Von's No Idle Hands Needlework

2011 Demonstration Schedule

2011-01-19T18:13:00.000-08:00

This coming year I will be trimming back my demonstrations. As of this moment I am thinking of only doing the following:
Northumberland History Day - May
Danville Iron Days - July
Bloomsburg Fair first saturday only - Sept
Warror Run Fort Freeland Heritage days probably only saturday - October

Minutemen Stitchers

2009-09-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

Last night we was going to Sam's Club and decided to see where the Civil War demonstration was. When we drove into the recreation area where it was to be held, the fellow asked if we wanted to set up and demonstrate needlework today. We asked some questions and said that we were like the Minutemen and can be ready to demonstrate in a minute. So we registered so we could demonstrate today. After we got home from Sam's Club and unloaded the car of what we got there, we loaded the car with our demonstration supplies. This morning we loaded Tony's needlework up and hopped in the car, off we went to the demonstration.

It was a perfect day to demonstrate, we set up the EZ up and arranged our supplies and chairs. Then it was relaxing just sitting there doing my bobbin lace and Tony his cross stitching. Several people stopped and talked about my bobbin lace and Tony's stitching. They loved his picture he done for the apprentice auction at Warrior Run Fort Freeland Heritage Days Oct 3-4. I even saw several people I hadn't seen in a long time. One of them sat and talked quite a while. It feels great to be able to talk to old friends, I guess that is what getting old is all about (to think we that the hokey pokey was what is was all about).

We could go back tomorrow and set up again but I think we will stay home and do some things that I want to get done before the next demonstration.

The Rest of The Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-08-04T16:38:00.000-07:00

Here is the rest of the Pennsylvania Historical Tour: I really enjoyed researching the places to tour.
My history teacher back in high school would really be proud of me loving history like I do. Just think back in school I would knit during history class. Mr Mathias would tell me to stop knitting and sit on my hands. The other year I had the chance to talk to him during one of our demonstrations. I said, " See Mr Mathias knitting does go with history."

Johnstown Flood
Jonathan Pidcock
The Cobbler Shop
The Last Raft

Johnstown Flood -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnstown_Flood
The Johnstown Flood disaster (or Great Flood of 1889 as it became known locally)
occurred on May 31, 1889. It was the result of the failure of the South Fork Dam
situated 14 miles (23 km) upstream of the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA,
made worse by several days of extremely heavy rainfall. The dam's failure
unleashed a torrent of 20 million tons of water (4.8 billion U.S. gallons; 18.2
million cubic meters; 18.2 billion litres). The flood killed over 2,200 people
and caused US$17 million of damage. It was the first major disaster relief
effort handled by the new American Red Cross, led by Clara Barton. Support for
victims came from all over the United States and 18 foreign countries. After the
flood, victims suffered a series of legal defeats in their attempt to recover
damages from the dam's owners. Public indignation at that failure prompted a
major development in American law—state courts' move from a fault-based regime
to strict liability.[citation needed]
History
Founded in 1800 by Swiss immigrant Joseph Johns, Johnstown began to prosper with
the building of the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal in 1836 and the arrival of the
Pennsylvania Railroad and the Cambria Iron Works in the 1850s. By 1889,
Johnstown was a town of Welsh and German immigrants. With a population of
30,000, it was a growing industrial community known for the quality of its
steel. The high, steep hills of the narrow Conemaugh Valley and the Allegheny
Mountains range to the east kept development close to the riverfront areas, and
subjected the valley to large amounts of runoff from rain and snowfall. The area
surrounding Johnstown is prone to flooding due to its position at the confluence
of the Stony Creek and Little Conemaugh River, forming the Conemaugh River,
whose upstream watersheds include an extensive drainage basin of the Allegheny
plateau. Adding to these factors, artificial narrowing of the riverbed for the
purposes of early industrial development made the city even more flood-prone.
The Conemaugh River immediately downstream of Johnstown is hemmed in by steep
mountainsides for approximately ten miles. Today, a plaque at the scenic
overlook on Pennsylvania Route 56 about four miles outside of Johnstown cites
this gorge as the deepest river gap in the entire United States east of the
Rocky Mountains.
South Fork Dam and Lake Conemaugh
High above the city, near the small town of South Fork, the South Fork Dam was
originally built between 1838 and 1853 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as
part of a canal system to be used as a reservoir for a canal basin in Johnstown.
With the coming-of-age of railroads superseding canal barge transport, the lake
was abandoned by the Commonwealth, sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad, and sold
again to private interests.
Henry Clay Frick led a group of speculators including Benjamin Ruff to purchase
the abandoned reservoir, modify it, and convert it into a private resort lake
for the wealthy of Pittsburgh, many of whom were closely associated with
Carnegie Steel. The changes included lowering the dam to make its top wide
enough to hold a road, putting a fish screen in the spillway (that also trapped
debris), and lowering the lake's level. These alterations are thought to have
increased the vulnerability of the dam. They built cottages and a clubhouse to
create the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, an exclusive and secretive
mountain retreat. Membership grew to include over 50 wealthy Pittsburgh steel,
coal, and railroad industrialists.
Lake Conemaugh at the club's site was 450 feet (140 m) in elevation above
Johnstown. The lake was about 2 miles (3.2 km) long, approximately 1 mile
(1.6 km) wide, and 60 feet (18 m) deep near the dam. The lake had a perimeter of
7 miles (11 km) to hold 20 million tons of water. When the water was at its
highest point in the spring, the lake covered over 400 acres (160 ha).
The dam was 72 feet (22 m) high and 931 feet (284 m) long. Between 1881 when the
club was opened, and 1889, the dam frequently sprang leaks and was patched,
mostly with mud and straw. Additionally a previous owner removed and sold for
scrap the 3 cast iron discharge pipes that previously allowed a controlled
release of water. There had been some speculation as to the dam's integrity, and
concerns had been raised by the head of the Cambria Iron Works downstream in
Johnstown. Carnegie Steel's chief competitor, the Cambria Iron and Steel
Company, at that time boasted the world's largest annual steel production.
However, no major corrective action was taken, and the flawed dam held the
waters of Lake Conemaugh back until the disaster of May 31, 1889.
The Great Flood of 1889
On May 28, 1889, a storm formed over Nebraska and Kansas, moving east. When the
storm struck the Johnstown-South Fork area two days later it was the worst
downpour that had ever been recorded in that part of the country. The U.S. Army
Signal Corps estimated that 6 to 10 inches (150 to 250 mm) of rain fell in 24
hours over the entire region. During the night small creeks became roaring
torrents, ripping out trees and debris. Telegraph lines were downed and rail
lines were washed away. Before daybreak the Conemaugh River that ran through
Johnstown was about to burst its banks.
On the morning of May 31, 1889, in a farmhouse on a hill just above the South
Fork Dam located about 14 miles (23 km) upstream, Elias Unger, the president of
the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club at the time, awoke to the sight of Lake
Conemaugh swollen after a night-long heavy rainfall. Unger ran outside in the
still-pouring rain to assess the situation and saw that the water was nearly
cresting the dam. Unger quickly assembled a group of men to try to save the face
of the dam by trying to unclog the spillway which was blocked by the broken fish
trap and debris caused by the swollen waterline. Other men tried digging another
spillway at the other end of the dam to relieve the pressure but without
success. Most remained on top of the dam, some plowing earth to raise it, while
others tried to pile mud and rock on the face to save the eroding wall.
During the day, the situation worsened as water rose to as much as 10 feet
(3.0 m) in the streets of Johnstown. Then at around 3:10 PM (15:10), the South
Fork Dam burst, allowing the 20 million tons of Lake Conemaugh to cascade down
the Little Conemaugh River. It took about 40 minutes for the entire lake to
drain of the water. The first town to be hit by the flood was the small town of
South Fork. Fortunately, the town was on high ground and most of the people ran
further up the nearby hills when they saw the dam literally spill over. Despite
20 to 30 houses being destroyed or washed away, only four people were killed.
On its way downstream towards Johnstown, the crest picked up debris, such as
trees, houses, and animals. At the Conemaugh Viaduct, a 78-foot (24 m) high
railroad bridge, the flood temporarily was stopped when debris jammed against
the stone bridge's arch. But after around seven minutes, the viaduct collapsed,
allowing the flood to resume its course. Because of this, the force of the surge
gained renewed impetus, resulting in a stronger force hitting Johnstown than
otherwise would have been expected. The small town of Mineral Point, one mile
(1.6 km) below the Conemaugh Viaduct, was hit with this renewed force. About 30
families lived on the village's single street. After the flood, only bare rock
remained. About 16 people were killed.
The village of East Conemaugh was next to be hit by the flood. One witness on
high ground near the town described the water as almost obscured by debris,
resembling "a huge hill rolling over and over". Train engineer John Hess,
sitting in his locomotive engine, heard the rumbling of the flood and, correctly
assuming what it was, tried to warn people by tying down the train whistle and
racing toward the town by riding backwards to warn the residents ahead of the
wave. His warning saved many people who were able to get to high ground. But at
least 50 people died, including about 25 passengers stranded on trains in the
town. Hess himself miraculously survived despite the flood picking up his
locomotive and tossing it aside.
Just before hitting the main part of the city, the flood surge hit the Cambria
Iron Works at the town of Woodvale, taking with it railroad cars and barbed
wire. Of Woodvale's 1,100 residents, 314 died in the flood. Boilers exploded
when the flood hit the Gauliter Wire Works, causing black smoke seen by the
Johnstown residents.
Some 57 minutes after the South Fork Dam collapsed, the flood hit Johnstown. The
inhabitants of Johnstown were caught by surprise as the wall of water and debris
bore down on the village, traveling at 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) and reaching
a height of 60 feet (18 m) in places. Some, realizing the danger, tried to
escape by running towards high ground. But most people were hit by the surging
floodwater. Many people were crushed by pieces of debris, and others became
caught in barbed wire from the wire factory upstream. Those who sought safety in
attics, or managed to stay afloat on pieces of floating debris, waited hours for
help to arrive.
An artist's rendition of the scene at the Stone Bridge
At Johnstown, the Stone Bridge, which was a substantial arched structure,
carried the Pennsylvania Railroad across the Conemaugh River. The debris that
was carried by the flood formed a temporary dam, stopping further progress of
the water. The flood surge rolled upstream along the Stoney Creek River.
Eventually, gravity caused the surge to return to the dam, causing a second wave
to hit the city, but from a different direction. Some people who had been washed
downstream became trapped in an inferno as debris that had piled up against the
Stone Bridge caught fire, killing at least 80 people. The fire at the Stone
Bridge burned for three days. Afterwards, the pile of debris there covered
30 acres (12 ha), and reached 70 feet (21 m) in height. The mass of debris took
three months to remove, because of the masses of steel wire from the ironworks
binding it. Dynamite was eventually used to clear it. As of 2009, the Stone
Bridge is still standing, and is often portrayed as one of the images of the
flood.
Aftermath
A house that was almost completely destroyed in the flood. The John Schultz
house at Johnstown, PA after the flood. Neatly skewered by a huge tree uprooted
by the flood, the house floated down from Union Street to the end of Main. Six
people, including Schultz himself, were inside the house when the flood hit, all
of whom survived. View of lower Johnstown three days after the flood Main
Street after flood. The authorities averting looting on Main Street.
The total death toll was 2,209, making the disaster the largest loss of civilian
life in the United States until the Galveston, Texas hurricane of 1900, with
estimated deaths of between 6,000 and 12,000 (the number most cited in official
reports is 8,000), and September 11, 2001. (Some historians believe the great
Florida hurricane of 1928 also killed more people than the Johnstown Flood, but
the official death toll was lower.)
Ninety-nine entire families died in the Johnstown deluge, including 396
children. 124 women and 198 men were left without their spouses, 98 children
lost both parents. 777 victims (1 of every 3 bodies found) were never identified
and rest in the Plot of the Unknown in Grandview Cemetery in Southmont. An
"eternal flame" burns at Point Park in Johnstown, at the confluence of the
Stonycreek and Little Conemaugh Rivers, in memory of the flood victims.
Working seven days and nights, workmen replaced the huge stone railroad viaduct
that had all but disappeared in the flood.
It was the worst flood to hit the U.S. in the 19th century. 1,600 homes were
destroyed, $17 million in property damage was done, and 4 square miles (10 km2)
of downtown Johnstown were completely destroyed. Clean-up operations continued
for years. Although Cambria Iron and Steel's facilities were heavily damaged,
they returned to full production within a year and a half.
The Pennsylvania Railroad restored service to Pittsburgh, 55 miles (89 km) away,
by June 2. Food, clothing, medicine and other provisions began arriving.
Morticians came by railroad. Johnstown's first call for help requested coffins
and undertakers. Demolition expert "Dynamite Bill" Flinn and his 900-man crew
cleared the wreckage at the Stone Bridge. They carted off debris, distributed
food, and erected temporary housing. At its peak, the army of relief workers
totaled about 7,000.
One of the first outsiders to arrive was Clara Barton (1821-1912), nurse and
president of the American Red Cross. Barton arrived on June 5, 1889, to lead the
group's first major disaster relief effort and didn't leave for over 5 months.
She and many other volunteers worked tirelessly. Donations for the relief effort
came from all over the United States and overseas. $3,742,818.78 was collected
for the Johnstown relief effort from within the U.S. and 18 foreign countries,
including Russia, Turkey, France, Great Britain, Australia and Germany.
Subsequent floods
Floods have continued to be a concern for Johnstown. Johnstown has experienced
additional major flooding in subsequent years, including 1894, 1907, and 1924.
The most significant flood of the first half of the 20th century was the St.
Patrick's Day Flood of March 1936, which also reached Pittsburgh and became
known as the Great Pittsburgh Flood of 1936.
More recently, on the night of July 19, 1977, a relentless storm reminiscent of
1889 bombarded the watershed above the city and the rivers began to rise. By
dawn, the city was under water that reached as high as 8 feet (2.4 m). The seven
counties disaster area suffered $200 million in property damage and 80 lost
lives. Another 50,000 were rendered homeless as a result of the "500 year
flood". A "500 year flood" is a massive event that hydrologists predict has only
a one-in-500 chance of happening in any given year. Markers on one corner of
City Hall at 401 Main Street show the height of the crests of the 1889, 1936,
and 1977 floods.
Blame
In the years following the disaster, many people blamed the members of the South
Fork Fishing and Hunting Club for the tragedy. The club had bought and repaired
the dam to turn the area into a vacation retreat in the mountains. However, they
were accused of failing to maintain the dam properly, so that it was unable to
contain the additional water of the unusually heavy rainfall. Despite the
accusations and evidence, they were successfully defended by the firm of Knox
and Reed (now Reed Smith LLP), both partners of which (Philander Knox and James
Hay Reed) were Club members. The Club was never held legally responsible for the
disaster. Although a suit was filed, the court held the dam break to have been
an Act of God, and granted the survivors no legal compensation.
Individual members of the club did contribute substantially to the relief
efforts. Along with about half of the club members, Henry Clay Frick donated
thousands of dollars to the relief effort in Johnstown. After the flood, Andrew
Carnegie, one of the club's better known members, built the town a new library.
In modern times, this former library is owned by the Johnstown Area Heritage
Association, and houses The Flood Museum. Remnants of the dam are preserved as
part of Johnstown Flood National Memorial, established in 1964.

