What's Up?

Pennsbury Manor shared this photo of site administrator Doug Miller during a recent homeschool visitation day at the site (photo via Pennsbury's Facebook page)

We know it's spring when the school groups return to the Trails of History. Although school visits haven't entirely recovered to pre-pandemic levels, most sites are expecting to once again help young visitors explore the history of Pennsylvania and the people who have lived here. Do you have fond memories of a field trip to one of our sites? Drop a note in the comments!

PA Museums, our statewide museum organization, recently announced the winners of their 2022 Special Achievement Awards. Among the awardees are two PA Trails of History sites. Ephrata Cloister was honored for their successful effort in 2020 to move their long-standing Christmas events online during the Covid-19 site closures (this effort was also honored in 2021 by the American Association for State and Local History). Receiving an S.K. Stevens Award for 2022 was Fort Pitt Museum's exhibit, Pittsburgh, Virginia. Congratulations to Ephrata Cloister, Fort Pitt Museum, and all the PA Museums award winners for 2022.

Speaking of sharing history with the public, June 1 is the deadline for nominations to the state historical marker program. New criteria were approved in September 2020, and the nomination process is now online through the PA-SHARE portal. The info you need is on the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) historical marker nomination page. The nomination page includes a link to a PA-SHARE tutorial if you haven't used the new site yet; please allow yourself time to navigate the process.

Up Next

Today, April 8

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual), 12:15-12:45 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Bert Myers from the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection will talk about PA's successful peregrine falcon reintroduction efforts. The program is free; register to receive the Zoom link (Learn at Lunchtime info and registration).

Saturday, April 9

• Pennsbury Manor and Bushy Run Battlefield will both be closed to the public April 9 and 10.

• Common Threads Fiber Arts Celebration (in-person), 9 am-4 pm, Somerset Historical Center
• Fiber artists and guest speakers will be set up throughout the museum, demonstrating specific techniques, providing hands-on activities, and educating visitors about a wide variety of fiber arts. Offered in partnership with Laurel Arts. Admission is $5; a local food truck will be on site with lunch options for purchase (Common Threads info).

• Rails & Ales (in-person), 6:30-9 pm, Railroad Museum of PA
• Craft breweries, food vendors (separate charge), and a world-class collection of trains. Ticket options include designated driver tickets. You must be age 21 or older to attend; valid ID required at the door. Advance tickets only (Rails & Ales info and tickets).

Sunday, April 10

• Online Benefit Auction Preview (virtual), Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum
• Today through April 16, preview items for Landis Valley's silent virtual auction. Bidding will take place online April 17-22. The LIVE benefit auction takes place April 23, starting at 5 pm (LVM Auction info).

Tuesday, April 12

• The Story of Telling the Cornwall Story (virtual), 7-8 pm, Cornwall Iron Furnace
• James Polcynski will present a history of Cornwall as a museum; 2022 marks the 90th anniversary of Margaret Buckingham's gift of the Furnace complex to the people of PA. The program is free; please register to receive the Zoom link (Story of Cornwall info and registration).

Wednesday, April 13

• Sensory Friendly Visit (in-person), 10 am-3 pm, PA Military Museum
• Background sound effects in the galleries will be turned off and volume on the orientation film will be reduced (captions always enabled). Reserved timeslots available on the hour between 10 am and 3 pm; payment can be made when you arrive (Sensory Visit info and reservations). Check PMM's event calendar for additional dates for sensory friendly visits.

• Family Gallery Tour: Mammal Hall (in-person), 11:30 am-12:30 pm, The State Museum of PA
• A museum educator will help families learn more about the animals in the dioramas using hands-on objects. Included in regular admission (Gallery Tour info).

Thursday, April 14

• Curiosity Kids (in-person), 11:30 am-12:30 pm, The State Museum of PA
• PA is the largest producer of pretzels in the U.S.; learn about the history of this snack food and test your pretzel twisting skills. For kids in grades K-2 and included in regular admission. Space is limited, so sign up at the Ground Floor Info Desk when you arrive (Curiosity Kids info).

