)

It's the Weekend!

Another weekend is upon us. I hope you’ve had a great week and are looking for ways to make your weekend great too. The Trails of History are here for you. At this time of year, most sites are open, at least on the weekends, but you should always check to be sure. There are some special activities going on as well. (In case you missed it, we have a recap of our Volunteer of the Year awards here.)

Drake Well Museum
A 5K Trail Run is set for tomorrow (May 18) with proceeds going to support MEET-U, the museum’s mobile exhibit on energy. Registration opens at 7:30 am, with the run to start at 9 am. Go here for more info or call 814/827-2797 and ask for information on “MEET-U in 5.”

Ephrata Cloister
Sunday afternoon (May 19) the Ephrata Cloister Chorus will present their Spring Concert in the historic Meetinghouse (Saal). At 3 pm, Dr. Lucy Carroll will share some of her research on the history of music in this religious community, and the concert of early American music will begin at 4 pm. There will also be a small exhibit on the diet prescribed for singers by Ephrata’s leader Conrad Beissel. Admission on Sunday (which includes the regular historical offerings in addition to the concert) is: age 18-64, $10; age 65+, $9; age 6-17, $7; age 3-5, $6 (under 3 free). Members of the Ephrata Cloister Associates or the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation will receive a $2 discount.

Old Economy Village
Tomorrow (May 18) is Garden Mart from 10 am to 3 pm. Enjoy free admission to the historic gardens, visit plant and other gardening-related vendors from the area, and purchase plants from the OEV greenhouses.

Pennsbury Manor
At Pennsbury’s Sunday afternoon (May 19) programming, you can learn about dairying (specifically cheese making and cheese-related recipes) and beer brewing in the 17th century. Included in regular admission, 1-4 pm. (You’ll find a photo here of Pennsbury staff brewing 17th-century beer at last weekend’s Beerfest at Washington Crossing Historic Park (thanks to the Beerfest’s Facebook page for posting.)

Pennsylvania Military Museum
This Sunday (May 19) is the annual “Celebration of Service: Honoring Pennsylvania Veterans” sponsored by the Pennsylvania National Guard and presented on the grounds at the museum. You’ll find photos from last year’s event here. The ceremony starts at 12:30 pm (if you visit the museum you can also see a special exhibit on soldiers and their moms). Then, the middle of next week, the museum will be participating in CentreGives, a 36-hour online giving marathon. Donations will be partially matched (or “stretched”) by the Centre Foundation, and participating organizations will also be eligible for prizes. Go here anytime from May 22 at 6 am to May 23 at 6 pm to make a donation. Thanks!!

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Pennsy Days, a salute to the Pennsylvania Railroad, started yesterday, but it’s not nearly over. Through Sunday, you’ll find speakers, model railroads, special tours, and other demos (included in regular admission). Go here for details. Be sure to check out the museum’s 2013 exhibit, “From Your Lens: Images of Contemporary Railroading,” featuring entries from a recent photography contest.

Somerset Historical Center
There’s a workshop on Heirloom Gardening tomorrow (May 18). Call 814/445-6077 to see if there’s still space; $20 fee includes materials ($15 for members).

Washington Crossing Historic Park
A Spring Cooking Demonstration on Sunday (May 19) explores seasonal cooking with 18th-century recipes, included in the regular site admission (site hours are 10 am to 4 pm).

Brrrrr!!

Holy moly, it’s cold! (Gotta keep our PG rating.) Now it feels like January. This week, in my seemingly endless commentary on the weather, we take a decided downturn in temps, just as we were thinking that this might be a mild winter. As I write this, I’m wearing the gloves one of my nieces gave me for Christmas—you know, the kind with no fingertips (see photo below). I haben’t quite got the hamg of typing with rhem yet, but they help.

Life on the Trails of History moves at a somewhat slower pace this time of year, as many of you know. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do, however. The bulk of sites are open, even if some are open fewer days than during the warmer months. And most of the ones that are mostly closed are available by appointment (especially for groups). Next week we’ll run the February program preview to take a look at what’s coming up. (It will be the 200th Trailheads post!)

