Veterans Day 2016

President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11, 1919, "Armistice Day" to commemorate the end of hostilities in World War I and honor veterans of that war. In 1954, November 11 became "Veterans Day" to include veterans of World War II and to honor all U.S. veterans. On the Trails of History, we mark this day, but we are working continually to honor Pennsylvania's veterans and to tell their stories to the present and future generations. As noted in last week's post, PHMC's current Pennsylvania at War initiative is focused on U.S. involvement in World War I and World War II. The State Museum will open a new exhibit on the USS Pennsylvania on December 4. And we are currently working on new long-term exhibits at the Pennsylvania Military Museum that will explore the role of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvanians in all of our nation's military conflicts.

Today, many sites on the Pennsylvania Trails of History are closed for the holiday. The following will be open regular hours:

• Brandywine Battlefield
• Drake Well Museum
• Fort Pitt Museum
• Graeme Park
• Pennsylvania Military Museum (free admission for veterans)
• Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
• Somerset Historical Center
• Washington Crossing Historic Park (free admission for veterans)

Staff and volunteers from the Erie Maritime Museum will participate in Veterans Appreciation Day activities at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center and Presque Isle State Park. From 10 am to 2 pm today, museum personnel will provide War of 1812 and Civil War Navy living history and historical displays and participate in a flag raising service. In addition, through November 23, the museum will be a collection point for items to be sent to active duty military personnel.

The PA Military Museum has events all weekend:

• Today the museum will offer free admission for veterans and their families during regular operating hours (10 am-5 pm). In addition, the museum will partner with the Centre County Library to offer a genealogy workshop geared toward fundamentals of military history and using military records to research your family. The one-hour genealogy workshop is included in regular admission (for non-veterans) and will be offered twice - at 10 am and 2 pm.
• Tomorrow (11/12), is Kids Day IV - Dress Up and Discover!! Kids of all ages get to try on military uniforms from the museum education collection. Photo ops in the museum theatre. Visit the education stations in the galleries for more fun discoveries throughout the day. Parents must remain on-site while their kids participate in the activities. Included in regular admission. 10:00 am-3:00 pm.
• Sunday, Nov. 13, the museum will show the documentary film In the Footsteps of Bud Owens, which tells the story of a World War II airman shot down over France. Donation requested. 1 pm.

Honoring Veterans and History

Please note that the November program page and a list of Trails of History sites open on various November holidays are now available. And don't forget that we "fall back" an hour at 2 am on Sunday, as Daylight Saving Time ends.

Today (Nov. 4) at 11 am, PHMC's Pennsylvania Trails of History will be broadcasting on #FacebookLive, at the official recognition of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania as a new member of the Smithsonian Affiliates program. Friday and Saturday, Norfolk Southern's Pennsylvania Railroad Heritage Engine will be on view at the museum.

While Veterans Day is not for another week, there is a new PHMC initiative that I wanted to highlight, as well as several military history events happening over the coming week.

In late October PHMC launched an initiative called "Pennsylvania at War" that brings together public events, exhibits, and other activities commemorating U.S. entry into World War I (100th anniversary in 2017) and World War II (75th anniversary in 2016). Follow #PAatWar on Twitter to keep up to date on offerings now through the end of 2017; even if your organization is not part of PHMC you can use the hashtag to highlight your events.

This weekend
Tomorrow, Nov. 5, Historic Hope Lodge will present its annual reenactment of the Nov. 2-Dec. 11, 1777, encampment of Gen. George Washington and the Continental Army in the Whitemarsh Hills. Please note that this is now a one-day event (program details are on the Hope Lodge website). Admission cost is $8 for ages 18-59, $5 for ages 6-17 and 60+, free for members and children age 5 and younger; there is a family rate of $20 per car. Cash only for ticket sales at the gate, but you can buy tickets online (with a small service fee) via PayPal if you prefer to use a credit card (be sure to bring your receipt). The encampment is open to the public from 10 am to 4 pm (rain or shine).

Penn State University (Main Campus) is holding a Military Appreciation Day tailgate at the Bryce Jordan Center on Saturday (11/5) starting at 3 pm. Prior to that event, from 10 am to 2:30 pm, the Pennsylvania Military Museum will hold a pre-tailgate program of guided tours, lectures, living history reenactments, and the presentation of service pins to Vietnam veterans in attendance. The reenactments and a tour of armored vehicles will take place outside, weather permitting; the lectures and presentations will take place inside the museum. Admission will be free for veterans and their families, and is always free for active duty military and their families (regular admission rates apply for others).