Jonathan Pidcock -

This was one of my ancestors, my ancestors changed the spelling to Pidcoe.
http://www.pidcock-family.org/Reunions/Pg.123-126PidcockReunion.pdf
http://books.google.com/books?id=GRX6fO6_qc4C&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=Jonathan+Pidco\
ck&source=bl&ots=8TCqp-JKRz&sig=lXWqLwOqDvfH7N3sWuHiPWkJgIA&hl=en&ei=N2lvSuyOJ4y\
itgfryd3aCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4
The historical article read by Mr. Pidcock was in part
as follows:
"We are descendants of Scotch blood; some of the
old people have told me we were Scotch-Irish and
our ancestor came from the north of Ireland. In
looking the matter up, I find that the name of
Pidcock prevails in Scotland and the thing we are
most proud of is that we spell the name just the
same as they do in Scotland, not one letter has
been changed.
This was selected as the ideal place to hold our first
meeting, it being the original spot where John (or
Jonathan) Pidcock, our ancestor, settled when
arriving in this country, and as tradition informs us,
we are now at the point where the Pidcocks built a
saw mill, a grist mill and residence, where they
lived and labored for many years. It may be well to
mention that with Jonathan Pidcock came Dr. John
Bowman and his wife, who settled here, and the hill
is called Bowman's Hill and the creek at the foot of
the hill is call Pidcock's Creek to this day. The
Bowmans and Pidcock settled here prior to 1698, as
is proven in the records at Doylestown.
Mary Godown Pidcock, the wife of Jonathan
Pidcock, my grandfather, was born August 4, 1784,
and died June 22, 1876. The first Jonathan was her
husband's grandfather, and she often related the
family history. It is said that Dr. Bowman, his wife
and Jonathan Pidcock and wife are buried on this
hill. The Pidcocks were driven from here during the
Revolution and their property confiscated by the
English, but the Hessians did the work. I will refrain
from a long story of sufferings of the family at that
time, but if you would be interested, I will point out
some interesting places here and across the
Delaware in Jersey."

The Cobbler Shop -

http://www.shol.com/maple/cobblershop.htm
One scene that has become forever inseparable from a history of small-town
America is a local store, a pot-bellied stove and a handful of men gathered
around it. Proving no exception to the rule, any recounting of the history of
our quiet rural community of Meyersdale must give special prominence to just
such a Currier and Ives tableau. For it was actually around a potbellied stove
of the Shipley Hardware Company Store, one blustery winter night some 60 years
ago, that plans were formulated which, in the years since, have succeeded in
launching Meyersdale into a position of international renown as "Maple City,
USA" On that night a group of farseeing men had a vision--a celebration, a
festival in Meyersdale to promote the sweetest of all Pennsylvania's
commodities, our own Somerset County maple syrup, a Maple Festival--and that
vision, that dream, became a reality.
One way to make the early settlement of Meyersdale come to life is through the
use of costumed historic interpreters. As you journey through Maple Festival
Park and take in the Legend of the Magic Water, you will learn about the people,
lifestyles, politics, and belief that laid the foundation for the Meyersdale
Community and the Pennsylvania Maple Festival.

Reenactors and interpreters are stationed throughout much of the maple festival
and are available to help you understand the history in this area. Please feel
free to ask any of our festival volunteers questions. They will be glad to
answer your questions.

The Last Raft -

http://www.muncyhistoricalsociety.org/lastraft.html
The Last Raft
The Last Raft project is a documentary about a March 20, 1938 tragedy when a
lumber raft collided with a railroad bridge spanning the West Branch of the
Susquehanna at Muncy. Of the 45 people who plunged into the icy river, all but
seven were rescued. Although it took weeks of grappling the river and shores,
all of the deceased eventually were recovered.
It's not just a story about the crash. It's the story about the journey. Many
people don't know that the Last Raft finished the journey.
Sponsored by the Muncy Historical Society, the components of the project are
eyewitness interviews, vintage photographs and film footage of the event and its
aftermath. The documentary will be an educational tool that will let viewers
relive rafting days on the Susquehanna, as well as the horror of its most
calamitous event.
The story of the Last Raft began with brothers R. Dudley Tonkin of Tyrone and V.
Ord Tonkin of Cherry Tree. A lumbering family, the Tonkins came to the town of
Cherry Tree 100 years before The Last Raft. Vince Tonkin, Dudley and Ord's
father, had left timber standing with the request that the two brothers
occasionally cut the trees and build a raft to float as a living history lesson.
The elderly Tonkin thought that the event would help to preserve the days gone
by and he wanted share that experience with new generations.
Piloted by Harry Conner of Burnside, a river raft pilot for 50 years, the
112-foot long timber raft was launched March 14, 1938 in Bell Township,
Clearfield County, and was to end 200 miles away in Harrisburg.
The event garnered worldwide publicity as newspaper journalists, photographers,
and radio and newsreel crews tagged along. The raft was seen by many thousands
of Cambria, Indiana, Clearfield, Centre, Clinton, and Lycoming County residents
as it floated the river, tying up at cities along the West Branch route.
School children – some of whom remain and remember the experience – lined up
along the riverbanks, many waving American flags as the raft followed the
current from Clearfield, to Renovo, then to Lock Haven and Williamsport. There,
Conner turned the piloting over to another person who was, Frock said, familiar
with the lower river.
Barely hours after the raft "ran the chute" in Williamsport, it collided with
the Reading Railroad Bridge in Muncy. Florence Leiby Smith, then a 22-year-old
student at Bloomsburg Hospital School of Nursing home for the weekend, joined
friends on the bridge to watch the raft. In a later interview Leiby Smith said,
"The bridge was filled with people and later newspaper accounts said there were
hundreds, which is probably true. I had my box camera with me and took a picture
of the raft as it approached the bridge, then walking to the other side we could
see the raft was going to hit."
She took photos before, during and after, which have been included in several
publications. Her memory of the event, along with many others, is part of the
Last Raft documentary, which describes the heroic efforts of the people of Muncy
to rescue the raftsmen.
The 38 people swept into the icy waters were saved by onlookers.The project team
located several archival "Last Raft" films from 1938, three of which they have
had transferred to digital video. One of those films is from the collection of
the Thomas T. Taber Museum of the Lycoming County Historical Society, a film
made by amateur filmmaker Charles Askey, of Williamsport. It includes a lengthy
sequence shot in color, which the project team has had restored from faded blue
to its original hues.

