Winter Time Blues?

David Sonnen took this and other photos of the Conrad Weiser Homestead in last weekend's snow (photo via CWH Facebook page)

This past week has ranged from snow to spring where I live, and the weekend ahead looks like something in between (with wind, yay!). Don't let 60-degree weather in February fool you, campers. Winter never gives up that easily. As much as I'm not a big fan of being cold, I do love to see the winter scenes at our Trails of History sites, like the photo above from Conrad Weiser Homestead. Winter is definitely a slower time on the Trails, but there's still plenty to do. Even at sites that are closed to the public for the winter there is lots of activity going on behind the scenes. So whether you want to get outside, stay inside, or both - don't forget to visit your favorite Trails of History sites in person and online. (Here endeth my stream-of-consciousness exercise - Yikes!)

We love our visitors, but some jobs are easier to do when folks aren't around for tours. That's particularly true of giving our buildings and exhibits a deep clean (as opposed to ongoing maintenance and upkeep). Recently staff at Pennsbury Manor and Old Economy Village, both closed to visitors during January and February, rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

I tried to come up with clever shift here, but I can't. The Pennsylvania Military Museum shared this post about the anniversary of the first computer, ENIAC, which originated as a tool for calculating artillery firing tables. If you're reading this on your phone, you have more computing power in your hand than this room-sized computer had. Wild.

Up Next

Today, February 18

• Snow-mobility Weekend (in-person), 10:00 am-4 pm, Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
• Ride your snowmobile from Susquehannock State Forest to the museum today, tomorrow, and Sunday (10 am-4 pm each day). Enjoy a pancake breakfast tomorrow only (10 am-2 pm) in the visitor center (Snow-mobility details)

Saturday, February 19

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

• Medicine and Disease in the 18th Century (in-person), noon-4 pm, Bushy Run Battlefield
• New exhibit opens today. Regular admission charged (Bushy Run info)

• The Dead of Winter (in-person), 5:30 and 7:00 pm, Graeme Park
• This program is conducted in the style of an early 20th-century seance, with a short historical discussion afterwards. Tickets are limited and reservations are required (Dead of Winter tickets)

Tuesday, February 22

• Sensory Hours (in-person), 3-5 pm, Railroad Museum of PA
• Light and noise levels will be lowered, and there will be several quiet spaces set up in the galleries. Several pieces of rolling stock will be open with staff on hand to answer questions. Registration is required (Sensory Hours ticket options)

• Pennsylvania Railroad Wooden Passenger Cars (virtual), 7-9 pm, The Railroad Museum of PA
• Take a virtual tour of coaches Nos. 3556, 8177, and 4639. Tickets are by donation (virtual tour tickets)

Wednesday, February 23

• Family Gallery Tour: Mammal Hall (in-person), 11:30 am-12:30 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Museum educators will use hands-on objects to help you learn about PA animals and their habitats. Included in regular admission (Gallery Tour info)

Thursday, February 24

• Winter History Class (virtual), 9 am-noon, Ephrata Cloister
• This week's topic is "Pennsylvania Dutch: The Story of an American Language." If you didn't register for the full course, you can attend today's session via Zoom for $10 (Winter History Class info and registration)

• Curiosity Kids (in-person), 11:30 am-12:30 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Learn about sleds and sleighs and how people in the past travelled and had fun in the winter. For kids in grades K-2 and included in regular admission (Curiosity Kids info)

• PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase (virtual), 7-8 pm
• This month's theme is Unique and Rare Objects. Panelists from 5 Trails of History sites will each have 5 minutes to present their object, then the audience gets to vote. Program is free, but you must register to receive the link (Collections Showcase info and registration)

Friday, February 25

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual), 12:15-12:45 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Curators Katie McGowan and Robert Hill will share the story of Mary Sharp Ward (1912-1989), who served with the American Red Cross during World War II. The program is free, but you must register to receive the link (Learn at Lunchtime info and registration)

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• Ephrata Cloister's Winter History Class continues each Thursday morning from 9 am to noon through March 31; if you didn't sign up for the full 9-week course, you can register to attend individual sessions via Zoom for $10 each (Ephrata Cloister website)
• Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, in cooperation with the Potter County Conservation District, will host "Conservationist Gardener Workshop" on March 4, 11 am-12:30 pm; the workshop is free and in-person, but you must contact the Conservation District to register (Conservation workshop 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)
• Drake Well Marathon, August 14 - this race is a Boston Marathon qualifier. Registration for a variety of categories is now open.

Taking Care of History

UPDATE SEPT. 1: Due to the remnants of Hurricane Ida, some sites and museums may be cancelling programs or changing operating hours. Always be sure to check ahead before visiting.

Please be sure to check the PHMC Events Calendar for information on upcoming programs (in-person and virtual). I've included highlights below. The Trailheads Rec Room pages to the right of your screen offer an array of online content generated by Trails of History sites. Also, if you're looking for a Covid vaccine provider, check out Vaccines.gov and enter your zip code.