• Ephrata Virtual Academy, 7-8 pm, Ephrata Cloister
• Tonight's program is "Easter Among the Pennsylvania Germans," exploring traditions of early German settlers in PA. The program is free; register to receive the Zoom link (Virtual Academy info and registration).

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• Somerset Historical Center's Coopering School for 2022 is fully booked, but there is a waiting list for 2023, or in the event of cancellations this year (Coopering School info and waiting list).
• Tickets are on sale now for Bushy Run Battlefield's Art and Wine with Henry! event on Saturday, April 23. Enjoy some history and view the work of local artists (Art and Wine info and tickets).
• On Wednesday, April 27, Graeme Park will host a lunch and learn program, "Forgotten Heroes - Women and the Fight for the Right to Vote." The program includes continental breakfast, a lecture, and a buffet lunch; tours of the Keith House will be available after lunch. Tickets are $35; reservations are required (Forgotten Heroes info and tickets).
• On Saturday, May 2, Old Economy Village will host "Unlock Your History," a program on researching your family history and deciphering clues in old documents. Cost is $15, which includes lunch (Unlock Your History info and registration).
• Railroad Museum of PA's STEAM on the Rails educational experience takes place May 19 from 10 am to 1 pm. The program is for school group students in grades K-6 and features learning stations throughout the Museum - interactive behind-the-scenes tours, a live steam deom, hands-on art activities, and presentations on historic railroading jobs (STEAM on the Rails info and tickets).
• Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum will offer living history tours on Saturday, May 21, based on the life and work of local inventor William Chester Ruth. Ruth was born in 1882 in Chester County; his father had been enslaved in South Carolina and his mother was a free woman of color. Ruth will be portrayed by actor Keith Henley of American Historical Theater. Tour times are 9:30, 12:30, and 3; advance tickets are required (William Chester Ruth Tour info and tickets)
• On May 22, Daniel Boone Homestead will host the Trails of History Run, which includes a 5K, 10K, and 1/2-mile fun run. There will be awards for 5K and 10K races, plus special awards for the best-dressed representation of the 1770s era. Advance registration is required (DBH trail runs info). Training runs for new runners start at 10:30 am every Sunday at the DeTurk House (near the front entrance gate off of Daniel Boone Rd).
• Drake Well Marathon, August 14 - this race is a Boston Marathon qualifier. Registration for a variety of categories is now open.

Summer Camps & Activities on the Trails of History

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

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

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

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

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

Waiting for Punxy Phil

Last weekend, the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum welcomed visitors to try out cross-country skiing and other winter activities (photo courtesy PA Lumber Museum)

Wednesday (February 2) is Groundhog Day. Will we get six more weeks of the above? Or will it be an early spring? Only Punxsutawney Phil (or any of Pennsylvania's other prognosticating rodents) knows for sure. My money's on six more weeks of winter, because it's Pennsylvania and it's February--but I've been wrong before. While we wait to find out what lies ahead, season-wise, here's a roundup of Trails of History site news from January.

PHMC's Keystone Internship program will take place this summer with paid in-person placements around the state. Openings are available for a variety of historic preservation, museum operations, collections care and management, and museum education and interpretation projects. Applications are being accepted through the NEOGOV online system through February 20. Interns must be at least 18 years of age and must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program (the application process requires an unofficial transcript). For details, visit the NEOGOV Internship Site and look for postings for "Keystone Internships."

The Pennsylvania Humanities Council recently announced the award of $1.4 million in funds to 92 organizations through the PA SHARP program, funded through the American Rescue Plan. Each grantee will receive up to $20,000 to strengthen their organization and will join the new PA SHARP Learning Network, which fosters resource sharing, networking, professional development, and mutual support. We are pleased to report that two PA Trails of History sites, Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum and Pennsbury Manor, were among the successful applicants. Congratulations!