Day 25 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-08-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

We have sunshine and 84' outside. A beautiful day to be outside.

Today we are touring:

18 Declaration of Independence
26 First Steamboat

A bonus for good luck - I feel generous today

64 Old Economy Village

Declaration of Independence -

http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/index.htm
The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the
Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American
colonies then at war with Great Britain were now independent states, and thus no
longer a part of the British Empire. Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, the
Declaration is a formal explanation of why Congress had voted on July 2 to
declare independence from Great Britain, more than a year after the outbreak of
the American Revolutionary War. The birthday of the United States of
America—Independence Day—is celebrated on July 4, the day the wording of the
Declaration was approved by Congress.
After finalizing the text on July 4, Congress issued the Declaration of
Independence in several forms. It was initially published as a printed broadside
that was widely distributed and read to the public. The most famous version of
the Declaration, a signed copy that is usually regarded as the Declaration of
Independence, is on display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
Although the document was approved on July 4, the date of its actual signing is
disputed by historians, most accepting a theory that it was signed nearly a
month after its adoption, on August 2, 1776, and not on July 4 as commonly
believed.
The sources and interpretation of the Declaration have been the subject of much
scholarly inquiry. The Declaration justified the independence of the United
States by listing colonial grievances against King George III, and by asserting
certain natural rights, including a right of revolution. Having served its
original purpose in announcing independence, the text of the Declaration was
initially ignored after the American Revolution. Its stature grew over the
years, particularly the second sentence, a sweeping statement of human rights:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that
they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among
these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
This sentence has been called "one of the best-known sentences in the English
language" and "the most potent and consequential words in American history". The
passage has often been used to promote the rights of marginalized groups, and
came to represent for many people a moral standard for which the United States
should strive. This view was greatly influenced by Abraham Lincoln, who
considered the Declaration to be the foundation of his political philosophy, and
promoted the idea that the Declaration is a statement of principles through
which the United States Constitution should be interpreted.

First Steamboat -

Robert Fulton (November 14, 1765 - February 24, 1815) was an American engineer
and inventor who is widely credited with developing the first commercially
successful steamboat. He also designed a new type of steam warship. In 1800 he
was commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte to design the Nautilus, which was the
first practical submarine in history.
Robert Fulton was born in a part of Little Britain Township, Pennsylvania that
was separated as Fulton Township in 1844. He grew up in a small, two-story, gray
stone house.
Fulton had become interested in steamboats in 1777 when he visited William Henry
of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who had earlier learned about James Watt's steam
engine on a visit to England. Henry had then made his own engine and in 1767 he
had tried putting his engine in a boat. The experiment was unsuccessful because
the boat sank, but his interest continued.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steamboat
Early development
Denis Papin's cylinder and piston apparatus, 1690.
The French inventor Denis Papin, after inventing the steam digester (a type of
pressure cooker) and experimenting with closed cylinders and pistons pushed in
by atmospheric pressure, designed and built a steam pump analogous to the pump
advertised by Thomas Savery in England during the same period. In his writings,
including his correspondence with Gottfried Leibniz, Papin proposed applying
this steam pump to the operation of a paddlewheel boat. During a stay in Kassel,
Germany, in 1704, he completed a paddlewheel boat, probably pedal-powered. When
he left for England in 1707, hoping to sell the British on his idea of
steam-powered navigation, he used his paddlewheeler to navigate down the Fulda
river as far as Münden. However, though he was probably the first to have so
clear a conception of a steamboat, he found no backers in London.
In 1736, Jonathan Hulls took out a patent in England for a Newcomen
engine-powered steamboat, but it was the improvement in steam engines by James
Watt that made the concept feasible. William Henry of Lancaster, Pennsylvania,
having learned of Watt's engine on a visit to England, made his own engine and
in 1763 attempted to put it in a boat. The boat sank, and while he made an
improved model he does not seem to have had much success, though he may have
inspired others.
Model of steamship, built in 1784 by Claude de Jouffroy.
In France, by 1774 Marquis Claude de Jouffroy and his colleagues had made a 13
metre (42 ft 8 in) working steamboat with rotating paddles, the Palmipède. The
ship sailed on the Doubs in June and July 1776, apparently the first steamship
to sail successfully. In 1783 a new paddle steamer, Pyroscaphe, successfully
steamed up the river Saône for fifteen minutes before the engine failed, but
bureaucracy thwarted further progress.
From 1784 James Rumsey built a pump-driven (water jet) boat and successfully
steamed upstream on the Potomac river in 1786; the following year he obtained a
patent from the State of Virginia. In Pennsylvania, John Fitch, an acquaintance
of Henry, made a model paddle steamer in 1785, and subsequently developed
propulsion by floats on a chain, obtained a patent in 1786, then built a
steamboat which underwent a successful trial in 1787. In 1788, a steamboat built
by John Fitch operated in regular commercial service along the Delaware river
between Philadelphia PA and Burlington NJ, carrying as many as 30 passengers.
This boat could typically make 7 to 8 miles per hour, and traveled more than
2,000 miles (3,200 km) during its short length of service. The Fitch steamboat
was not a commercial success, as this travel route was adequately covered by
relatively good wagon roads. The following year a second boat made 50 km (30
mile) excursions, and in 1790 a third boat ran a series of trials on the
Delaware River before patent disputes dissuaded Fitch from continuing.
Meanwhile, Patrick Miller of Dalswinton, near Dumfries, Scotland, had developed
double-hulled boats propelled by cranked paddlewheels placed between the hulls,
and he engaged engineer William Symington to build his patent steam engine into
a boat which was successfully tried out on Dalswinton Loch in 1788, and followed
by a larger steamboat the next year. Miller then abandoned the project, but ten
years later Symington was engaged by Lord Dundas, and in March 1802, Charlotte
Dundas towed two 70 ton barges 30 km (19 miles) along the Forth and Clyde Canal
to Glasgow. This vessel, the first tow boat, has been called the "first
practical steamboat", and the first to be followed by continuous development of
steamboats. Although plans to introduce boats on the Forth and Clyde canal were
thwarted by fears of erosion of the banks, development was taken up both in
Britain and abroad.
Fulton presents his steamship to Bonaparte in 1803.
Robert Fulton, who may have become interested in steamboats when he visited
Henry in 1777 at the age of 12, visited Britain and France, where he built and
tested an experimental steamboat on the River Seine in 1803, and was aware of
the success of Charlotte Dundas. Before returning to the United States he
ordered a Boulton and Watt steam engine, and on return built what he called the
North River Steamboat (often mistakenly described as Clermont). In 1807, she
began a regular passenger service between New York City and Albany, New York,
240 km (150 miles) distant, which was a commercial success. She could make the
trip in 32 hours. In 1808, John and James Winans built Vermont in Burlington,
Vermont, the second steamboat to operate commercially. In 1809, Accommodation,
built by the Hon. John Molson at Montreal, and fitted with engines made at the
Forges du Saint-Maurice, Trois-Rivières, was running successfully between
Montreal and Quebec, being the first steamer on the St. Lawrence and in Canada;
unlike Fulton, Molson did not show a profit. The experience of both vessels
showed the new system of propulsion was commercially viable, and as a result its
application to the more open waters of the Great Lakes was next considered. That
idea went on hiatus due to the War of 1812.
In 1815, Pierre Andriel crossed the English Channel aboard Élise, marking the
first sea-going use of a steam ship.