Please note that staff and volunteers at Commonwealth of PA worksites, including the PA Trails of History, are wearing masks while indoors. Visitors are encouraged, though not required, to do so as well.

The annual Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day tribute at the Pennsylvania Military Museum takes place beneath two guns from the USS Pennsylvania (photo PMM)

As we've noted in this blog many times, the work of caring for the objects in our collections never ends (nor does the work of sharing those objects and their stories with our audiences and communities). Sometimes those objects are small and delicate. Sometimes they're, to reveal an insider term, "Big Metal Objects." This week the staff of the Pennsylvania Military Museum began a project to make necessary repairs to the Pennsy Guns, two 44-foot-long gun barrels from the USS Pennsylvania that are now displayed on the museum grounds (see photo above). The ship was at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and these guns saw action during World War II. Site administrator Tyler Gum explains, “After more than 10 years of exposure, the necessary adjustments, and improvements are certainly due, as they would be if the barrels were still aboard the Pennsy.”

Work will include the temporary removal of the barrels from their pedestals, allowing for repairs to be completed successfully and safely. Caring for these immense artifacts is a responsibility held by museum curator Jennifer Gleim. “The Pennsylvania Military Museum is lucky to be the stewards of these important pieces of history," said Gleim. “We ensure the safety and integrity of the barrels on display by performing yearly condition reports and upkeep, in accordance with standards provided by the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command.” Maintenance and repairs are performed by a team of engineers, architects, and historians. Once completed, both barrels will be remounted, allowing for continued interpretation and long-term preservation.

The Pennsy Guns being lifted into place at the museum in 2009 (photo by intern William Cawthern)

Upcoming Events (virtual & in-person)

Today, August 27

• Drake Days (in-person): enjoy some extras with your visit today & tomorrow marking the 162nd anniversary of Col. Edwin L. Drake striking oil in northwestern PA, Drake Well Museum & Park, 10 am-4 pm each day, included in regular admission (DWM Facebook post for details)
• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual): view "Witness to History: WITF's Tim Lambert and 9/11," a pre-recorded interview by State Museum Director Beth Hager, 12:15-12:45 pm (SMOP link for program)

Saturday, August 28

• Sawblades & Spinning Wheels (in-person): members of the local fiber arts community will be on site so bring your knitting, crochet, or other fiber projects, Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, 1-3 pm (PLM Facebook for info)

Sunday, August 29

• Last Sunday Sewing Circle (in-person): bring your sewing or embroidery projects and spend time with others who like to sew, Bushy Run Battlefield, 1-4 pm, repeats the last Sunday of each month, except Oct. (BRB Facebook post for details)

Wednesday, Sept. 1

• Explore! (in-person): kids in grades 3-5 are invited to learn about black bears, The State Museum of PA, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, included in regular admission (Explore! info)

Thursday, Sept. 2

• Curiosity Kids (in-person): learn about the basic motions of the Earth and the Sun that cause us to experience seasons, The State Museum of PA, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, included in regular admission, but space is limited (Curiosity Kids info)

On and Off the Trails

Sunflowers in the George Rapp Garden at Old Economy Village (photo via OEV Facebook)

Please be sure to check the PHMC Events Calendar for information on upcoming programs (in-person and virtual). I've included highlights below. The Trailheads Rec Room pages to the right of your screen offer an array of online content generated by Trails of History sites. Also, if you're looking for a Covid vaccine provider, check out Vaccines.gov and enter your zip code.

Old Economy Village was featured in the Uncovering PA blog recently. Their lovely sunflowers are featured at the top of today's post, but there's lots more to see there.



For National Relaxation Day, Erie Maritime Museum featured a painting by Joseph Plavcan called "Rowboats on Lake Pleasant." The museum collection includes other work by Plavcan, many showing water scenes from the region.



Fans of Drake Well Museum & Park have a chance to vote in the inaugural Oil Regional Alliance Tourism Awards. Drake Well is nominated as Best Landmark and Best Must-Do Activity in the Oil Region. Voting closes August 31.



Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum posted an object from their collection, an extra valve for Mattson's Improved Breast Pump, patented in 1868. Morris Mattson of New York received a patent for a breast pump in September 1868 and then for the improved pump that December.

Upcoming Events (virtual and in-person)

Today, August 20

• Learn at Lunchtime (in-person and online) - archivist Rich Saylor and State Museum Program Director Brad Smith will present "Witness to History: Col. Paul Evanko's 9/11 Field Notes," The State Museum of PA, 12:15-12:45 pm, included in regular admission for in-person attendees (SMP Zoom registration link for virtual participants)

Saturday, August 21

• StoryTime (in-person) - "The Case of the Missing Chalk Drawings" by Richard Byrne, The State Museum of PA, 10:30-11:30 am, included in regular admission and geared for kids age 2-PreK, sign up at the Ground Floor Information Desk (StoryTime info)
• Classic Car Cruise (in-person) - classic cars, music, food & drink, and more, Bushy Run Battlefield, noon-4 pm, event is free, admission rates apply for museum and battlefield tours (Car Cruise info)

Wednesday, August 25

• Explore! (in-person) - learn about the Pennsylvania Turnpike and map out your trip, The State Museum of PA, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, included in regular admission and designed for kids in grades 3-5, sign up at the Ground Floor Information Desk (Explore! info)

Thursday, August 26

• Curiosity Kids (in-person) - discover squirrels and other rodents, The State Museum of PA, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, included in regular admission and designed for kids ages K-grade 2, space is limited so sign up at the Ground Floor Information Desk (Curiosity Kids info)
• Digitizing a Community's History (virtual) - by digitizing local history materials, a community can bring their history and memories together in one place, Pennsylvania State Archives, noon-1:30 pm (info and webinar Zoom registration)

History: It's What We Do

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.