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania's annual "Trains & Troops" program, Nov. 5-6, salutes our armed forces and explores connections between the military and railroad history. Reenactors and displays of equipment will be in Rolling Stock Hall, military music and tributes will be offered each day, and (weather permitting) vintage airplanes will do a flyover (see more detailed schedule on the website). A special addition this year (Sat., 11/5, at 1:30 pm) will be the dedication of the newly restored "Lindbergh Engine" in Rolling Stock Hall. And Saturday night is the annual Swing Dance, featuring the big band music of the Moonlighters (tickets for the dance or combo tickets for the dance and museum admission are available online.)

Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 11
Staff and volunteers from the Erie Maritime Museum will participate in Veterans Appreciation Day activities at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center and Presque Isle State Park. From 10 am to 2 pm, museum personnel will provide War of 1812 and Civil War Navy living history and historical displays and participate in a flag raising service. In addition, through November 23, the museum will be a collection point for items to be sent to active duty military personnel (see list below).

The Military Museum will offer free admission for veterans and their families on Veterans Day during regular operating hours (10 am-5 pm). In addition, the museum will partner with the Centre County Library to offer a genealogy workshop geared toward fundamentals of military history and using military records to research your family. The one-hour genealogy workshop is included in regular admission (for non-veterans) and will be offered twice - at 10 am and 2 pm.

Honoring Women's History in Erie County

It's October already, and you can find the monthly program listing on the sidebar.

Lucky you. We're back to guest posts! This week frequent Trailheads contributor Linda Bolla, Erie Maritime Museum and Flagship Niagara, writes about two recent PHMC historical markers dedicated in Erie County. Photos are courtesy of Allan Montgomery, Linda Bolla, and John Baker.

This has been a banner year for the Pennsylvania Historical Marker Program in Erie County, with three new markers dedicated this summer: Miracles on Maple Hill; Pennsylvania National Guard 112th Infantry Regiment; and Making of the Flag “Don’t Give Up the Ship.”

The fact that two of these recognize the efforts of women gives one pause to reflect on the nature of women’s contributions to history and culture in the age before the later 20th Century feminist movement. These words come to mind: quiet, but profoundly inspirational.

In her children’s novel Miracles on Maple Hill (1956), Virginia Sorensen reveals the miracles of nature as well as of healing body and mind. Her simple story, inspired by people she knew and experiences she had living in Edinboro, PA, was honored in 1957 with a John Newbery Medal, given for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. Sorensen’s book has not lost any of its appeal, even as we approach the 60th anniversary of its publication. Generations continue to read a very old-fashioned story about a little girl and her family, because the values and bonds of family and friends are universal, and because Sorensen crafted her story in a way that transcends the modern age. Her picture of a place in time has proven to be timeless.

Children and adults met and had their books signed by Marilyn Hilburn (left), who was Virginia Sorensen's model for the character Margie, and Amy Hipple Bjork (second from left), Sorensen's model for Marly. Lisa Nathanson of Hurry Hill Maple Farm Museum (background) had Sorensen's book, Miracles on Maple Hill, for sale. Sorensen’s Newbery Medal is on exhibit at the Museum.

While the weather was not-too-cooperative for the June 27th unveiling of the Miracles on Maple Hill marker, the event was still full of old-fashioned fun, with nearly 200 people enjoying music, talks, book signings (photo above), and maple ice cream sundaes. In the photo below, Amy Hipple Bjork has the honor of unveiling the marker, located on Route 6N in Edinboro.

The women who made Oliver Hazard Perry’s “Don’t Give Up the Ship” flag remained steadfast to their task amidst the fear and tension of Erie preparing for war. The flagmakers shared the common bond of family (all were part of the Forster family) and quietly made their stitches while fathers, brothers, and sons engaged in the more obvious aspects of war as soldiers. They certainly had no thoughts beyond the immediate. While they hoped their work would inspire Perry’s men, they could not have known that the flag they made in 1813 would continue to speak through centuries, inspiring generations of naval officers as well as anyone who needs to stand persistent to win the day. While their work is preserved and exhibited at the US Naval Academy Museum, their names are not remembered there – it is on the state historical marker that they are finally brought out of the shadows.