Old Economy Village -

http://www.oldeconomyvillage.org/
In 1804, the followers of the Separatist George Rapp (1757-1847) emigrated to
America from Iptingen (near Stuttgart) in southwest Germany seeking religious
and economic freedom. Nearly 800 farmers and craftsmen followed their leader to
Butler County, Pennsylvania where they built the town of Harmony. Ten years
later they migrated westward to Posey County, Indiana founding a second town
named Harmony, which today is known as New Harmony.
In 1824, the Harmony Society returned to Pennsylvania, this time settling in
Beaver County along the Ohio River. There they founded "Oekonomie," now better
known as Old Economy Village. It was here that the Society gained worldwide
recognition for its religious devotion and economic prosperity.
The Harmonists developed a simple, pietistic lifestyle based upon the early
Christian Church. They turned over everything they owned to the Harmony Society
when they became members. Everyone worked together for the good of the Society
and received, in turn, what he or she needed to live simply and comfortably.
Because they expected Christ's Second Coming to Earth at any moment, they
adopted celibacy in 1807 in order to purify themselves for the
Millenium---Christ's 1,000 year reign on Earth.
The Harmony Society successfully "placed the manufacturer beside the
agriculturalist," an accomplishment held in high regard in the early nineteenth
century. National leaders like Thomas Jefferson viewed this as the ideal plan
for America's economic and political future. This ideal would be a national
economy that would thrive in both agriculture and industry, independent of
foreign influence.
The Harmonists created, adapted, and adopted the new technologies of their day
giving them a competitive edge in the growing early American economy,
particularly in textile manufacturing---wool, cotton, and silk---and
agricultural production.
By 1825 they had constructed textile factories powered and heated by steam
engines. They built shops for blacksmiths, tanners, hatters, wagon makers,
cabinetmakers and turners, linen weavers, potters, and tin smiths, as well as
developing a centralized steam laundry and a centralized dairy for the
community. Later, they perfected the tech nology of silk manufacturing, from
worm to fabric, for which they received gold medals during exhibition
competitions in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.
Despite the Society's economic success, time and events brought about its
decline. In 1832, one third of the members left Economy under the leadership of
Count de Leon, a self-proclaimed prophet. In 1847 Father Rapp died. Although the
Harmonists leaders turned to new business ventures - railroads, oil production,
and building Beaver Falls and its industrial complex - their economic vitality,
like their membership, eventually waned. By the end of the nineteenth century
only a few Harmonists remained. In 1905 the Society was dissolved and its vast
real estate holdings sold, much of it to the American Bridge Company who
subsequently enlarged the town and renamed it Ambridge. Six acres of the
Society's original holdings, along with seventeen buildings, were acquired by
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1916.
Today, these six-acres, surrounded by Ambridge's National Register Historic
District, are administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
as a National Historic Landmark site. The historic site, which contains the
seventeen restored historic structures and garden built between 1824 and 1830,
originally was the religious and economic hub of the Harmony Society. The
buildings, grounds, library, archives and 16,000 original artifacts are a
memorial to the Society's commitment to the religious discipline and economic
industry that built their American Utopia.
The Museum Building and Feast Hall was constructed between 1825 and 1826 and
opened to the public in 1827 as a Natural History and Fine Arts Museum. The
Society's Library and adult education classrooms for members were also housed
here. Six times a year, all the Harmonists gathered in the 100 by 52 foot Feast
Hall on the second floor to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the
Society, to hold their love feasts, Celebrate the Last Supper, and the Fourth of
July. Concerts by the Society's band and orchestra were also held here.
The Community Kitchen, located next to the Museum Building and Feast Hall was
where communal feasts were prepared. The building's unusual ceiling contains two
trap doors that open and allow steam to escape from the kitchen cauldrons and
through the roof. A second raised peaked roof keeps out rain and snow.
The Cabinet Shop contains original Harmonist tools, benches, and lathes that
fashioned the buildings, woodwork, and furniture seen throughout the historic
site. The Harmonist Clock Shop and Lock Shop are in an adjacent room. The
steeple clock of St. John's Lutheran Church, Located across the street, was made
here.
The site's current Blacksmith Shop, built ca. 1900 as a garage, contains tools
used for demonstrations of black smithing. The original Harmonist blacksmith
shop was one block east of this area and has not survived. There, smiths made
nails, mended tools and fashioned hoops for barrels, wheels for wagons, and
shoes for horses in the shop's five furnaces.
The Granary, a large grain barn, stored one year's supply of grain. The building
has five floors and a cellar. On the west side is the elevator shaft that rises
to the upper levels. There were once two such buildings in Economy.
The Warehouse was probably the first frame building quickly constructed at
Economy in 1824. At that time it housed the Society's Store. Two years later, a
new brick building, just across the yard, became the public Store while this
frame building contained supplies for the Society members.
The new brick Store, which also housed the Economy Post Office, was open to the
public in 1826. Here non-Society members purchased Harmonist cloth and spirits,
as well as hundreds of items from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, i.e., fishing
hooks, china, candy, and coffee. Neighbors picked up their mail and newspapers
or sold their wool or bacon to the Society which marketed their products up and
down the Ohio River and the Mississippi River all the way to New Orleans.
Storekeeper Romelius Langenbacker (Baker), his mother, and sister, lived in the
standard Harmonist brick family house next to the Store, today called the Baker
House. Following Society leader George Rapp's death in 1847, Baker became head
of the Harmony Society. He did not move into Rapp's large comfortable house, but
continued to live near the Store. The Harmonist furnishings in the Baker House
are displayed according to a court inventory of the house dated 1846. The
House's garden contains old varieties of plants that were documented through an
1825 manuscript written by a Harmonist school girl.
Mechanics Building contained the Tailor Shop, Shoe Shop, and the Print Shop.
Harmonist tools and benches are displayed here. The original Harmonist printing
press is the oldest flat-bed printing press in America still in its original
setting. It was last used by the Harmonists in 1832. Below these shops, the cut
stone ceiling of the Wine Cellar rises 20 feet at the center and contains the
barrels (one holds 1,250 gallons) that once held the society's fine wines. From
winter to summer, the temperature here varies only a few degrees.
In 1826, George Rapp's House was described as "the principal building (probably
meaning domestic building) standing two stories high, with two lower wings
standing in the same line" along what is now Church Street. It was observed that
the house was furnished with objects made at Economy. Rapp lived here,
primarily, with his wife, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter. Many of the
family's belongings survive and are exhibited in the house.
Frederick Rapp built a smaller house immediately to the north of his father's
house around 1828. Adopted by George Rapp, Frederick was a co-founder of the
Society, as well as an architect, stone mason, and respected businessman. He was
the Society's principal representative in the outside world. He furnished his
house with stylish objects, many purchased in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh.
George Rapp's Garden was described by nineteenth-century visitors to Economy as
"neatly laid out in lawns, arbors, and flower beds with an open Pavilion over
the pool that held a well executed female statue holding a lyre, and a
straw-roofed Grotto." Many old varieties of flowers and trees have been returned
to the garden based on an 1829 list of plants flowering there in July and
August. Tulips, dahlias, and other perennials were favored by the Harmonists, as
were apple, pear, orange, and lemon trees.
Carriage House housed the Rapp family's carriages and horses. This restored
building now contains the Harmonist's 1826 hand-pump fire engine, hearse, and
Father Rapp's carriage.

Tours of days gone by:
You can read about the tour on
http://vonsnoidlehandsneedlework.blogspot.com/

Day 24 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-08-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

We have a sunny 80' outside. A very nice day to be outside.

Today we are touring:

43 Great Shamokin Path
45 Hope Lodge and Mather Mill

Great Shamokin Path -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Shamokin_Path
The Great Shamokin Path (also known as the "Shamokin Path") was a major Native
American trail in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania that ran from the Saponi
village of Shamokin (modern day Sunbury) along the left bank of the West Branch
Susquehanna River north and then west to the Great Island (near modern day Lock
Haven). There it left the river and continued further west to Chinklacamoose
(what is now the borough of Clearfield) and finally Kittanning.
The Great Shamokin Path connected the Susquehanna River with the Allegheny River
(and the Ohio River downstream of Kittanning). For several decades in the early
1700s the villages of Shamokin and Kittanning were two of the most important
Native American villages in Pennsylvania. Perhaps the path's best known use was
by Moravian Bishop Ettwein and his group of some 200 Lenape and Mohican
Christians in 1772. They traveled west along the path from their village of
Friedenshütten (Cabins of Peace) near modern Wyalusing on the North Branch of
the Susquehanna to their new village of Friedensstadt (City of Peace) on the
Beaver River in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Today a 4-mile (6.4 km) long rail trail in Armstrong County follows a short
portion of the Great Shamokin Path, and the former course of the Rural Valley
Railroad.
Geography
The village of Shamokin was just south of the "forks of the Susquehanna", the
confluence of the West Branch Susquehanna River with the Susquehanna River (also
known as the North Branch). From there, the Great Shamokin Path headed north and
forded the river to current Northumberland, then went along the left bank of the
West Branch Susquehanna River to the Shawnee town of Chillisquaque on
Chillisquaque Creek. The path continued north through what are now Milton and
Watsontown, where the path forked into two branches, both leading to Canaserage
on Muncy Creek (today Muncy).
At Canaserage the river and path turned west, but there were at least two other
paths that led northeast: the Wyalusing Path (along Muncy Creek to Wyalusing);
and the Towanda Path (to Towanda), both on the North Branch of the Susquehanna
River.
The Great Shamokin Path led west to the village of Otstonwakin (now
Montoursville) on Loyalsock Creek and then to French Margaret's Town (now
western Williamsport) on Lycoming Creek. The Sheshequin Path led north along
Lycoming Creek to Sheshequin (now Ulster) on the North Branch Susuqhehanna
River. Further west the path went through the village of Quenashawakee, forded
Larrys Creek and Pine Creek and came to the Great Island, (now just east of Lock
Haven).
The Great Island was an important crossroads with paths leading in many
directions. The Great Shamokin Path left the river here (which turns north) to
continue west along Bald Eagle Creek, fording Beech Creek and following Marsh
Creek and Little Marsh Creek to its end. Then it climbed the Allegheny Front to
modern day Show Shoe and on to Moshannon, where there were two branches possible
to Kylertown. The branches differed in their fords of Black Moshannon Creek and
Moshannon Creek, both of which were difficult to cross. From Kylertown the path
continued west, fording Clearfield Creek before reaching Chinklacamoose (now
Clearfield).
At Chinklacamoose the Great Shamokin Path rejoined the West Branch Susquehanna
River and followed it west seven miles (11 km) to Curwensville, Pennsylvania and
Anderson Creek. Several crossings of the Susquehanna were needed to avoid
thickets of mountain laurel bushes here. The path then followed Anderson Creek a
few miles, left it to go west to what is now Chestnut Grove, and then on to the
Big Spring (now Luthersburg). There Mead's Path left to go northwest to Venango,
while the Great Shamokin Path ran southwest and followed tributaries of and
Mahoning Creek to Punxsutawney. Here the path's course is less clear, but it
left Mahoning Creek to eventually follow Cowanshannock Creek to Kittanning and
the Allegheny River.