Also on the awards front, Somerset Historical Center is the 2022 recipient of the Betty Haupt Memorial Tourism Award through the Somerset County Chamber of Commerce. It is awarded in memory of Elizabeth "Betty" Haupt (1918-1990), former director of the Somerset Historical Center, and a former member of the Chamber's Tourism Committee. It is given to a county resident or business that has made a significant effort to further tourism in Somerset County. Betty Haupt was instrumental in the early development of Somerset Historical Center and its eventual transfer to the Commonwealth. The Center, with its focus on the history of southwestern Pennsylvania, is a major component of tourism to the Laurel Highlands. Well done, all!

Brandywine Battlefield Park and Hope Lodge were featured in a recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer on the best museums in the Philadelphia region (hat tip to Kevin Horan at Hope Lodge for sharing the link). And Conrad Weiser Homestead was featured in a Washington Post travel piece that suggested folks visit Berks County as a less-busy alternative to Lancaster.

The Keith House at Graeme Park with its summer kitchen and kitchen garden in the foreground (photo via GP's Facebook page)

This year is the 300th anniversary of the Keith House, begun in 1722, and the folks at Graeme Park are posting lots of old photos and other images on Facebook to mark the occasion (Graeme Park's Facebook page). They'd also like to hear from people who have stories and memories of the site during its more recent history and have set up a Google Doc to gather that info (Graeme Park Memories Google Doc).

Two weeks ago curators from Drake Well Museum & Park and the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum participated in a program for the Boom Heritage Series, jointly sponsored by the Lumber Heritage Region and the Oil Region Alliance. It was in interesting look at relationships between Pennsylvania's lumber and oil industries and numerous ways in which they overlapped. If you missed it, you can catch the recording of "An Insider's Look at the Drake Well and Pennsylvania Lumber State Museums."

And finally, for today, Eckley Miners' Village is looking for help turning oral history transcripts into a searchable format to make them available for research. They've posted on Facebook with more information. Not a bad way to spend some time if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow next week.

Up Next

Today, January 28

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual): Janet Johnson, curator of archaeology, will talk about a piece of Rev War naval defenses recovered from the Delaware River in 2012; The State Museum of PA; 12:15-12:45 pm; program is free, but you must register to receive the link (Learn at Lunchtime info and registration)

Sunday, January 30

• Sunday Sewing Circle (in-person): bring your sewing or embroidery project and spend time with others who like to sew; Bushy Run Battlefield; 1-4 pm; program is free (Sewing Circle info)

Wednesday, February 2

• Explore! (in-person): celebrate Groundhog Day by learning about groundhogs and the science of weather forecasting; The State Museum of PA; 11:30 am-12:30 pm; for kids in grades 3-5 and included in regular admission; space is limited, so be sure to sign up at the Ground Floor Info Desk when you arrive (Explore! info)

Thursday, February 3

• Winter History Class (in-person and virtual): the 9-week class starts today with a brief history of Ephrata Cloister and a discussion of the Welsh Tract of PA; Ephrata Cloister; 9 am-noon; limited in-person registration is available for members who sign up for the full 9 weeks, non-members and folks who want to choose individual sessions can attend via Zoom (see Ephrata website for details and registration)
• Games & Puzzle Challenge (in-person): test your knowledge and skills with a variety of games and puzzles in the galleries; The State Museum of PA; 11:30 am-12:30 pm; included in regular admission (Games & Puzzle info)

Friday, February 4

• StoryTime (in-person): read One Dog Sleigh by Mary Casanova and create your own jingle bells; The State Museum of PA; 10:30-11:30 am; for kids age 2 to pre-K and included in regular admission (StoryTime info)

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• Winter Academy virtual programs will be offered by Drake Well Museum & Park on Feb. 10 and 17 (Drake Well Virtual Academy info)
• Rails and Ales: enjoy an evening of craft beer among the museum's historic trains at the Railroad Museum of PA, April 9, 5:30-9 pm; must be 21 or older to attend; variety of ticket options (VIP tickets are sold out), including designated driver tickets (Rails and Ales tickets)

Ready for Summer

Please be sure to check the PHMC Events Calendar for information on upcoming programs (still mostly virtual). The Trailheads Rec Room pages to the right of your screen have other online offerings that you may find interesting.