Monday, May 31, is Memorial Day. With current operating schedules, most Trails of History sites will be closed on Monday - but most are open this weekend, so please check the schedule of your favorite site.

The Pennsylvania Military Museum will be open from 10 am to 3 pm Friday through Monday - you can learn more about Pennsylvanians' military service while honoring those who did not return home from war. The monuments and memorials on the grounds are always a stark reminder of what it means to send troops into the fight.

Pennsbury Manor will be open for grounds-only visits on Memorial Day.

History Behind the Scenes

Yesterday, May 27, marked the 60th anniversary of Ephrata Cloister as a state property. As curator Kerry Mohn explains in the Facebook post below, "[I]n a brief ceremony in the Governor’s private office in the State Capitol, the deed for the grounds and buildings of the Ephrata Cloister was handed to Governor Arthur H. James, who in turn handed to the “heirs” of the Ephrata German Seventh Day Baptist Church a check for $15,000.00. The purchase also included artifacts."


Cornwall Iron Furnace recently shared an image of a map that has been a great tool for learning about the furnace complex and its environs. Reading this map and comparing to what's left to us today helps to document change over time. The community of iron furnace sites is a big one - this past weekend Cornwall staff participated in the 2021 Virtual Maryland Iron Festival, organized by Catoctin Furnace Historical Society (you can check it out on YouTube).


As you can see in this post from Old Economy Village, collections care involves many tasks, such as cleaning and inventory. Staff always try to be efficient by taking care of as many tasks as possible each time they touch an artifact. The work never ends.

Welcome Back!

Please check the PHMC Events Calendar if you're looking for virtual programs. I've highlighted events below, but there's more to see in the weeks ahead. The Trailheads Rec Room to the right of your screen has all kinds of online offerings. Enjoy!

Today's the day! Trails of History sites are officially reopening to the public and ready to welcome visitors. I've gathered some of the reopening posts on a separate page for general info. As we've noted before in this blog, most sites will be on reduced schedules (fewer days and/or shorter hours). You'll also want to know if you need to make an appointment for a tour or if there's a set schedule. In short, please take a look at the website of any Trails of History site you want to visit to get all the details (Trails of History page has links to all).

PHMC's requirements for safety measures can be found on the Welcome Back! page. We want to make sure everyone stays safe and healthy. Our staff and volunteers will do their part and we ask visitors to do theirs. Together we can get through this initial reopening phase and begin to get back to normal operations and programming.

PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase

Our next "What's in a theme? PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase" event is scheduled for Tuesday, May 11, at 7 pm EDT. The theme is Souvenirs and Swag. As always, our panelists will use the featured objects as starting points for a wide range of unexpected stories. The showcase programs are offered free of charge, but you'll need to register to receive the Zoom link (visit the Facebook event for details). What's that you say? You haven't seen one of our showcase events? Well, you can get caught up by visiting the Showcase playlist on PHMC's YouTube channel.

More Upcoming Virtual Events

Today, April 30

• Learn at Lunchtime, learn about the last documented mountain lion specimen collected in PA, The State Museum of PA, 12:15-12:45 pm EDT (SMP Facebook event to register)

Saturday, May 1

• They Fought Equally, a history of United States Colored Troops from PA, PA Military Museum, 2-3:30 pm EDT (PMM Facebook event to register)

Tuesday, May 4

• A Brief Intro to Wooden Shipbuilding (Part 1 of 4), Erie Maritime Museum & U.S. Brig Niagara, 6-7 pm EDT, additional programs on May 11, 18, and 25 (EMM Facebook event Part 1 to register)

Snapshots from the Week

Please check the PHMC Events Calendar if you're looking for virtual programs. I've highlighted events below, but there's more to see in the weeks ahead. The Trailheads Rec Room to the right of your screen has all kinds of online offerings--available whenever you need some entertainment.

See below for details on this month's Virtual Collections Showcase

If you're a regular reader of Trailheads, you know that a title like today's means you're in for a pretty random array of stuff. I mean, even more random than usual. Spring has sprung, so there were numerous posts from the Trails of History highlighting gardens and landscapes. Staff and volunteers are making preparations to welcome visitors in person again starting on Friday, April 30 (yay!). And Throwback Thursday is always good for some cool historical photos. So let's dive in, shall we?