Hope Lodge and Mather Mill -

http://www.ushistory.org/Hope/
Hope Lodge was built between 1743 and 1748 by Samuel Morris, a prosperous Quaker
entrepreneur. Morris acted as a farmer, shipowner, miller, ironmaster,
shopowner, and owner of the mill now known as Mather Mill. Hope Lodge is an
excellent example of early Georgian architecture, and it is possible that Edmund
Woolley, architect of Independence Hall, offered advice in building. Samuel
Morris owned the estate until his death in 1770, when it was inherited by his
brother Joshua. Joshua in turn sold the property and dwelling to another
Philadelphia merchant, William West.
Hope Lodge was built between 1743 and 1748 by Samuel Morris, a prosperous Quaker
entrepreneur. Morris acted as a farmer, shipowner, miller, ironmaster,
shopowner, and owner of the mill now known as Mather Mill. Hope Lodge is an
excellent example of early Georgian architecture, and it is possible that Edmund
Woolley, architect of Independence Hall, offered advice in building. Samuel
Morris owned the estate until his death in 1770, when it was inherited by his
brother Joshua. Joshua in turn sold the property and dwelling to another
Philadelphia merchant, William West.
The Wests lived at Hope Lodge from 1776 to 1782. The house was then known as
Whitemarsh Farms and as Whitemarsh Estate. The Wests were in residence during
the Whitemarsh Encampment, a six-week period of the American Revolution when the
Continental Army camped in the surrounding fields after the Battle of Germantown
and before encamping at Valley Forge. During that time the house was used as
headquarters by George Washington's Surgeon General, John Cochran.
After William West's death, the house was sold to Henry Hope, a wealthy English
banker. (Hope's family later gave its name to the famous diamond.) Never
intending to live in Whitemarsh, Hope purchased the property as a wedding gift
for his ward, James Watmough. It was the Watmoughs who named the site Hope
Lodge, in honor of their benefactor.
Two generations of Watmoughs owned Hope Lodge before it was sold to Jacob Wentz,
their tenant farmer, in 1832. The Wentz family remained in residence for ninety
years and were the first of the owners to concentrate their attention primarily
on farming the property rather than on business in Philadelphia. Lack of funds
prevented them from installing gas lighting and indoor plumbing in the late 19th
century, and thus the 18th century integrity of the structure was retained.
In 1921 the Wentzes sold the property to Keasbey and Mattison, a development
company whose plan was to demolish the structure and extend a nearby limestone
quarry. To save it from destruction, William and Alice Degn bought the property
in 1922. Early historic preservationists, they carefully restored the house and
added their collection of 18th and early 19th century furnishings. They did not
install a central heating system in the main house because of its destructive
piping; rather they added a wing onto the existing summer kitchen for a winter
residence. Both of the Degns loved flowers, and they created a beautiful rose
garden on the south side of the house.
After Mr. Degn's death in 1940, and Mrs. Degn's death in 1953, ownership of the
house was transferred to the Hope Lodge Foundation, and in 1957, to the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Today, Hope Lodge is administered by the
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission with the Friends of Hope Lodge, a
non-profit support group formed to assist with operations at the site.
Mather Mill is also called Farmar's Mill. It was probably built in the late 17th
century by Edward Farmar and was included in the 150 acres purchased by Samuel
Morris. Samuel Morris's brother sold the mill and four acres of land to Isaac
Mather, whose son built the present mill in 1820. It continued in operation
until the late 19th century. Today, due to structural problems, the building is
unsafe for occupancy. The Mill is a block from Hope Lodge, on Mathers Lane.

Tours of days gone by:

Day 23 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-08-02T06:18:00.000-07:00

Today is starting out rainy and we have 72', hopefully they will be able to get
the Poconos Nascar race in today.

Today we are touring:

47 House Of Decision
81 Robert Fulton Birthplace

House of Decision -

The beginnings of Solebury Presbyterian Church go back to 1811 when land was
acquired for $40 from Robert T. Neely. Mr. Neely was born on July 16, 1769 and
raised in the Thompson-Neely "House of Decision" in what is now Washington
Crossing State Park on River Road just below the church. There was no
Presbyterian Church nearby. The nearest churches were in Newtown and Doylestown
in Pennsylvania, and Mt. Airy and Pennington in New Jersey

Robert Fulton Birthplace -

http://www.fieldtrip.com/pa/75482679.htm
http://www.padutchcountry.com/member_pages/Robert_Fulton_Birthplace.asp
Robert Fulton Birthplace is a stone house that was the birthplace of inventor
Robert Fulton.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964.
It is located approximately 8 miles south of Quarryville, Pennsylvania on U.S.
Route 22 or 7.5 miles south on U.S. Route 222.
The Southern Lancaster Historical Society gives weekend tours of the house from
Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Tours of days gone by:

Day 22 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-08-01T04:09:00.000-07:00

Today is starting out foggy and we have 63' after the fog lifts we are expecting
a sunny day. I decided to pick the numbers before Charlie gets awake so I don't
lose any numbers from my bottle that I put the picked numbers in. There are 11
more tours in the bag.

Today we are touring

17 Danville Iron Heritage Days
74 Pennsylvania Steel

Danville Iron Heritage Days -

http://www.ironheritagefestival.net/
What is the Iron Heritage Festival? Danville citizens love their heritage and
the stories of how the Danville-Riverside area grew and prospered. The Iron
Heritage Festival celebrates this rich history and traditions of our community.
The Iron Age, 1829 thru 1950 and Danville, PA are truly synonymous. In 1829, the
first Iron foundry was established in Danville to manufacture wagon boxes,
plowshares, andirons sadiron and griddles. In 1839-1840 Iron Ore started to be
mined locally and in 1840 the first Anthracite furnace to efficiently produce
iron was opened in Danville. On Oct 8, 1845, the first T-rail in America was
rolled out at the Montour Iron Works, the largest iron manufacturing plant in
the United States. The T-rail made it possible for Pennsylvania and America to
become the leader in the industrial revolution. This festival is a celebration
of America's ingenuity and foresight and is of interest for all of our Nation's
citizens!
The Danville Area, in the scenic, beautiful Susquehanna Valley forged the
beginning of the United States Industrial Revolution. America's railroads moved
people, natural resources, and finished goods, due to Danville's manufacturing
of the T-rail.

Pennsylvania Steel -

Pennsylvania is home to several steel companies - Bethlehem Steel - the Carnegie
Steel Company - the Lackawanna Steel Company - several towns had steel mills.
Danville is known for its Iron Heritage.
Pennsylvania Steel Company, Inc. was founded in 1972 as Pennsylvania Steel &
Aluminum Company, Inc. Initially our company operated out of a 2,500 square foot
warehouse in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. The
focus of the business was to offer General Line Steel merchandise to the region
with a level of flexibility and service unmatched in the area.
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation (1857–2003), based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania,
was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S. steel
industry and management problems leading to the company's 2001 bankruptcy, the
company was dissolved and the remaining assets sold to International Steel Group
in 2003. In 2005, ISG merged with Mittal Steel, ending U.S. ownership of the
assets of Bethlehem Steel.
Bethlehem Steel was also one of the largest shipbuilding companies in the world
and one of the most powerful symbols of American industrial manufacturing
leadership. Bethlehem Steel's demise is often cited as one of the most prominent
examples of the U.S. economy's shift away from industrial manufacturing and its
inability to compete with cheap foreign labor.
Founding
Bethlehem Steel Works, a watercolor by Joseph Pennell, depicting Bethlehem Iron
Company in May 1881.
The company's roots go back to 1857 when the Saucona Iron Company was first
organized by Augustus Wolle.[1] The Panic of 1857, a national financial crisis,
halted further organization of the company and construction of the works.
Eventually, the organization was completed, the site moved elsewhere in South
Bethlehem, and the company's name was changed to The Bethlehem Rolling Mill and
Iron Company.[1] On June 14, 1860, the board of directors of the fledgling
company elected Alfred Hunt president.[1] On May 1, 1861, the company's title
was changed again, this time to The Bethlehem Iron Company.[1] Construction of
the first blast furnace began on July 1, 1861, and it went into operation on
January 4, 1863. The first rolling mill was built between the spring of 1861 and
the summer of 1863, with the first railroad rails being rolled on September 26.
A machine shop, in 1865, and another blast furnace, in 1867, were completed.
During its early years, the company produced rails for the rapidly expanding
railroads and armor plating for the US Navy.
In 1899, the company assumed the name Bethlehem Steel Company. In 1904, Charles
M. Schwab[2] and Joseph Wharton[3] formed the Bethlehem Steel Corporation with
Schwab becoming its first president and chairman of its board of
directors.[citation needed]
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation ascended to great prominence in American
industry, installing the revolutionary grey rolling mill and producing the first
wide-flange structural shapes to be made in America. These shapes were largely
responsible for ushering in the age of the skyscraper and establishing Bethlehem
Steel as the leading supplier of steel to the construction industry.[citation
needed]
In the early 1900s, the corporation branched out from steel, with iron mines in
Cuba and shipyards around the country. In 1913, it acquired the Fore River
Shipbuilding Company of Quincy, Massachusetts, thereby assuming the role of one
of the world's major shipbuilders. In 1917 it incorporated its shipbuilding
division as Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Limited., also known as
BethShip.[citation needed] In 1922, it purchased the Lackawanna Steel Company,
which included the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad as well as
extensive coal holdings.
Although the company continued to prosper during the early 1880s, its share of
the rail market began to decline in the face of competition from growing
Pittsburgh-based firms such as the Carnegie Steel Company. The nation's decision
to rebuild the United States Navy with steam-driven, steel-hulled warships,
reshaped Bethlehem Iron Company's destiny.
Among the world's strongest and most innovative maritime forces during the Civil
War, the Navy quickly shrank after the end of hostilities, as national energies
were deflected toward settling the West and rebuilding the war-ravaged South.
Almost no new ordnance was produced, and new technology was neglected. By 1881,
embarrassing international incidents highlighted the deplorable condition of the
U.S. fleet and the need to rebuild it to protect U.S. trade and prestige.
In 1883, Secretary of the Navy William E. Chandler and Secretary of the Army
Robert Todd Lincoln appointed Lt. William Jaques to the Gun Foundry Board.
Jaques was sent on several fact-finding tours of European armament makers and on
one of these trips he formed business ties with the firm of Joseph Whitworth of
Manchester, England. He returned to America as Whitworth's agent and, in 1885,
was granted an extended furlough to pursue this personal interest. This type of
activity marked the beginning of what would, some 75 years later, become known
as the military-industrial complex.
Jaques was aware that the U.S. Navy would soon solicit bids for the production
of heavy guns and other products such as armor that would be needed to further
expand the fleet. Jaques contacted the Bethlehem Iron Company with a proposal to
serve as an intermediary between it and the Whitworth Company, so that Bethlehem
could erect a heavy-forging plant to produce ordnance. In 1885, John Fritz,
accompanied by Bethlehem Iron Company directors Robert H. Sayre, E.P. Wilbur,
William Thurston, and Joseph Wharton, met with Jaques in Philadelphia. In early
1886, a contract between Bethlehem Iron and the Whitworth Company had been
executed.
In spring 1886, Congress passed a naval appropriations bill that authorized the
construction of two armored second-class battleships, one protected cruiser, one
first-class torpedo boat, and the complete rebuilding and modernization of two
Civil War-era monitors. The two second-class battleships (the USS Texas and the
USS Maine) would have both large-caliber guns (12" and 10" respectively) and
heavy armor plating. Bethlehem secured both the forging and armor contracts on
June 28, 1887.
Between 1888 and 1892, the Bethlehem Iron Company completed the first U.S.
heavy-forging plant. It was designed by John Fritz with the assistance of
Russell Wheeler Davenport, who had entered Bethlehem's employ in 1888. By autumn
1890, Bethlehem Iron was delivering gun forging to the U.S. Navy and was
completing facilities to provide armor plating.