The Weaver's House (left) and God's Acre (cemetery at right) at Ephrata Cloister (photo via EC Facebook page)

The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) recently announced the recipients of this year's Leadership in History Awards. Ephrata Cloister was one of 38 history organizations from across the U.S. honored for their work in 2020. Last fall, in the face of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, Ephrata reimagined their long-standing holiday programs--some of them offered for more than 40 years--and recreated them for online audiences. The result was three virtual programs: "Candlelight Chat," a Facebook Live first person conversation with Ephrata Householder Michael Miller (you can watch it on YouTube); a 40-minute version of "Christmas at the Cloister" with photo collage of the Cloister and previously recorded music by the Ephrata Cloister Chorus, presented via Zoom and YouTube; and "Witness to History," a 40-minute film featuring Ephrata's Student Historians telling the story of Ephrata Cloister's role as a hospital in 1777-78, also shown via Zoom and YouTube. I'll also note that Ephrata has also offered numerous lectures as part of the Ephrata Virtual Academy series and adapted their popular Winter History Class to the Zoom platform. Congratulations to all involved on this well-deserved award.

Juneteenth

Tomorrow, June 19, is Juneteenth, marking the day in 1865 that enslaved people in Galveston, TX, learned that they were, in fact, free (information that had been kept from them by slaveholders). First celebrated the following year in Texas, Juneteenth has become a much more widespread holiday. It was declared a state holiday in Pennsylvania in 2019, and as I write this, President Biden is signing legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Many communities around the state will be celebrating Juneteenth tomorrow and organizations will be offering educational programs that help to put Juneteenth, slavery, and the ongoing struggle for racial equity into historical context. Here are some online resources you may find useful:

• The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC)
• A Juneteenth Reading List from KHOU in Houston, TX
• Juneteenth: A Time of Celebration & Reflection, a blog post from the PA Dept. of Education
• A National Collaboration Unites Black Museums in Celebration of Juneteenth, a blog post from the American Alliance of Museums

Weekly Wildlife Report

The lawn mower barely distracted this duo enjoying the grass at Brandywine Battlefield Park (photo by Ken Levin)

'Tis the Season

Last week's post has program info through Dec. 27 and the December program page has info through the 31st. If you really like to plan ahead, the January program listings are also available.

Still shopping? Your favorite Trails of History sites offer unique gifts in their museum stores. And through December 31, the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation (PHF) and The State Museum of Pennsylvania are offering a "Buy One Get One Free" membership deal. Renew, rejoin, or join, and you can gift a free membership of equal or lesser value to a friend, family member, or co-worker. Memberships included in this offer are Heritage, Individual, and Family (visit PHF website for details or to purchase online). All categories of membership include free regular admission to sites on the Pennsylvania Trails of History. (Please note, the gift membership must be for individuals or families who have never held a membership with PHF or The State Museum previously.)

It has been a busy December on the Trails of History. There were lots of holiday programs, but that's not the only news to report. But we'll get to that.

Holiday Programs

Somerset Historical Center held their third annual Ethnic Traditions Program, in which Somerset County residents present foods and customs from a variety of cultures. This year's presenters included Sotiris Aggelou, born in Greece; Anna Thomas, born in India; Grete Lowery, born in Austria, and her daughter Margot (Knupp) Daniels; Mark and Dianna Smith, descendants of 19th-century Irish, Scottish, and German immigrants to Pennsylvania; and Jamie Barron, whose great grandparents came to the U.S. from Stenico, a small village in the Italian Alps. All shared stories and most shared food (the Smiths played Scottish music) with program attendees. A printed program included information about each presenter and their traditions and introduced attendees to PHMC's 21st Century Museums Initiative.