East High JROTC joined Ship’s Company, US Brig Niagara 1813 to provide a color guard for the Battle of Lake Erie Commemoration. In honoring both the 1813 period colors along with our nation’s flag, we honor the fallen of the War of 1812 as well as the veterans and those who continue to serve today.

Dedication of the “Making of the Flag” marker took place on September 10th at the Erie Maritime Museum as part of the annual commemoration of the Battle of Lake Erie. While the service itself was solemn, there certainly was a sense of joy when the marker honoring the flag makers was unveiled. In the photo below, Forster Family descendants N. Lane Nelson and Becky Forster (center, left and right), along with Sabina Freeman (left) and PHMC Commissioner Craige Pepper Victor (right) reveal Pennsylvania’s newest marker. Descendant Nancy Gorman (far left) and Master of Ceremonies Jay Breneman (far right) applaud.

Still Waiting for that Autumn Chill

Less than two weeks to go in voting for your favorite among PA’s Top 10 Endangered Artifacts. Thanks to your help, a bust of Abraham Lincoln by coal sculptor C. Edgar Patience (Anthracite Heritage) and George Rapp’s cap and coat (Old Economy) are occupying the top of the list (Number 1 and Number 3 when I checked on Thursday afternoon). This is no time to let up! At least one other artifact is staging a happy hour click-a-thon to improve its standing. Such blatant politicking (that I totally wish I had thought of). Please vote as often as you can (financial support and social media shares are also greatly appreciated).

It’s been a couple of weeks since we posted a progress photo of the visitor center expansion at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, so here are two progress photos of the visitor center expansion at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum.

The top photo hows stonework being applied to the exterior of the building last week. On the bottom, the museum's logo is stamped on interior woodwork produced at the sawmill on site. Thanks to Jeff Bliemeister for the photos.


Speaking of photos, the fall foliage contest at Eckley Miners’ Village is still accepting entries. Eckley’s website has information on how to participate.

Lancaster County Museum Fest continues. Now through November 30, celebrate fall in Lancaster County with a wealth of museums, including three on the Trails of History—Ephrata Cloister, Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum, and the Railroad Museum of PA.

If you’re suffering withdrawal from War of 1812 coverage, you can read Paulette Dinniny’s interview with US Brig Niagara senior captain Walter Rybka on the Pennsylvania Heritage magazine website (the interview originally appeared in the Fall 2013 issue). Or you can follow the progress of ship repairs on Facebook.


Events this weekend include (Oct. 4 post listed events for the month):

• Bonfire at the Furnaces (10/19), Scranton Iron Furnaces
• Weiser Interpretive Sunday and Fall Park Walk (10/20), Conrad Weiser Homestead
• Heritage Day and Craft Festival (10/20), Daniel Boone Homestead
• Haunted Lantern Tours (10/18 & 19), Eckley Miners’ Village
• Mysterious Stories from the Ephrata Cloister (10/18 & 19)
• Trades Workshop – Basket Weaving (10/19), Old Economy Village (registration deadline was Oct. 16, so please call ahead)
• Open-Hearth Cooking & Cider Making (10/20), Pennsbury Manor

More of September

Social media notes: You can see in-progress photos of construction at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum on Facebook here. Check back often, as the building is coming into shape quickly.

Wednesday, September 18, is #AskACurator day on Twitter @AskACurator. You can find a list of participating museums here.

Video from GoErie.com

From the Parade of Sail, led by Niagara with Governor Corbett and the First Lady on board, to the fireworks, lighting of the Perry Monument, and the 1812 Overture, Tall Ships Erie 2013 (Sept. 5-8) was a rousing success. Thousands of people, including upwards of 5,000 school children on Friday, made their way to the bayfront to visit the ships, enjoy the water and sun, and learn a little history while they were at it. You’ll find a sampling of local coverage of the event here and here. On the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie, Sept. 10, NPR ran a story recorded during the special reenactment held on Labor Day (you’ll hear the voices of captains Walter Rybka and Wes Heerssen). Congratulations to everyone involved with pulling off these commemoration events.