Tours of days gone by:

Day 21 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-07-31T13:32:00.000-07:00

It was raining most of the morning and we have 4" in our rain gauge but some of
that could have been from earlier this week if Tony didn't empty it out. We have
70' and it looks like the sun is trying to shine.
Today I left Liz pick the numbers since she is here waiting on her car to get
inspected.

Today we are touring

2 Battle of Great Meadows
31 Fort Freeland

Battle of the Great Meadows -

The Battle of Fort Necessity, or the Battle of the Great Meadows took place on
July 3, 1754 in what is now the mountaintop hamlet of Farmington in Fayette
County, Pennsylvania. The engagement was one of the first battles of the French
and Indian War and George Washington's only military surrender.
The area was a high alpine meadow just west of the summit from the difficult
pass to the east through the Allegheny Mountains sub-range, a site near where
Braddock's Road jogs to the north into the Allegheny River watershed (through
another pass near Confluence, Pennsylvania), and before the road west along
Nemacolin's Trail begins its long steady sometimes steep descent to Uniontown,
Pennsylvania and other parts of Fayette County along the relatively low
altitudes of the Allegheny Plateau.

Fort Freeland -

John Frederick Hauer married Maria Barbara. They sold their property in Allen
township in 1791 for 1800 pounds. and he bought 400 acres of land from Michael
Freeland in Northumberland county. He moved there shortly after the fall of Fort
Freeland. One of their sons was John A. Hower. Some Howers were buried on this
farm. He appears on the Allen Township census in 1790 as Han Fraderick Hower.

The Hower-Slote House was built in 1829, and is situated on the site of the
Revolutionary War battle of Fort Freeland. Built in Federal style, it was the
center of a working farm for more than 125 years. Today, it reflects a typical
farmhouse of the 1830's. A National Historic Registry property, the structure
offers a wealth of information on early building techniques. In addition, the
grounds are being developed to show crops grown during the 1830's. Revolutionary
War era artifacts are on display, including a number of items from the
archaeological dig of the site conducted by Penn State University. James Slote
fired the bricks for both the church and his house.

Tours of days gone by:

Day 20 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-07-31T13:28:00.000-07:00

The sun is shining and the temp is 83' we have the AC on so it feels real good
in the house.
Today we are touring

39 Germantown
72 Pennsylvania Lumber Museum

Germantown -

http://www.ushistory.org/germantown/
http://www.ushistory.org/March/Phila/germantown.htm
Germantown was founded by German settlers - thirteen Quaker and Mennonite
families from Krefeld (Germany), in 1681. Today the founding-day of Germantown
on October 6, 1683, is remembered as German-American Day, a holiday in the
United States, observed annually on October 6.
On August 12, 1689, William Penn at London signed a charter constituting some of
the inhabitants a corporation by the name of "the bailiff, burgesses and
commonalty of Germantown, in the county of Philadelphia, in the province of
Pennsylvania." Francis Daniel Pastorius was the first bailiff. Jacob Telner,
Derick Isacks op den Graeff and his brother Abraham Isacks op den Graeff,
Reynier Tyson, and Tennis Coender were burgesses, besides six committeemen. They
had authority to hold "the general court of the corporation of Germantowne," to
make laws for the government of the settlement, and to hold a court of record.
This court went into operation in 1690, and continued its services for sixteen
years. Sometimes, to distinguish Germantown from the upper portion of German
township, outside the borough, the township portion was called Upper Germantown.
In 1688, five years after its founding, Germantown became the birthplace of the
anti-slavery movement in America. Pastorius, Gerret Hendericks, Derick
Updegraeff and Abraham Updengraef gathered at Thones Kunders's house and wrote a
two-page condemnation of slavery and sent it to the governing bodies of their
Quaker church, the Society of Friends. The petition was mainly based upon the
Bible's Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Though
the Quaker establishment took no immediate action, the The 1688 Germantown
Quaker Petition Against Slavery, was an unusually early, clear and forceful
argument against slavery and initiated the process of banning slavery in the
Society of Friends (1776) and Pennsylvania (1780).
When Philadelphia was occupied by the British during the American Revolutionary
War, several units were housed in Germantown. In the Battle of Germantown, in
1777, the Continental Army attacked this garrison. During the battle, a party of
citizens fired on the British troops, as they marched up the Avenue, and
mortally wounded British Brigadier General Agnew. The Americans withdrew after
firing on one another in the confusion of the battle, leading to the
determination that the battle resulted in a defeat of the Americans. However,
the inspirational battle was considered an important victory by the feisty
Americans. The American loss was 673; the British loss was 575. The battle is
called a victory by the Americans because along with the Army's success under
Brigadier General Horatio Gates at Saratoga on October 17 when Burgoyne
surrendered, it led to the official recognition of the Americans by France,
which formed an alliance with the Americans afterwards.
For a time after the war, George Washington rented the Deshler-Morris House in
Germantown to escape the central city and the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. The
first bank of the United States was also located here during his administration.
5442 Germantown Avenue, The Deshler-Morris House (1773)
Louisa May Alcott, the author of the novel Little Women, was born in Germantown
in 1832. Germantown proper, and the adjacent German Township, were incorporated
into the City of Philadelphia in 1854 by the Act of Consolidation.
Bright April, a 1946 book written and illustrated by Marguerite de Angeli, is
illustrated with scenes of Germantown of the 1940s while addressing the divisive
issue of racial prejudice experienced by African Americans, a daring topic for a
children's book of that time. Selected digital images of this book are available
here
Education
Germantown, as with all areas of Philadelphia, is zoned to schools in the School
District of Philadelphia. Germantown High School is in Germantown.
Germantown is the location of the private quaker schools Germantown Friends
School and Greene Street Friends School. The William Penn Charter School, the
oldest quaker school in the world, is technically located in the Germantown zip
code, but is generally regarded as being in the adjacent neighborhood of East
Falls. The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf currently occupies the former site
of Germantown Academy, which moved to Fort Washington, Pennsylvania in 1965.

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum -

http://www.lumbermuseum.org/
Timber is one of Pennsylvania's greatest natural resources. When William Penn
arrived in 1682, it is estimated that 90% of the over 20 million acres now
comprising the Commonwealth, were covered with dense stands of white pine,
Eastern hemlock, and mixed hardwoods.
Forests near the first settlements were cleared immediately to provide farming
fields and to supply construction materials. Gradually, as agriculture and
industry developed, the demand for wood products increased. By the eve of the
Revolution, lumbering had spread into the interior of the Commonwealth.
The Delaware, lower Susquehanna, and Schuylkill rivers were filled with rafts of
lumber and logs, and the banks of creeks and rivers of Western Pennsylvania were
dotted with up-down mills. While sawing lumber and building boats and ships
represented the principal uses of wood in Pennsylvania's pioneer economy, the
forest also furnished fuel, potash, tanbark, wood for furniture and coopering,
rifle stocks, shingles, household utensils, charcoal - to name only a few of the
many uses. The export of lumber and its by-products was a worthwhile enterprise
wherever it was possible to reach the ports of Philadelphia and Baltimore.
After 1850, the rise of the lumber business was rapid and was given further
impetus by the demand for lumber produced both by the Civil War and the growth
of the country. The introduction of steam-driven machinery, combined with the
use of the circular saw blade revolutionized sawmilling. During the period
between 1850 and 1870, the center of the lumber industry shifted into northern
and central Pennsylvania. Williamsport, with 29 sawmills, became known as the
lumber capital of the world. Its great mills, strategically located on the
Susquehanna River, were supplied by logs floated down river from tributary
streams to the north. The log boom, operated by the Susquehanna Boom Company,
stretched seven miles along Williamsport's river front and was credited with a
holding capacity of over 250 million board feet of lumber. It is within this
period that Pennsylvania was the greatest producing state in the nation.
After 1880, a marked change took place within the industry. Lumbering became a
large-scale highly commercialized business. The vast stands of white pine were
nearly exhausted, and loggers now directed their operations to the harvesting of
the huge hemlock forests of northcentral Pennsylvania.
The introduction of the logging railroad, utilizing geared locomotives such as
the Shay, Climax, and Heisler, permitted the extension of logging into
previously inaccessible areas. Equally important, steam-powered log loaders
eliminated the backbreaking job of manually loading logs on railroad cars, and
band saws - - thin continuous bands of glittering teeth - enabled mill
production to skyrocket.
Woodsworkers or woodhicks were housed in camps located near the cutting
operation. Camps were temporary, rough wooden buildings that could be quickly
dismantled and relocated as the center of logging operations changed. With the
location of each large sawmill, towns sprang up almost overnight. Pigs ears
(cheap saloons), stores, churches, schools, and houses all followed the shifting
lumber operations.
By 1920, the seemingly endless forests had become history, and in hundreds of
lumber towns as the last, solitary log was moved up the jack ladder, the sawmill
whistle was given a long, lonely, final blast, which signaled the closing of the
mill and the end of an era. Loggers moved to West Virginia and to the lake
states, leaving behind thousands of devastated treeless acres. Today, after
decades of regeneration, Pennsylvania's forests are once again green, healthy,
and of great economic and esthetic value. However, unlike the pine and hemlock
forests of our forefathers, timber stands now consist primarily of hardwoods.
The story of Pennsylvania's lumber history and its impact on the everyday lives
of people is uniquely presented by the museum through our Visitor Center
galleries, re-created logging camp and sawmill exhibits.