Holly Nights at Pennsbury Manor, 2018 (from Facebook)

Pennsbury Manor's annual Holly Nights event (see Facebook photo album) is a longstanding tradition for many southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey families. Columnist JD Mullane had this to say in the Dec. 9 Intelligencer, after lamenting several unsuccessful attempts to create holiday memories with the kids:

But then the other night in Falls, I realized that we still have one family Christmas tradition of the variety I tried so hard to create — Holly Night at Pennsbury Manor, two nights always held the first week of December.

We’ve taken the kids to Gov. William Penn’s recreated summer house on the Delaware River since they were babies, and only because it was an inexpensive family outing, and always at Mrs. Mullane’s request. I took her there when we were still boyfriend and girlfriend. Despite nearly 20 years of Holly Nights, our kids still look forward to it — the paths lit by luminaries, pine and wood smoke on crisp night air. The dining room table set for an 18th century feast in the candle-lit manor house. The bell choir playing, the U.S. Steel Chorus, today called the Men of Harmony, performing “Little Drummer Boy.” (A bonus that received an extra ovation from the audience last week: three Men of Steel from the original choir are still singing). And the finale: tossing a sprig of evergreen into the small fire for good luck in the new year, and sipping hot apple cider.

Family traditions bring identity, unity and warmth, whether it’s Holly Night or finding the perfect tree at the farm. But you can’t force them, no matter how enticing and sentimental. There has to be some sort of magic in them that you can feel, but really can’t explain.

Carols around the bonfire at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum (via Facebook)

 Yet another firelit holiday event is Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum's Bonfire Night, which welcomes visitors for the price of some nonperishable donations for a local food bank. This year the weather was a bit damp and foggy, but many people still stopped by, including photographer Jennifer MacNeill, a regular at LVM events (see her album of Bonfire Night photos here).

Kids of all shapes and sizes enjoyed the Christmas program at Bushy Run Battlefield (photo Michael Tusay)

Other December Happenings

The annual Pearl Harbor remembrance took place at the Pennsylvania Military Museum on Dec. 7. The museum shared images on their Facebook page (below) and WTAJ provided local coverage.

The Anthracite Heritage Museum opened a new exhibit on photographers working in the anthracite region and also announced the winners of the accompanying photo contest (below). Local news highlighted one of the winners, Megan Rusonis.

And finally, we're ending the year on a high note with the announcement that several Trails of History sites will be among the honorees when PA Museums presents the 2019 Special Achievement Awards at their annual conference in April. Institutional Achievement Awards will go to: U.S. Brig Niagara/Flagship Niagara League (homeport Erie Maritime Museum) for "Waves of the Past, Sailors of the Future"; Old Economy Village for "Bringing History Alive at Old Economy Village"; and The State Museum of Pennsylvania for "Restoration and Reinterpretation of Mammal Hall." Sarah Buffington, curator at Old Economy Village, and Hope W. Kopf, volunteer at Joseph Priestley House, will be honored with Individual Awards recognizing their contributions and good work. Visit the PA Museums website for the full list of honorees for 2019. Congratulations to all! And to all, a good night.

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.

Honoring Volunteers for Service in 2016

The April program page has info on events this weekend, and the May page is up for those of you who like to plan ahead.

On Saturday, April 22, folks from all over the Trails of History gathered at The State Museum of Pennsylvania to celebrate our Volunteers of the Year for service in 2016. PHMC Commissioners Ophelia Chambliss, Bill Lewis, and Fred Powell joined James Vaughan, PHMC executive director, Brenda Reigle, director of the Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums, and Beth Hager, director of The State Museum, to present resolutions, volunteer pins, and complimentary family memberships in the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation. Most of our attendees were able to be on hand for this festive occasion.

The honorees are pictured below, and there is a link for each so that you can read more about their volunteer activities. Please join me in congratulating them and thanking them for their support of PHMC's historic sites and museums.