News from the Trails

Lancaster Online reported on a writer who is walking from Washington, DC, to NYC. Neil King spent some time in the Lancaster area mid-week and posted on Instagram about his travels, including a twilight stop at Ephrata Cloister.

After catching a "mean game of softball" played by Mennonite ninth-graders Tuesday night, King capped off the eighth day of his trip in Ephrata. His final photo was of the Ephrata Cloister.

Posted by LNP + LancasterOnline on Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Old Economy Village's museum educator has been documenting and sharing the progress of an extensive capital project that will improve access at the site in all kinds of ways, including pathways, ramps, and an elevator.

From the Museum Educator: Here is a photograph of the new brick walkway leading to the cabinet shop.

Posted by Old Economy Village on Saturday, April 3, 2021

Gardens and More

Pennsbury Manor's historic gardens interpreter has been very busy with plantings this week.

Today's a BERRY big day in the Kitchen Garden! Our Historic Garden Interpreter Jessye is planting several 'bare root'...

Posted by Pennsbury Manor on Monday, April 5, 2021

The forsythia at Conrad Weiser Homestead is in full force.

Beautiful day at the Park!

Posted by Conrad Weiser Homestead on Saturday, April 3, 2021

Getting Ready to Reopen

The folks at Hope Lodge were doing some careful cleaning this week to get ready to welcome visitors. Operating schedules will vary by site, so please be sure to check ahead before visiting.

It’s cleaning day at Hope Lodge. Stay tuned for reopening details soon!

Posted by Historic Hope Lodge on Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Throwback Thursday 100 Years

Cornwall Iron Furnace shared images of Bethlehem Steel's Number Three Mine in Cornwall, which opened 100 years ago. The images are from the Dewey Bernard Archival Collection.

Happy Throwback Thursday! One hundred years ago Bethlehem Steel began to develop the Number Three Mine at Cornwall. ...

Posted by Cornwall Iron Furnace on Thursday, April 8, 2021

Upcoming Virtual Events

Today, April 9

• "Adventures in Nature Lab," learn about vernal ponds and the plants and animals who need them to survive, The State Museum of PA, 12:15-12:45 pm EDT (SMP link to register)

Tuesday, April 13

• "Historical Markers of the Lebanon Valley," Henry Deemer takes you on a tour of state historical markers, Cornwall Iron Furnace, 7-8 pm EDT (CIF Facebook link to register)

Wednesday, April 14

• Story Reading, "The Caboose Who Got Loose" (written and illustrated by Bill Peet), Railroad Museum of PA, 10-10:30 am EDT (RMP YouTube channel to view)
• "Dawn of Diesel Locomotives," Railroad Museum of PA, 7-8 pm EDT, tickets are by donation (Eventbrite link to register)

Thursday, April 15

• "Power of Steam," live virtual tour and demo, Railroad Museum of PA, 7-8 pm EDT, tickets are by donation (register on Eventbrite)
• "What's in a theme? PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase," this month's theme is Sports, 7-8 pm EDT (Facebook link to register)

Happy It's April

Please check the PHMC Events Calendar if you're looking for virtual programs. I've highlighted events below, but there's more to see in the weeks ahead. The Trailheads Rec Room to the right of your screen has all kinds of online offerings--available whenever you need some entertainment.

A lovely view looking out from the Sisters' House (Saron) at Ephrata Cloister (photo via Facebook)

April Fool's Day

Lots of museums posted on social media for April Fool's Day. I found two very different Trails of History posts (if I missed one, please let me know and I'll add it here).

Pennsbury Manor did a bit of virtual redecorating of their beehives.

Bee-roque Decor 🐝 Having run out of spaces in the Manor House to decorate, we've turned our attention to renovating our...

Posted by Pennsbury Manor on Thursday, April 1, 2021

And the Pennsylvania Military Museum joked about activating (with blanks, of course) the 14-inch guns from the USS Pennsylvania.

The 14-inch/45 caliber guns of the USS Pennsylvania are an appreciated spectacle at the Pennsylvania Military Museum. ...

Posted by Pennsylvania Military Museum on Thursday, April 1, 2021

Looking Ahead

The April edition of "What's in a theme? PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase" is scheduled for Thursday, April 15, at 7 pm. The theme is sports, in honor of the opening of baseball season. Many of the featured objects are related to baseball, but you'll also learn about boxing in the US Armed Forces and an International Ladies' Garment Workers Union bowling league. The program is free and will be offered via Zoom (more info and the link for registration is on Facebook).

The State Museum of Pennsylvania has announced the deadline for submissions to this year's Art of the State juried exhibition. Entries will be accepted online from artists and craftspeople from throughout Pennsylvania through May 28 at 11:59 pm. Visit the Art of the State page on the museum's website for details. The Art of the State exhibit is slated to open on September 26. 