Tours of days gone by:

Day 19 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-07-31T13:21:00.000-07:00

It is raining here and the temperature is 75'.
Today we are touring:

7 Blooming Grove Dunkard Church
40 Gettysburg

Blooming Grove Dunkard Church -

History
Hepburn Township was formed from part of Loyalsock Township in 1804. It is named
for William Hepburn who was a former state senator and one of the founding
fathers of Lycoming County and Williamsport which is the largest city in
Lycoming County. Hepburn Township was originally much larger in size than it is
today. Lewis, Gamble, Eldred Township, and Cascade Townships all are formed from
territory that was at least formerly part of Hepburn Township.
An Indian village known as Eeltown played a prominent role in the early history
of what is now Hepburn Township. This village located on Lycoming Creek near the
present village of Hepburnville was an important village on the Sheshequin Path.
The Indian name for Eeltown is unknown, but the whites named it for the
plentiful eels that could be found in the waters of Lycoming Creek.
Hepburn Township was settled by three distinct groups of European migrants. The
western section along Lycoming Creek was largely settled by the Scots-Irish, the
middle section known as Blooming Grove was settled by a German religious sect,
the Dunkard Brethren, and the eastern section of the township was settled by the
Quakers. John and Gottlieb Heim were among the first Dunkards to settle in
Hepburn Township. The Heims were imprisoned in Wurtemberg, Germany as
conscientious objectors. A condition of their release from prison was that they
would agree to leave Germany forever. Upon their release John and Gottleig moved
to the United States. They settled in Lycoming County and founded a religious
community and village known as Blooming Grove. Soon other Dunkards from Germany
were to join the Heim brothers. They built log cabins and quickly cleared the
land for farming. In addition to clearing the land the Dunkards were also free
to worship God in a manner that they saw fit. Their faith was banned in Germany.
The newly arrived settlers worked hard to clear the land and credited their
success on their faith in God. The new farms prospered almost immediately, they
"bloomed like flowers". Hence the name Blooming Grove.
Balls Mills is a village in Hepburn Township. It is named for John Ball who
migrated from England to the United States in 1893. He settled in Hillsgrove
Township in Sullivan County. There he built a sawmill and was beginning to have
success when he drowned while bathing. His son, William, then moved west to
Hepburn Township and founded Balls Mills in 1818. He built a fulling mill soon
after building his home. The Ball family quickly had success and expanded their
milling operations to include a clover mill. The machinery at the clover mill
was able to clean clover seed. Clover seed was very expensive at the time, a
bushel of the seed sold for as much as $24.00. Clover was very important to
farmers for providing ground cover and as a food supply for their grazing dairy
cows. The Balls family also built a sawmill, a woolen mill, and a grain cradle
manufacturing operation. A cradle is attached to a scythe to gather the
harvested grains. The cradles were sold not just in Lycoming County but
throughout the United States. The first major shipment to the west arrived in
St. Louis, Missouri in 1866.

Gettysburg -

There are sites listed that you can look at the detailed Battle of Gettysburg.
http://www.gettysburg.com/
The story of Adams County, from the days of Indian raids to the development
plans of today, spreads over two centuries. But our area is best known for just
three days of that time, July 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 1863 - the Battle of Gettysburg.
Though the conflict ended well over a century ago, each year nearly 2 million
people make the pilgrimage to this venerable site, the largest battlefield
shrine in America with over 1,000 monuments and cannon and over 40 miles of
scenic avenues. They come to see for themselves the spot where thousands fought
and died for their "cause", the spot where President Lincoln spoke and still
speaks to us today.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gettysburg
http://www.gettysburg.com/bog/address.htm
The Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg National Cemetery was dedicated by President Abraham Lincoln a
brief four months after the Battle. Lincoln's speech lasted only two minutes,
but it went into history as the immortal Gettysburg Address.
"Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a
new nation: conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men
are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war. . .testing whether that nation, or any
nation so conceived and so dedicated. . . can long endure. We are met on a great
battlefield of that war.

We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for
those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether
fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate. . .we cannot consecrate. . . we
cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here
have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will
little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what
they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the
unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us.
. .that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for
which they gave the last full measure of devotion. . . that we here highly
resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. . . that this nation, under
God, shall have a new birth of freedom. . . and that government of the people. .
.by the people. . .for the people. . . shall not perish from the earth. "

Tours of days gone by:

Day 18 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-07-28T16:01:00.000-07:00

Today we have sunshine and 83'. It is a nice day to be outside but the AC feels
really good.

Today we are touring: Tomorrow I will give the details of Somerset Historical
Center.

25 First Continental Congress
84 Somerset Historical Center

First Continental Congress -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Continental_Congress
The First Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from twelve of the
thirteen British North American colonies that met on September 5, 1774, at
Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, early in the American Revolution.
Called in response to the passage of the Coercive Acts (also known as
Intolerable Acts by the Colonial Americans) by the British Parliament, the
Congress was attended by 56 members appointed by the legislatures of twelve of
the Thirteen Colonies, the exception being the Province of Georgia, which did
not send delegates. The Congress met briefly to consider options, an economic
boycott of British trade, publish a list of rights and grievances, and petition
King George for redress of those grievances.
The Congress also called for another Continental Congress in the event that
their petition was unsuccessful in halting enforcement of the Intolerable Acts.
Their appeal to the Crown had no effect, and so the Second Continental Congress
was convened the following year to organize the defense of the colonies at the
onset of the American Revolutionary War.
Convention
Carpenters' Hall
The Congress met from 5 September to 26 October 1774. From 5 September through
21 October, Peyton Randolph presided over the proceedings; Henry Middleton took
over as President of the Congress for the last few days, from 22 October to 26
October. Charles Thomson, leader of Philadelphia Sons of Liberty, was selected
to be Secretary of the Continental Congress.
Galloway's Plan of Union
Patrick Henry already considered government dissolved, and was seeking a new
system. Pennsylvania delegate Joseph Galloway sought reconciliation with
Britain. He put forth a "Plan of Union", which suggested an American legislative
body be formed, with some authority, and whose consent would be required for
imperial measures.
John Jay, Edward Rutledge and other conservatives supported Galloway's plan.
(Galloway would later join the Loyalists).
Accomplishments
The Congress had two primary accomplishments. The first was a compact among the
colonies to boycott British goods beginning on 1 December 1774. The West Indies
were threatened with a boycott unless the islands agreed to non importation of
British goods. Imports from Britain dropped by 97 percent in 1775, compared with
the previous year. Committees of observation and inspection were to be formed in
each colony for enforcement of the Association. All of the colonial Houses of
Assembly approved the proceedings of the congress with the exception of New
York.
If the "Intolerable Acts" were not repealed, the colonies would also cease
exports to Britain after September 10 1775. The boycott was successfully
implemented, but its potential for altering British colonial policy was cut off
by the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War.
The second accomplishment of the Congress was to provide for a Second
Continental Congress to meet on 10 May 1775. In addition to the colonies which
had sent delegates to the First Continental Congress, letters of invitation were
sent to Quebec (three letters), Saint John's Island, Nova Scotia, Georgia, East
Florida, and West Florida. None of these sent delegates to the opening of the
second Congress, though a delegation from Georgia arrived the following July.

Somerset Historical Center -

http://www.somersetcounty.com/historicalcenter/
www.somersethistoricalcenter.org
http://www.somersethistoricalcenter.org/
The rugged Allegheny Mountains, though scarcely noticed by today's high speed
travelers, presented a formidable barrier to our eighteenth century ancestors.
While eastern settlements grew rapidly and advanced in industry and commerce,
this land beyond the mountain barrier remained isolated, traversed only by the
Native American, the trapper, and fur trader. Forbes Road and Braddock's Trial,
built to carry armies during the French and Indian War (1754-1763), opened this
frontier to the first tentative settlement.
Settlement of the area had begun in the 1760's, but because the roads were poor,
the inhabitants remained isolated during the remainder of the century. Many of
the necessities of life continued to be made at home, the work being done
primarily with muscle power and hand tools. Maple sugar products, whiskey,
ginseng, and furs were common commodities of the rural homestead. Excess
quantities were bartered for goods that could not be made at home. The early
settlers' soil-exploitive agricultural practices were crude and produced little
surplus for market. What surplus there may have been was traded in Pittsburgh
and Cumberland, Maryland, floated down the river to New Orleans, or transported
by packhorse to the East.
Advancements in the science of farming during the nineteenth century, along with
the eventual development of land-grant colleges in the 1890's, improved the
farmers' lot. The crop yield per acre increased dramatically when improved
methods of crop rotation and the application of fertilizer and lime became
common practices.
The effects of the Industrial Revolution were felt on the rural farmsteads of
the region in the 1870's. The growing industrial complex produced a variety of
tools, implements, and machines which made farming more efficient and
profitable. Steam powered and mechanized farm equipment made the work of the
farmers easier and allowed them to increase the number of tillable acres. As
production improved, so did the roads and railroads which supplied efficient and
inexpensive means for farmers to transport goods to and from city markets.
Later, the introduction of motor vehicles, the telephone and radio, rural free
delivery mail and parcel post, free public schools, and other services and
inventions brought some of the advantages of urban living to the countryside.
Industrialization created a new class of consumers who no longer toiled on the
farm, but worked in the factories and provided a growing market for the farmers'
produce. In turn, handmade articles in the rural home were gradually replaced
by factory goods. In less than two hundred years, farm life advanced from
handwork to machine power, from rural isolation to nationwide communication, and
from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture. This story of change and
its effect on the everyday lives of people is dramatically presented at the
Somerset Historical Center through many objects that represent the life and
culture of rural southwestern Pennsylvania, the land beyond the mountain
barrier.

Tours of days gone by:

Day 17 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-07-27T16:11:00.001-07:00

It is sunny and 84' outside.
I realized when I drew the numbers today that when I done the bingo game the
last time Charlie was here and somehow several of the numbers was missing (like
about 12).
So I think we should restart the game since I had to reprint the numbers and cut
them apart ........

What is that I'm hearing boo's and ?????? ???????