If fiber arts are fun for you, check out Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum’s Wool Frolic tomorrow from 10 am to 4 pm. Details are here. While you’re there, be sure to visit this year’s exhibit, “I Thee Wed: Rural Pennsylvania Wedding Attire, 1830-1930.” I toured the exhibit last weekend with my mother and mother-in-law, and we all loved it. We learned a lot about the variety of clothing worn for weddings (from the types of dresses we’ve come to expect to “best” dresses that would be worn again). The exhibit cases in the center of the room allow for a 360° view of the dresses and suits, and stitch geeks can get an up-close look (please try not to press your noses against the glass). Case labels share brief biographical info about the wearers, along with copies of marriage licenses and wedding certificates. Additional exhibit cases and panels explore wedding portraits, wedding gifts, changes in fashion, accessories, and undergarments (egad, the corsets). A bobbin lace maker was set up in the exhibit space, and we enjoyed talking to her about her work. I realize that she’s not there all the time but thought it added a little something to our visit. The exhibit will be on view through Valentine’s Day, 2014.

Elsewhere this weekend, Conrad Weiser Homestead is one of the stops on the Berks Heritage Council’s 2013 Hidden Heritage Tour (event runs next weekend as well). Also of interest: Bushy Run Battlefield’s Fall Lecture (Saturday, 1 pm), the Ethnic Music Festival at Eckley Miners’ Village (Sunday, starting at 1 pm), and Sunday afternoon interpretive programming at Daniel Boone Homestead, Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, and Pennsbury Manor (times vary, so please check the individual websites for details).

Recapping

The National Endowment for the Humanities Blue Star Museum program for 2013 has ended, but free regular admission for active duty military members and their immediate families is offered year-round on the Trails of History. Click here for the list.

For this year’s Drake Day (August 24), the annual celebration of the first successful well drilled for oil, Drake Well Museum presented an 1860s-style circus—complete with jugglers, acrobats, and fire-eaters—plus a photo booth, art activities by the Titusville Council on the Arts, a vintage band organ brought by Debence Antique Music World, food vendors, storyteller Bill Stumpf, and a petting zoo. By all accounts, a great time was had by all at this first-time (probably not last-time) event. A special admission fee encouraged local families to enjoy a day of entertainment and visit the museum’s regular exhibits as well. Thanks to Bruce Pratt, who shared the video below on Drake Well’s Facebook page.





On the other side of the state, “William Penn” visited Penn Valley School to check out a new mural depicting Pennsbury Manor. Also, in advance of Pennsbury’s 75th anniversary as a museum, summer interns conducted research on the site’s history and posted some of their findings on the blog here, here, and here.

Photo via Pennsbury Manor's Facebook page

We’ve posted lots of info about the War of 1812 bicentennial on Trailheads. Flagship Niagara has spent much of the summer travelling to events around the Great Lakes. On Labor Day, the ship and crew were in Put-in-Bay, Ohio, for a reenactment of the Battle of Lake Erie featuring tall ships as well as quite a few other watercraft. Actor Billy Campbell portrayed Oliver Hazard Perry, transferring from US Brig Lawrence (played by the Windy) to US Brig Niagara (as herself). The Toledo Blade posted a gallery of photos from the event here.

This weekend is Tall Ships Erie 2013, with 10 tall ships, entertainment, and more. Go here for details. Niagara will return to Put-in-Bay next week for a wreath-laying ceremony on Sept. 10, the actual anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie.


Other events this weekend on the Trails of History include Mountain Craft Days (today through Sunday) at Somerset Historical Center, Founder's Day (Saturday) at Ephrata Cloister, and Sunday interpretive programs at Conrad Weiser Homestead, Daniel Boone Homestead, Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, and Pennsbury Manor.

Making and Sharing Memories

The Manor House at Pennsbury (site photo)

Pennsbury Manor opened to the public as a historic site in 1939. As part of the lead-up to the 75th anniversary, visitors (past and present) are invited to share their memories of Pennsbury on Facebook (here). Carol Hill recently stopped by to share the journal of her great great grandfather, Thomas Crozier, with Pennsbury’s staff and summer interns. The Crozier family built a home in the 1830s on the foundation of what had been the Penn family’s manor house (no longer standing by that time). The Crozier House was moved when the manor house was reconstructed in the 1930s (go here for a map showing the current location of the buildings). At last check, people are already adding their comments to the Facebook page.