Calendar of Virtual Events

Today, April 2

• "Artists Conversations," fine arts curator Amy Hammond with artist and educator Tina Williams Brewer, The State Museum of PA, 12:15-12:45 pm (SMP Facebook page to register)

Wednesday, April 7

• "Story Reading," How to Train a Train (by Jason Carter Eaton with illustrations by John Rocco), Railroad Museum of PA, 10 am (watch on RMP's YouTube channel)

Thursday, April 8

• "Virtual Field Trip to Harmony, New Harmony, Economy, and Zoar," Ephrata Cloister, 9 am-3 pm, $20 (Ticketleap link for tickets)
• "Talking Back: Women's Voices in the Oil Story," third lecture "Working Out of Bounds: Women's Labor in Pennsylvania's Early Oil Industry," Drake Well Museum & Park, 7-8:30 pm (link for registration)

Virtual Charter Day

Please check the PHMC Events Calendar if you're looking for virtual programs. Charter Day related events are highlighted below, but there's plenty of others on the calendar. The Trailheads Rec Room to the right of your screen has all kinds of online offerings--check it out when you're looking for something interesting.

First page of the 1681 Charter (photo via PA Trails of History Facebook page)

Fans of the Pennsylvania Trails of History are no doubt familiar with Charter Day, our annual celebration of Pennsylvania's birthday. In 1681, King Charles II, in payment of debts owed to Admiral William Penn, conveyed the land we call Pennsylvania to the admiral's son. Of course the story is far more complicated and includes lots of other people already living on this land. Still, it is a good day for us to highlight the history of the commonwealth and encourage people to learn more about it. This year, we'll celebrate online, since we can't yet gather in person. Starting on Sunday, March 7, and continuing through Friday, March 12, PHMC's website will have a special Charter Day 2021 landing page with links to planned activities (link added I'll add the link here when it's available, in the meantime the official press release has info).

Sunday, March 7

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania will debut 5 new videos that highlight each of the platforms in the museum's Rolling Stock Hall. The videos will feature rail cars and locomotives, new exhibit elements, popular features, and behind-the-scenes info.

• Track 1: Tahoe locomotive No. 20, Reading locomotive No. 1251, and TrainWorks interactive area
• Track 2: H&BT cabin car No. 16, John Bull locomotive, GP30 locomotive No. 2233, and Innovation Giants exhibit section
• Track 3: GG1 locomotive No. 4935, P58 coach No. 1651, Lotos Club Pullman car, and Track Workers exhibit
• Track 4: Shay locomotive No. 1, Snow Plow, H6sb locomotive No. 2846, and Railway Post Office/Mail Sorting exhibit
• Video 5: Restoration Shop and Pennsylvania Middle Division operating HO layout

Videos will be posted on social media and the Railroad Museum's YouTube channel, with a new video each hour from 11 am to 4 pm on Sunday, March 7. Once they premiere, you'll be able to find the videos on YouTube and the Railroad Museum's Facebook page.

The Anthracite Heritage Museum is offering a unique look at Pennsylvania history through stamps, with Tom Bowman, vice president of the Wyoming Valley Stamp Club and ambassador to the American Philatelic Society. The program will be live at 2 pm on Sunday, March 7, via Zoom (Anthracite's Facebook page has details).

Joseph Priestley House will post birthday greetings for Pennsylvania and Dr. Priestley, whose birthday is March 24, with video tours of several rooms in the house and a celebratory toast with Dr. Priestley's fizzy water.

The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum will open part two of "Then & Now," a virtual exhibit featuring archival photographs from the museum's collections alongside modern views of the same locations.

UPDATE: I'll list more site links here as I get more info. Check these out for Charter Day-related videos and more.

• Bushy Run Battlefield website and BRB Facebook page
• Conrad Weiser Homestead Facebook page
• Daniel Boone Homestead website and DBH Facebook page

Tuesday, March 9

In keeping with the theme for Charter Day, the March edition of "What's in a theme? PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase" will focus on birthdays and other celebrations. Folks from Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, Erie Maritime Museum, the Pennsylvania Military Museum, and the Railroad Museum of PA will do 5-minute presentations about objects and stories in their collections. Then the audience will get to vote on their favorite or the one they think best exemplifies the theme. The event will be live at 7 pm via Zoom (the Facebook event has details for signing up). A recording will be available later on PHMC's YouTube channel, along with recordings of previous Showcases (Showcase playlist).

For Your Viewing and Listening Pleasure

Please check the PHMC Events Calendar if you're planning ahead. The Trailheads Rec Room to the right of your screen has all kinds of online offerings; it's ready when you are.

I know many of you have been watching the virtual programs that Trails of History sites have been offering since the pandemic began last spring. If you haven't, let me try to entice you with some previews of upcoming offerings and some links to programs you may have missed.

The second episode of our new series, "What's in a theme?" is scheduled for Tuesday evening, January 26, at 7 pm. The January theme is winter and cold weather. Presenters from Trails of History sites will show objects and images from their collections and the audience will vote on the one they think best illustrates the theme. The program is free, but registration is required to get the Zoom link (registration info). If you missed the premiere in December, the food-themed first episode is available on PHMC's YouTube channel.