Maureen McGuigan and Alysia Scazafabo-Adam, Anthracite Heritage Museum & Scranton Iron Furnaces (citation)

Ralph Denlinger, Brandywine Battlefield Park (citation)

Margaret Herron, Bushy Run Battlefield (citation)

Harold Taylor, Conrad Weiser Homestead (citation)

Maxine Coopey, Cornwall Iron Furnace (citation)

Deb Drager, Daniel Boone Homestead (citation)

Jane Bradshaw, Drake Well Museum (citation)

Gina Gibbon, Eckley Miners' Village (citation)

Cathie Oliphant, Ephrata Cloister (citation)

Bill Koehle, Erie Maritime Museum & U.S. Brig Niagara (citation)

Diane Horan, Graeme Park (citation)

Hope Webster Kopf, Joseph Priestley House (citation)

Carol Vogt and Dee Perry, Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum (citation)

Sandy Smailer, Old Economy Village (citation)

Val Long and Steve Ringel, Pennsbury Manor (citation)

Carola Glennon, PA Lumber Museum (citation)

Scott Davis, PA Military Museum (citation)

Stu Jack, Railroad Museum of PA (citation)

Terry Werner (2nd from right), Somerset Historical Center (citation)

Merikay Wood, State Museum of PA (citation)

Outstanding Service Award, John "Augie" Holtz, Drake Well Museum and Park (citation)

In the News and Coming Up

There's still stuff to do in September on the Trails of History - check out the monthly program page. I plan to have the October listing available next week.

(from left) Julia Rose, AASLH Chair; Josh Roth, site administrator, PA Lumber Museum; John Dichtl, AASLH President and CEO (photo via AASLH Facebook page)

The Bradford Era picked up the story of the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum's core exhibit receiving a Leadership in History Award from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). Site administrator Josh Roth was in Detroit last week to receive the award on behalf of the museum and PHMC.

The Ephrata Area Chamber of Commerce is holding a history-themed murder mystery event on Oct. 1 (since I won't have the October program listing up until late next week, I'm mentioning it now). The action of the story is set in 1941, the year Ephrata celebrated its 50th birthday (they're celebrating their 125th this year) and the beginnings of restoration work at Ephrata Cloister were getting underway. Michael Showalter, museum educator at Ephrata Cloister, wrote the script for the murder mystery event, weaving together borough and Cloister history - some vignettes will take place at Ephrata Cloister. If you're interested in attending, you can find out more info in an article in the Ephrata Review.

The Daily Item (Sunbury) last weekend included two articles on a new children's exhibit and education area at the Joseph Priestley House, which explores what life was like for families other than the Priestleys who lived in Northumberland and surrounding areas in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In other Priestley House developments, the third in a series of videos about Dr. Priestley's scientific work identifying and isolating various gases is now available. Each video provides historical information on Priestley's work and shows experiments in a modern laboratory. The most recent video focuses on nitrous oxide and was partially funded by the Dept. of Anesthesiology at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center (previous videos covered carbon monoxide and ammonia).

Walter's Mill Covered Bridge at Somerset Historical Center (photo by Janice Mullin)

Earlier this week I got around to checking my Google Alerts folder (it had been several weeks), I found an article from the Fort Morgan (Colorado) Times about a local 4-H group that visited western Pennsylvania in July. Among the many sites they visited was Somerset Historical Center, and the article includes a photo of the students in front of the Walter's Mill Covered Bridge. Coincidentally (?) there was a more recent story about a new self-guided tour brochure for Somerset County. The Bridges of Somerset County brochure and map, supported by the Somerset County Tourism Grant Program, lists covered bridges and historic sites as well as recreational trails and other points of interest (you can download a copy of the brochure online).

PHMC curators log in for Ask A Curator

Many thanks to PHMC Social Media Manager Sean Adkins for this post on the upcoming #AskACurator Day. If you're looking for PA Trails of History activities, the September program page will help you decide.