Tonight from 7 to 9 pm, the Visitor Center at Old Economy Village is the place to be for the opening of “A Plane Old Exhibit.” Michael Falcone, a 10th-grader at Quaker Valley High School and member of Old Economy’s Young Harmonist program, has taken an interest in the site’s Cabinet Shop. Harmonist woodworkers were prolific, turning out a variety of furniture and other products (see a post here about a previous exhibit on Harmonist furniture). Falcone researched woodworking planes (of which there are many in the collection) and has put together a temporary exhibit to share this aspect of the site’s rich history. The exhibit will continue until April, so if tonight’s not good for you, there’s still time.

Tomorrow, Jan. 26, there’s a Valentine Tin workshop at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, organized by the Weathervane Museum Store. You can call 717/569-9312 to see if there’s still space available and, if there is, to register. Cost is $10 and you’ll take home several different projects. (Note: as of last Friday, tickets for Landis Valley's Victorian Valentine Dinner on Feb. 9 are sold out.)

Erie Maritime Museum will host a reception on Sunday, Jan. 27, from 2 to 4 pm to mark the opening of their new exhibit on the Erie-Extension Canal. The last section of a statewide network of canals, the Erie-Extension Canal (opened in 1844) connected Lake Erie to Pittsburgh and the Ohio River (and thence to the Mississippi). The exhibit is based on materials donated by Elizabeth Malc-Dwyer, whose law office building was located over the bed of the canal on Erie's West Sixth Street, with additional pieces drawn from the museum's collection and the Hazel Kibler Memorial Museum in Girard. Sunday's reception is free and open to the public. After that, the exhibit will be included in regular museum admission and will remain on view through June.

Next Thursday, Jan. 31, is the deadline for submitting entries for the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania’s photography contest. Photos of railroad people, places, and equipment in Pennsylvania are welcome (photo must have been taken in 2012) and will form the basis of a temporary exhibit at the museum. Go here for details and instructions.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania’s temporary exhibit on the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation continues through February 3. A rare signed copy of the document, on loan from the Union League of Philadelphia, is the centerpiece of the exhibit, which also draws from the State Museum and State Archives collections. The exhibit is included in regular museum admission.

Stay warm, Trailheads.

Warming Up

It looks like the weather this weekend will be warmer than usual—providing some variation from the proverbial “Farm Show weather.” Speaking of which, there’s still time (until tomorrow) to visit the PHMC exhibits in the Main Hall (go east at the butter sculpture).

Last week’s post about January programs missed a couple of items:

Tomorrow, January 12, at 2 pm the Pennsylvania Military Museum will show a German documentary, You Enter Germany – Bloody Huertgen and the Siegfried Line. This 104-minute film made in 2007 tells the story of the 5-month World War II battle for control of a 50-square-mile area along the German border. The showing is free; donations are requested. (The Museum is otherwise open by appointment until March.)

The Weathervane Museum Store at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum will host a class on Saturday afternoon, January 26, for folks wanting to learn how to work with tin. Participants will make several Valentines-themed projects. Cost is $10; go here for details.

Photo contest winner by Tom Andes via Facebook

Eckley Miners’ Village has announced the winner of their fall foliage photo contest. Tom Andes, of Weatherly, submitted the winning photo (above) showing village houses framed by beautiful autumn colors. The photo will be displayed in the lobby of the visitor center and currently serves as the cover photo on Eckley’s Facebook page. Congratulations to Tom, and thank you to all who participated in the contest.

Walter Rybka, Site Administrator at the Erie Maritime Museum and Senior Captain of the Flagship Niagara, can be seen Sunday, January 13, at 9 pm on PCN’s “PA Books” program. He will be talking about the role of the Lake Erie campaign in the War of 1812, the subject of his new book (pictured above).