The following evening, the industrial heritage sites on the Trails of History are teaming up to present "Reel History: Pennsylvania Industrial History at the Movies," a new series that kicks off with an exploration of industrial development, labor, and social history themes in the 1970 film, "The Molly Maguires." Fun fact: Eckley Miners' Village was one of the anthracite region venues for filming. View the movie at your leisure (it's currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu, and YouTube), and then join the discussion via Zoom on January 27 at 7 pm (registration link).

The Sisters' House and Saal at Ephrata Cloister (image via Facebook)

Ephrata Cloister's popular Winter History class will be offered online this year, starting on February 4 and continuing through April 1. That's especially good news for folks who aren't in the immediate area. You can sign up for the whole series of classes or for individual sessions, as your interest dictates. The full schedule, with details on each class, is available on Ephrata's website, along with instructions for registering by mail or online.

If you just can't get enough sea shanties (or if you want an antidote to the Wellerman earworm), Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara reminded us all this week about their Spotify playlist, featuring sailor songs recorded by The Hardtackers (Facebook post).

Apparently there’s a new trend with social media and shanties? #didyouknow you can follow the Erie Maritime Museum on...

Posted by Erie Maritime Museum on Saturday, January 16, 2021

Many Trails of History sites post the recordings of their virtual programs to Facebook and YouTube for folks who don't get a chance to watch live. Recent additions from The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and Old Economy Village can help you spend a quiet evening or weekend afternoon learning something new and interesting.

Bring on 2021!

Please check the PHMC Events Calendar if you're planning ahead. The Trailheads Rec Room to the right of your screen has all kinds of online offerings, available whenever you need a taste of the Trails of History.

This will be the last Trailheads post for 2020, as we take a little break until after the new year. However you're celebrating in the coming week, I hope that you are safe, warm, have plenty of good food, and get to spend time with people you love, be it in person or remotely. As we wave goodbye to this unexpectedly awful year, I want to thank my colleagues for their inspiring and resilient work to keep history alive and well and in front of the public. And as we ring in 2021 with as much optimism as we can muster, I hope that we will soon be welcoming people back on site in person, while continuing to use all these new skills. Watch for news of new virtual events and tours coming in 2021.

Speaking of virtual programs, PHMC's first Virtual Collections Showcase went off without a hitch this past Saturday. Hosted by Josh Roth, site administrator at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, the program featured presentations by staff at Eckley Miners' Village, Old Economy Village, Pennsbury Manor, Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, and Pennsylvania Military Museum. Each site chose an object from their collection to illustrate this month's theme, food, and had five minutes to highlight their choice.

Screenshot of Eckley Miners' Village still with gallery of presenters

Objects included a homemade still, cookie cutters, a Long Island Cheese Pumpkin (living collections are part of what we do), a 1941 Christmas dinner menu from the Civilian Conservation Corps, and military rations. Several presenters shared recipes (check out boilo, gingerbread cookie, and pumpkin pie recipes, plus some bonus material). We had some lively back and forth among the staff, answering audience questions and building on each other's presentations. Near the end of the showcase, audience members had a chance to vote on their favorite object via a Zoom poll. The Eckley Miners' Village still and the Pennsylvania Military Museum's rations tied for first place and will share the PHMC championship belt until the next showcase.

We recorded the program and hope to have it available soon on PHMC's YouTube channel. We plan to offer these programs monthly and are finalizing plans for January. Keep an eye on the PHMC Calendar of Events for details.

You thought I was joking about the championship belt, didn't you? Kudos to Josh Roth.

Christmas Programming

There's still time to get your tickets for "Witness to History," this year's online version of Ephrata Cloister's popular Lantern Tours. Student historians will fill the roles of residents and field reporters on scene of the Revolutionary War hospital at Ephrata in the winter of 1777-78. WGAL 8's Jere Gish will anchor the broadcast, and there may be some breaking news. The program premieres Saturday, Dec. 26 at 7 pm, but ticketholders will have access to the recording until the end of the month. Purchase tickets via Ticketleap for $10 per viewing screen.

Pennsbury Manor has been counting down to Christmas on its Facebook page by exploring the "history of Christmas in William Penn's life and legacy." You can learn about how Chrismas was (and wasn't) celebrated in the 17th-century. You can also enjoy some modern celebration, such as this Christmas greeting from the Pennsbury Manor stables.

Selected Greetings from the Pennsylvania Trails of History

Starting today everyday has a little bit more of Light!

Posted by Conrad Weiser Homestead on Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Christmas is right around the corner. This is a piece from the Landis Family Collection....

Posted by Landis Valley Museum on Monday, December 21, 2020

It’s a silent night at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. https://rrmuseumpa.org @rrmuseumpa #rrmuseumofpa...

Posted by Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania on Thursday, December 24, 2020

From the Museum Educator: For my final post of 2020, I share with you a photograph I took of one of the front doors of...

Posted by Old Economy Village on Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Click here to watch the videos and to see other great videos! https://www.youtube.com/c/LandisValleyVillageFarmMuseum/videos

Posted by Landis Valley Museum on Wednesday, December 23, 2020

These are just a few of the friendly faces you might see at Historic Hope Lodge. As an all volunteer nonprofit...