Next week, three curators stationed at historic sites across Pennsylvania are taking off the gloves. Well, only if they’re wearing gloves will they need to take them off. Sometimes, curators don’t wear…the point is that Sue Beates, Bruce Bomberger and Sue Hanna have graciously volunteered to take part in Ask A Curator Day on Wednesday, Sept. 14. So far, more than 1,000 museums and historic sites from all corners of the world have signed on for Ask A Curator Day, a social media event geared toward engaging the public and connecting them with museum staff.

Essentially, Ask A Curator is a Twitter-based Q&A that serves as a venue where curators and people can chat about nearly anything that piques their curiosity. Questions may range from the silly (“Do exhibits really come alive at night, after the museum is closed?") to the more serious (“Where do get your ideas for exhibits?”). Last year, our curators had fun answering a host of great questions.

And don’t be shy about sharing photos and videos. Often, residents share with us their Pennsylvania stories ranging from how their relatives toiled in the mines near Pittsburgh to the Native American pottery that’s been passed down from one generation to the next. Curators want to learn those histories and, in the process, might be able to offer a few previously unknown facts and interpretations. Just remember to submit your questions via Twitter with the #AskACurator hashtag. Have questions now that you want to ask? No problem. Send your questions now to info@patrailsofhistory.com and our curators will supply the answers on Ask A Curator Day.

At this point, you’re likely wondering which Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission curators will be taking off their gloves long enough to field your questions. Well, we’ve put together a strong lineup packed with the most knowledgable curators.

Here’s the who, where and when you’ll be speaking with on Sept. 14:

Drake Well curator Sue Beates (front) and collections volunteer Toni Urey

Who: Please join Susan Beates, curator at the Drake Well Museum and Park in Titusville, Pa., as she shares her knowledge of the History of the Pennsylvania Oil Industry. Susan has a Master of Arts in Public History from West Virginia University and Bachelor of Arts in History & Folk Arts from the same university.  She's been floating in oil since February 1998. She will be joined by collections volunteer Toni Urey.

Where: @DrakeWellMuseum

When: 11 to 11:45 a.m.

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum curator Bruce Bomberger

Who: Join Bruce Bomberger, curator at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum in Lancaster, Pa., as he answers questions about the Landis brothers, their lives, motivations and the collection preserved at the historic site. Bomberger, who has worked for PHMC since 1984, holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Lebanon Valley College, a Master of Arts in American History from Penn State University and a doctorate in American history from Lehigh University. He has prepared museum exhibits on agricultural technology, local inventors, African-American history, Pennsylvania German traditions, the Landis family and the Pennsylvania long rifle.

Where: @LandisValley

When: 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.

PHMC regional curator Sue Hanna

Who: Join Sue Hanna, regional curator for PHMC’s Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums, who will discuss the recently installed core exhibit at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum. The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) selected “Challenges and Choices in Pennsylvania’s Forests” as a 2016 Leadership in History award winner. This exhibit explores six time periods, from 800 BCE through the present, with the goal of illustrating the intended and unintended consequences of human interaction with the forest. Sue, who was part of the team that developed “Challenges and Choices in Pennsylvania’s Forests,” holds a graduate degree in American Civilization (Material Culture) from the University of Pennsylvania.   

Where: @PHMC

When: 3 to 3:45 p.m.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Many PA Trails of History sites will be open on Monday, Sept. 5, for Labor Day (list of open sites).

The full September program line-up is now available (I'll try to update as I get more info throughout the month). So much to do as fall approaches.

Intro Gallery, "Challenges and Choices in Pennsylvania's Forests" (photo by David Fox, Hilferty & Associates)

I am pleased and proud to announce that the new core exhibit at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum will receive a Leadership in History Award from the American Association for State and Local History at its annual meeting later this month. The official press release provides more details. Site administrator Josh Roth will represent the museum and the exhibit team in Detroit. Earlier this year, the exhibit and building expansion/renovation received was recognized by PA Museums. The exhibit will be a focus of discussion on Sept. 13 during PHMC's participation in #AskACurator day 2016 (stay tuned for more details on that next week).