Rapp House (Old Economy Village) in winter via Facebook

At Old Economy Village the Rapp House is closed to the public while an interior restoration project gets underway. The work will implement a furnishing study completed by Gail Winkler in 2006. (You can read more about the project here.) We expect the restoration will be completed this summer and will keep you posted. The rest of the site is open (check the website for operating hours). From January 25 until April, the Visitor Center will feature “A Plane Old Exhibit,” the product of Young Harmonist Michael Falcone’s research into woodworking tools in the OEV collection.

Winding down the year

A Christmas Story House and Museum, Cleveland, OH (photo by AKF)

Trailheads is taking a little breather this week to digest all those cookies, watch A Christmas Story a few more times, and make a couple of New Year’s resolutions that will be forgotten by February.

Centre Daily Times photos of the Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day tribute at the Pennsylvania Military Museum were featured in a compilation slideshow of December 7 commemoration events around the country. You can view them here (photos 18, 19, and 21).

You can see a slideshow of the Dec. 9 dress rehearsal for the annual Christmas crossing of the Delaware at Washington Crossing Historic Park here thanks to Bucks Local News.

GoErie.com posted photos of the Christmas Tree Ship program at Erie Maritime Museum and Flagship Niagara on Dec. 14. This year's event drew about 1,000 people to see the ship adorned with lights, talk to Santa on board, and enjoy Christmas music and storytelling. You can see the photos here.

The restoration project on the George and Frederick Rapp houses at Old Economy Village received some thoughtful coverage here by Pittsburgh’s Trib Total Media.

Next week we’ll give you the January program preview. Until then, best wishes and warmest regards for a safe and happy new year’s celebration. See you in 2013!

Human Interest Stories

I’ve found myself with several items in my “pending for Trailheads” folder that finally seem to have coalesced into a weekly post. At the very least I think they amount to a collection of interesting people who are all connected to the Trails of History directly or indirectly. So here goes.

Back in August, 107-year-old Lucille Severine toured Old Economy Village, enjoying the gardens, the George Rapp House, and the recreated Harmonist Museum. Everyone’s reasonably sure that Mrs. Severine is the oldest person ever to tour the site. (She was in her early teens when Old Economy became Pennsylvania’s first state-owned historic site in 1919.) We should all be so lucky to still be visiting new places at 107. Her connection to the Trails of History? Her grandson Michael Knecht is the site administrator at Old Economy.

From left:  Michael Knecht, Barbara Knecht, Lucille Severine,
Jean Severine Knecht, and George Knecht

The Sept. 30 edition of the Lancaster Sunday News included two articles about Trails of History denizens. Mary Ellen Wright’s “In the Spotlight” feature focused on Michael Showalter, museum educator at Ephrata Cloister since 1996 (he’s been with PHMC for 25 years). Asked to describe the best part of being a museum educator, Michael noted that, “I enjoy being able to use my knowledge and creativity to bring history to life for everyone, regardless of age or background.” Anyone who’s seen Michael at work will appreciate the truth of that. (You can read the entire piece here.) There may still be tickets available for tomorrow night's "Mysterious, Melancholy, and Macabre" tours; call 717/733-6600 for reservations.

The “Local Flavor” column, by Stephen Kopfinger, featured Tom Martin, who many of you have seen doing open hearth cooking and other food-related things at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum for the past 20 years or more. Since it’s the beginning of apple season, Tom shared a recipe for Apple Cake from the Landis Valley Cookbook that sounds simply wonderful. (Go here for the full article, including recipe.)

My apologies for the lousy image quality, but I remembered that I had a photo of Michael (on the left in the photo below) and Tom discussing Pennsylvania German food traditions during a break at Ephrata’s Winter History class in February of this year (blog post about the class here).

Somerset Historical Center is hosting a community trick or treating event on October 30, and attendees of all ages are invited to come in costume as a historical figure from county history. To provide some guidance, the Center staff has compiled a series of suggestions, complete with images and a list of costume elements. You can see them here (scroll down). A great way, in my opinion, to teach about local history and have some fun at the same time. Bravo. THIS JUST IN--HISTORY HALLOWEEN HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO NOV. 8 (AKF 11/1)