Posted by Historic Hope Lodge on Monday, December 21, 2020

Throwback Thursday features Christmas Past at the Homestead! Most of our current traditions can be traced directly to...

Posted by Daniel Boone Homestead on Thursday, December 24, 2020

What's on Your Watchlist?

Please check the PHMC Events Calendar if you're planning ahead; I've highlighted some events below. The Trailheads Rec Room has all kinds of online offerings, available whenever you need a taste of the Trails of History.

Text reads: What's in a theme? PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase. This month's theme: Food! Saturday, Dec. 19, 2pm EST. Zoom registration link. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

It's not too late to register for the inaugural episode of our new series, "What's In a Theme? PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase," set for 2 pm tomorrow, Dec. 19. In tomorrow's program, staff from five Trails of History sites will present objects related to food, this month's theme. The audience (that's you!) will get to vote on which object best embodies the theme. We did a trial run of the program last month, and it was lots of fun. It's a quick way to learn about our collections, our sites, and our staff. Please join us for what is sure to be this season's breakout hit (okay, maybe I've had too much sugar, but you won't regret tuning in). Check out the Facebook event for more info and the registration link.

Last week's post included info about Cornwall Iron Furnace's Christmas at Cornwall 2020, which debuted last Saturday. In place of the on-site activities originally planned, site staff and volunteers created a series of videos that are now available on YouTube to watch at your leisure. They vary in length and topic. Since we're talking about food (when am I not?), I'll point out that two feature cooking demos and recipes.

• carving a wooden Santa Claus
• tour of the North Cornwall Carriage House (now a private residence)
• making cutout sugar cookies
• tour of the Cornwall Ore Bank
• miniature Cornwall Iron Furnace train layout at Cornwall Manor Retirement Community
• Christmas with the Freelands (gingerbread pancakes with lemon sauce)

Lantern light is an important part of December programming at Ephrata Cloister (photo by Donald Reese)

If you missed the Christmas at the Cloister virtual event earlier this week, you can still purchase a link to the recording (and support the site in the bargain). On Dec. 26, Ephrata will premiere this year's Lantern Tour program, adapted to a "You Are There" inspired virtual event. Student volunteers will play the roles of modern-day field reporters and 18th-century folks to tell the story of the Revolutionary War hospital at Ephrata in 1777-78. Local news anchor Jere Gish will be "in the studio" receiving the reporters' info (those of us of a certain age will remember Walter Cronkite in this capacity). The Facebook event has details and the link to purchase tickets ($10 per viewing screen). The event will livestream starting at 7 pm on Saturday, Dec. 26; ticket holders will have access to a recording following the livestream.

Happening Today

• The State Museum of Pennsylvania, noon-1 pm - Fine Arts Curator Amy Hammond will talk with artists Brian Skalaski and Amy Edwards, whose work is included in this year's Art of the State exhibit. Visit the Art of the State 2020 page to register for today's free Virtual Artists Conversation.
• The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, 7-9 pm - test your knowledge of history, geography, science & technology, sports, and popular culture at Virtual Trivia Night. Tickets are $10 for individuals, $30 for teams of up to 4 people, and $50 for teams of up to 8. Register online to get your party started.

The Week in Review

The July program page has info about online programs happening this weekend and next week (and a couple of deadlines for August programs). To help you plan ahead, I've also published the August page. For online activities available 24/7, check out the Trailheads Rec Room (to the right of your screen).

Members of the Accessibility Excellence Working Group during their online meeting (screenshot)

I spent yesterday afternoon meeting with colleagues working on the PA Museums and PHMC Accessibility Excellence project. PA Museums received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services last fall, and PHMC is partnering with them on this effort. We are developing an assessment tool to help museums and historical organizations measure their accessibility to the public and a resource kit to help institutions improve. As you might expect, COVID-19 has thrown us a significant curveball. On the upside, we have continued, with the leadership of project manager Jenny Angell, to refine the assessment and work to bring it in line with some other standards programs in the field. On the other hand, we had hoped by now to be piloting the assessment tool at PHMC's Trails of History sites. With uncertainty about when sites will reopen, we are considering a number of alternatives and (yes) pivots to keep the project moving.

Online meetings allow for document sharing in addition to the Brady Bunch experience (screenshot)

On a related note, Sunday, July 26, is the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), landmark legislation intended to make employment, government services, and public accommodations fully accessible to people with disabilities. Clearly, the work to achieve that is still ongoing. As part of their "ADA at 30" compilation, the New York Times spoke with disability rights activists Judy Heumann, Alice Wong, and Haben Girma for an article titled "What the A.D.A. Means to Me" and provided an overview, "'Nothing About Us Without Us': 16 Moments in the Fight for Disability Rights." To learn more about disability history and disability rights advocacy, check out the Disability History Association or Disability Rights PA.