Boot Camp 2013 Participants via PA Military Museum Facebook page

As they are in the habit of doing, Pennsylvania Military Museum shared tons of photos from their most recent Boot Camp for Kids event on Facebook. (You can find albums here and here.) This was the third year for the program; several kids have moved up in rank by participating multiple years. There is some serious teamwork going on in those photos and, just guessing here, some truly memorable experiences.

Bushy Run Battlefield monument and sculptor Wayne Hyde (photo by Janice Mullin)

Last weekend’s commemoration of the Battle of Bushy Run included the reenactments, encampments, sutlers, and historical talks that are a staple of this annual event at Bushy Run Battlefield. Special for 2013, the 250th anniversary, was the dedication and unveiling of a new memorial sculpture dedicated to all those who fought and died in the battle, which was part of Pontiac’s War. The sculpture and other commemoration activities were organized by the Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society, which operates the site in partnership with PHMC. A delegation from the Seneca Nation of Indians participated in the event. (The Westmoreland County Historical Society shared photos of Saturday’s activities on their Facebook page here.)

Parade of Sail, Tall Ships Erie 2010 (photo by John Baker)

With Tall Ships Erie 2013 just a month away, the Flagship Niagara League has announced the final program for the event, Sept. 5-8. There will be a wide scope of things to do (besides visiting the Erie Maritime Museum), with children’s activities, music, history talks, fireworks, and the opening Parade of Sail. (Go here for a detailed schedule.) 2013 marks the bicentennial of the Battle of Lake Erie, in which Niagara played a pivotal and decisive role. The ship has been out and about in the Great Lakes this summer at tall ship festivals in other cities (just took 2nd place in a challenge race from Duluth to Chicago), heads back to Erie to host TSE2013, then sails over to Put-in Bay, Ohio, for the official commemoration of the battle on Sept. 10.

Post-Charter Day Catch-Up

I don’t have an exact count, but it looks like upwards of 8,000 people visited the Pennsylvania Trails of History last Sunday to celebrate Charter Day. Free admission and special programs are usually a good draw, and this year was no exception. Many sites posted photos on their Facebook pages, much of which is shared on the PA Trails of History page here. Photos of the Charter Day event at Conrad Weiser Homestead are available here on the Trails of History Flickr photostream. At least a couple of people posted video of the Visitor Center grand opening at Washington Crossing Historic Park on YouTube below and here. Lots of photos and more on Facebook here.



In Other News…

Somerset Historical Center is accepting registrations for its annual Coopering Class, which will take place May 3-5 in the Haupt Education Center. The class, which is part of the Center’s mission of preserving and passing along traditional crafts, teaches participants techniques handed down from the 1800s, using hand tools only and resulting in a maple sugaring keeler (bucket). Past attendees have included men and women with advanced woodworking skills as well as those who were complete novices. You must be at least 18 years old to take the class. For more information or to register, visit Somerset’s website or contact education coordinator Kate Cordek at c-kcordek@pa.gov.

(If coopering isn’t your thing, you can find info on other hands-on learning opportunities for grownups and kids in the March program preview here, with more to come in April and beyond.)

Speaking of Somerset, just this week they were awarded $10,975 from the Somerset County Tourism Grant Program (funded through a portion of the local hotel tax). Congrats!

Coopering workshop 2011, courtesy of Historical and
Genealogical Society of Somerset County

As the bicentennial of the War of 1812 continues (look for more on the Battle of Lake Erie anniversary in future posts), you may want to beef up your knowledge of this important piece of our early national history. Flagship Niagara just posted a link on their Facebook page to the War of 1812 Bicentennial Network, which has developed a series of short films as part of the U.S. Navy’s official commemoration.

Also, this Saturday, March 16, will see the removal of Niagara’s winter cover, as the ship emerges from hibernation to get ready for another sailing season. If it sees its shadow, that means…uh…sorry, that’s something else. Anyway, if you’re interested in becoming part of the ship’s volunteer corps, show up at 8:30 am Saturday at the Erie Maritime Museum’s north entrance (the gate closest to the ship) or visit their website for more details on volunteer opportunities.

I hope you have a great weekend! Slainte!