If you live in the Lancaster area and are a public, private, or homeschool student age 14 or older, you might want to bring a parent or guardian to historic Ephrata Cloister Thursday evening, Sept. 8, to learn more about the Student Historian program. Volunteer student historians meet weekly after school to learn about site and regional history and prepare to share it with the public, primarily during the annual Lantern Tour program in late December. Work with primary research sources and material culture, hone your public speaking skills, and make a significant contribution to education in your community. Students or parents/guardians who want to know more may contact Michael Showalter, mishowalter@pa.gov or 717/733-6600.

Student Historian Jeremy talks with visitors during Ephrata Cloister Lantern Tours program

This weekend:

• on Sat. (9/3), the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum will host a community yard sale in their parking lot (and did I mention we have an award-winning exhibit that you ought to stop in to see as well?)
• on Sun. (9/4), Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum will offer make-your-own ice cream sundaes and loads of other fun stuff included in regular admission
• on Labor Day (9/5), the Pennsylvania Military Museum will include a guided tour in regular admission at 11 am and 1 pm

However you choose to spend this weekend, please be safe and responsible. That is all.

Volunteers of the Year!

Looking for something to do this weekend? Be sure to visit the April program page for ideas.

We've come to the end of National Volunteer Week and the middle of National Volunteer Month, so let's take a look at how sites on the Trails of History are celebrating. A number of sites are highlighting their volunteers on social media - so far I've seen posts from Ephrata Cloister, Hope Lodge, Pennsbury Manor, PA Trails of History, Railroad Museum of PA, State Museum of PA, and Washington Crossing Historic Park.

Honorees, presenters, and guests, April 9, 2016 (photo by Don Giles)

On Saturday, April 9, we gathered at the State Museum of Pennsylvania to honor all PHMC volunteers and to recognize the Volunteer of the Year honorees for service in 2015. Despite the April snow that kept some attendees from making the trip to Harrisburg, it was a festive day. There were many smiling faces as we celebrated the diversity of contributions made by volunteers to the sites on the Trails of History. PHMC Executive Director James Vaughan and Commissioner Fredrick Powell presented each honoree with a resolution from the PHMC, a volunteer pin, and a one-year complimentary membership in the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation. Citations were read by Brenda Reigle, director of the Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums, and Beth Hager, interim director of the State Museum. Following a light lunch, many of the attendees enjoyed touring the State Museum with Dr. Curt Miner, curator, and volunteer coordinator Amy Jukus.

The honorees are pictured below, and there is a link for each so that you can read more about their activities. Please join me in congratulating them and thanking them for their support of PHMC's historic sites and museums.

Outstanding Service Award (photo by Don Giles)
L to R: Commissioner Fred Powell, honorees Courtney, Patty, and Bob Clendennen, PHMC Executive Director James Vaughan (text of citation)

David Berk (in memoriam), Anthracite Heritage Museum & Scranton Iron Furnaces (citation)

John Amspacher, Brandywine Battlefield Park (citation)

Wendy Stier, Bushy Run Battlefield (citation)

Kim Otto, Conrad Weiser Homestead (citation)

Don Beck, Cornwall Iron Furnace (citation)

Beverly Connor, Daniel Boone Homestead (citation)

Paul Adomites, Drake Well Museum (citation)

Regina Drasher, Eckley Miners' Village (citation)

Jane Koch, Ephrata Cloister (citation)

Jeanne Baker, Erie Maritime Museum & U.S. Brig Niagara (citation)

Carol Brunner, Graeme Park (citation)

John A. Smith, Jr., Hope Lodge (citation)

Michael Kuhns, Joseph Priestley House (citation)

Gloria Stevens, Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum (citation)

Eileen Gross, Old Economy Village (citation)

Ron Schmid, Pennsbury Manor (citation)

Sam Cooke, PA Lumber Museum (citation)

Thomas Gray, PA Military Museum (citation)

Doug O'Brien, Railroad Museum of PA (Craig Benner photo) (citation)

Kathy Murdy, Somerset Historical Center (citation)

Toni Donchak, State Museum of PA (citation)