The historic Saal at Ephrata Cloister (photo via Facebook)

Singer, educator and musicologist Chris Herbert will be on NPR's Morning Edition today to talk about his recording project, "Voices in the Wilderness: The Music of the Ephrata Cloister," which includes works by the earliest-known female composers in America. Herbert describes the project:

"In order to create modern transcriptions of the music for the recording, I visited 22 libraries, collections, and archives throughout the world to study and photograph Ephrata music manuscripts. I got to spend time in the Library of Congress, and it was there that I realized that one of the largest Ephrata documents, known as the Ephrata Codex, contains inscriptions that offer proof of authorship by three women: sisters Föben, Hanna, and Ketura.

Since this post won't publish until about 20 minutes before you can hear Herbert on NPR, I'll add a link to the recording here when it becomes available (NPR link added 7/26/2020). In the meantime, you can sample some of the music, which was recorded at Ephrata in the historic Saal (meetinghouse) last year.

This week also marks the return (finally) of Major League Baseball, although greatly curtailed due to COVID-19. Pennsylvania Trails of History shared a relevant artifact from the State Museum of Pennsylvania collection.



And here's a selection of posts from the past week - I noticed a theme of different types of work. I hope you have a chance to rest from your labors sometime in the coming week.

Ongoing Responsibilities for Our History

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

Last week's post, "Time to Listen and Think," contains a far-from-exhaustive list of resources for those wanting to learn more about anti-racism, history, and museums. I'll add another that became available this week: the American Alliance of Museums has shared the recording of a conversation that took place during their virtual conference last week. Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole (National Council of Negro Women Inc. and Baltimore Museum of Art), Lonnie G. Bunch III (14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture), and Lori Fogarty (Oakland Museum of California) spoke together about "Racism, Unrest, and the Role of the Museum Field." On a related note, this week the Smithsonian announced the receipt of a $25 million grant in support of their new "Race, Community, and Our Shared Future" initiative (press release from SI website).

PHMC's Trails of History sites are responsible for preserving tangible remains of Pennsylvania history and the stories and people connected to them. Here are a few examples that came up in my news feed this week:

Curating from Home

PHMC's Trails of History sites remain closed to the public until the Green Phase in accordance with Governor Wolf’s Process to Reopen Pennsylvania plan. During the Yellow Phase, the grounds can be accessed for passive and dispersed recreation. Visitors are to follow the governor’s guidelines regarding masking and social distancing, and gatherings are prohibited.

The May program page lists a couple of virtual programs at this point, and it contains a full list of links to Trails of History Facebook pages so that you can continue to enjoy our online offerings. You'll also find some of those offerings in the Trailheads Rec Room (see links in the sidebar to the right of your screen); new material gets added so that you can see the most recent examples. This week there's a new page for Videos, Virtual Tours, and Playlists.

Today's post is the third in a series from Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums curator Rachel Yerger. Rachel has been sharing insights and behind-the-scenes peeks at PHMC collections and the work that goes into caring for and learning about them ("A Glimpse Into Our Collections" on March 27 and "Focus on Collections - Mining PPE" on April 10).

Rachel Yerger, left, working with David Dunn to inventory collections at Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum in 2018 (I think)

How has the coronavirus changed the way a PHMC curator works? One big change is that many of us don’t have regular physical access to artifacts (total bummer). Don't worry, we are working with our site colleagues to make sure that the collections areas are secure and the environment is stable. But, since we don't have easy access to artifacts, our daily functions have pivoted slightly. Some curators have taken this time to work on research projects, write blogs, and update collection records. While many of these things aren’t quite as much fun as working with artifacts, this time at home has given us the opportunity to move forward with a major PHMC initiative, creating a publicly available online artifact database (which you can find by clicking the "Museum Collection" icon on PHMC's homepage).

Landing page for the Museum Collection portal (link to landing page)

A few years ago, the PHMC shifted to a new web-based collections management system. One major benefit of this system is that it allows us to publish artifact records online. Many curators are using this time at home to publish records for your viewing pleasure! Since our sites themselves aren’t currently accessible, we hope that these online collections will be a way for us to stay connected with the public, provide some comfort, and most importantly, allow us to share the story of Pennsylvania with a broader audience.

This is what a typical record looks like, with a thumbnail image and information about the object

Generally, when creating a record, we try to make sure to include a photograph of the artifact, a physical description, dimensions, date, and manufacturer/artist. When possible, we add some background information on the object, such as who owned it, how it was used, or why we think it is significant. This isn't always possible for each artifact, but we try to include as much information as we can before the record is published. We hope that the information provided in these records will help both researchers and history enthusiasts alike. The most exciting part of our online catalog is that many of these artifacts might not ordinarily be seen on exhibit, so it provides a behind-the-scenes look at PHMC's collections.

This is the search page - you'll find featured objects and instructions on how to begin your search

There are over 4,500 records currently available, and that number is continuing to grow. You can use the search bar to search for specific types of objects, or you can peruse by site or featured object groupings. The site is a work in progress, and we welcome feedback and suggestions about what we have published, or what you might want to see published. So, take a look and let us know what you think!