OK ladies I pulled out the numbers I already drew and put the rest in the bag
.... I really did shake them up good,

So here are today's places we are touring:

24 Erie Maritime Museum
44 Hershey Chocolate (to make the tour complete treat yourself to your favorite
Hershey bar)

Erie Maritime Museum -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erie_Maritime_Museum
Erie Maritime Museum is a maritime museum located on Presque Isle Bay in
downtown Erie, Pennsylvania. It was the first new PHMC museum in twenty years
when it opened its doors on May 21, 1998. It is the homeport of the US Brig
Niagara, a modern recreation of the US Brig Niagara that fought in the Battle of
Lake Erie.
The museum offers a wide range of multi-media and interactive exhibits coupled
with lively interpretive programs that vividly illustrate the region's rich
maritime heritage. When in homeport, the ship herself is the major "exhibit".
Berthed within yards of the museum, Niagara is visible from the building's bay
side picture window. Inside, the centerpiece exhibits of the museum are a former
steam-powered electricity generating station and a reconstruction of the
mid-ship section of the USS Lawrence. The replicated Lawrence, Commodore Oliver
Hazard Perry's first flagship during the Battle of Lake Erie, comes complete
with mast, spars and rigging to foster hands-on learning in the ways of sail
handling.
Another powerful display is the adjoining section of the Lawrence replica that
has been blasted with live ammunition from the current Niagara's own carronades
at the National Guard training facility in Fort Indiantown Gap, near Harrisburg.
This unprecedented "live fire" exhibit of the Lawrence recreates the horrific
carnage inflicted upon both ships and men during the Battle of Lake Erie and
throughout the Age of Fighting Sail. Other exhibits tell the stories of the USS
Wolverine (previously the USS Michigan), the nation's first iron-hulled warship,
the environmental transformation of the Great Lakes ecosystem and much more.

Hershey Chocolate -

http://www.hersheys.com/
Raised in rural central Pennsylvania, hampered by the lack of a formal education
and nearly bankrupt by the time he was 30, Milton S. Hershey went on to become
not only one of America's wealthiest individuals, but also a successful
entrepreneur whose products are known the world over, a visionary builder of the
town which bears his name and a philanthropist whose open-hearted generosity
continues to touch the lives of thousands.
A successful entrepreneur...eventually.
Following a four-year apprenticeship as a teenager to a Lancaster, Pennsylvania,
candy maker, Hershey in 1876 attempted to start his own candy business in
Philadelphia. Despite six years of hard work, it failed. So he moved to Denver
and found work with a confectioner who taught him how to make caramels using
fresh milk. He then started up a second candy business in New York City. It also
failed. Undaunted, he returned to Lancaster and once again tried making a go of
the caramel business. This time, it worked. Soon, his Lancaster Caramel Company
was shipping all over the U.S. and Europe, employing 1400 people and turning him
into one of the area's leading citizens.
But what about the chocolate?
It was at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago that Hershey first
became fascinated with the art of chocolate making. While there, he purchased
some German machinery, had it shipped to Lancaster and began producing chocolate
coatings for his caramels. But aware of the growing demand for chocolate itself,
he soon started the Hershey Chocolate Company. For years, he worked at
perfecting a viable recipe for making milk chocolate -- a process which up to
then had been kept a closely guarded secret by the Swiss. Finally, through trial
and error, he hit upon the right formula of milk, sugar and cocoa that enabled
him to realize his dream of mass producing and distributing milk chocolate
candy. What had once been a luxury for the rich, was to become an enjoyment that
anyone could afford...the Hershey bar.
A new business needs a new location.
With his Hershey Chocolate Company growing by leaps and bounds, Hershey decided
to sell his caramel company (for $1 million, an enormous sum in 1900!) and
devote his attention to making chocolate. Discovering a need to expand his
production capacity, he began looking around for a suitable place to build a new
factory. He found it in nearby Derry Township, where he had been born.
Convenient to the port cities that could provide cocoa beans and sugar,
surrounded by dairy farms and endowed with a hardworking populace, the area
seemed ideal. In 1903, he broke ground.
Building a town, not just a company.
Hershey's success was not simply a matter of luck. Having learned from his past
failures, he had become a shrewd and astute businessman. He believed, along with
the more forward-thinking industrialists of the age, that workers who were
treated fairly and who lived in a comfortable, pleasant environment would be
better workers. Accordingly, he set upon building an infrastructure to take care
of the people who were employed by his company. He had plans drawn up for a
model community that included housing for executives and ordinary workers alike,
schools, churches, parks, recreational facilities and a trolley system. Unlike
other "company towns," Hershey's was not intended to exploit its resident
workers, but rather to provide for their welfare. As time went on, Hershey saw
to it that the town (named Hershey, naturally) added a community building, a
department store, a convention hall, an amusement park, a swimming pool, and
schools. Lots of schools.
"To train young men to useful trades."
For the farm boy who never had much chance at education himself, providing that
opportunity for others was always an important priority. As early as 1909,
Hershey and his wife Catherine established the Hershey Industrial School, a
school for orphan boys. Today named the Milton Hershey School, it has since
opened its doors to girls as well. He also made sure that the town of Hershey
had the finest elementary and secondary schools possible. There were even plans
for a junior college. In 1918 and with no fanfare, Hershey transferred the bulk
of his considerable wealth, including his ownership in the Hershey Chocolate
Company and other enterprises, to the Hershey Trust to be held for the Hershey
Industrial School.
A legacy that lives on.
With the death of Milton Hershey in 1945, the company, town and institutions
that bear his name were well positioned to continue and grow. The Hershey
Chocolate Corporation has evolved into The Hershey Company, a profitable company
encompassing a range of products found in homes throughout the world. The town
of Hershey, with its many attractions, has become a popular destination for both
vacationing tourists and business conventioneers. The Milton Hershey School,
along with Hershey's other philanthropic endeavors, have expanded and prospered,
with the school housing and educating hundreds of boys and girls. In a long and
useful life, Milton S. Hershey proved himself to be a courageous entrepreneur, a
determined builder and a compassionate humanitarian.
It all started with a decision.
Our company originated with candy-manufacturer Milton Hershey's decision in 1894
to produce sweet chocolate as a coating for his caramels. Located in Lancaster,
Pennsylvania, he called his new enterprise the Hershey Chocolate Company. In
1900, the company began producing milk chocolate in bars, wafers and other
shapes. With mass-production, Hershey was able to lower the per-unit cost and
make milk chocolate, once a luxury item for the wealthy, affordable to all. One
early advertising slogan described this new product as "a palatable confection
and a most nourishing food."
A company on the move.
The immediate success of Hershey's low-cost, high-quality milk chocolate soon
caused the company's owner to consider increasing his production facilities. He
decided to build a new chocolate factory amid the gently rolling farmland of
south-central Pennsylvania in Derry Township, where he had been born. Close to
the ports of New York and Philadelphia which supplied the imported sugar and
cocoa beans needed, surrounded by dairy farms that provided the milk required,
and with a local labor supply of honest, hard-working people, the location was
perfect. By the summer of 1905, the new factory was turning out delicious milk
chocolate.
A KISS for the whole world.
Looking to expand its product line, the company in 1907 began producing a
flat-bottomed, conical milk chocolate candy which Mr. Hershey decided to name
HERSHEY'S KISSES Chocolates. At first, they were individually wrapped in little
squares of silver foil, but in 1921 machine wrapping was introduced. That
technology was also used to add the familiar "plume" at the top to signify to
consumers that this was a genuine HERSHEY'S KISS Chocolate. In 1924, the company
even had it trademarked.
New products, hard times.
Throughout the next two decades, even more products were added to the company's
offerings. These included MR. GOODBAR (1925), HERSHEY'S Syrup (1926), chocolate
chips (1928) and the KRACKEL bar (1938). Despite the Great Depression of the
1930s, these products helped the newly incorporated Hershey Chocolate
Corporation maintain its profitability and avoid any worker layoffs.
Nevertheless, supported by the CIO labor union, a group of workers staged a
six-day strike that ended with the strikers being forcibly removed by loyal
workers and local farmers.
HERSHEY'S chocolate goes to war.
With the outbreak of World War II, the Hershey Chocolate Corp. (which had
provided milk chocolate bars to American doughboys in the first war) was already
geared up to start producing a survival ration bar for military use. By the end
of the war, more than a billion of these Ration D bars had been produced and the
company had earned no less than five Army-Navy "E" Production Awards for its
exceptional contributions to the war effort. In fact, the company's machine shop
even turned out parts for the Navy's antiaircraft guns.
A family friend becomes a family member.
The post-war period saw the introduction of a host of new products and the
acquisition of an old one. Since 1928, H.B. "Harry" Reese's candy company, also
located in Hershey, had been making chocolate-covered peanut butter cups. Given
that Hershey Chocolate supplied the coating for REESE'S "penny cups"; (the
wrapper said, "Made in Chocolate Town, So They Must Be Good"), it was not
surprising that the two companies had a good relationship. As a result, seven
years after Reese's death in 1956, the H.B. Reese Candy Company was sold to
Hershey Chocolate Corp.
Growing up and branching out.
The following decades would see the company - renamed Hershey Foods Corporation
in 1968 - expanding its confectionery product lines, acquiring related companies
and even diversifying into other food products. Among the many acquisitions
were: San Giorgio Macaroni and Delmonico Foods (1966); manufacturing and
marketing rights to English candy company Rowntree MacKintosh's products (1970);
Y&S Candies, makers of Twizzlers licorice (1977); Dietrich Corp.'s confectionery
operations (1986); Peter Paul/Cadbury's U.S. confectionery operations (1988);
and Ronzoni Foods (1990).
The Hershey Company enters a new century.
Today, The Hershey Company is the leading North American manufacturer of
chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery and grocery products. As the new
millennium begins, we continue to introduce new products frequently and to take
advantage of growth opportunities through acquisitions. HERSHEY'S products are
known and enjoyed the world over. In fact, we export to over 90 countries. With
approximately 13,700 employees and net sales in excess of $4 billion, The
Hershey Company remains committed to the vision and values of the man who
started it all so many years ago.

Tours of days gone by

Day 16 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-07-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

Today is to be humid, mostly cloudy with a chance of mainly afternoon showers
and thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 80s. Right now it is a rainy, sticky 72'
outside. I already turned the air conditioner on.
We are touring only 2 places today as someone has toured 25 places already.

Today we are touring:

23 Ephrata Cloister
41 Goshenhoppen

Ephrata Cloister -

http://www.ephratacloister.org/
Conrad Beissel, founder of Ephrata, was born in Eberbach am Neckar, Germany, in
March 1691. His birth came at the end of a century of wars which had devastated
his homeland. By the age of 8 Conrad had been orphaned by the death of his
parents. As a young man he learned the trade of baker, and traveled in the
region to perfect his skills. In his journeys he encountered Pietism, a movement
to reform the established, state supported Protestant churches. Joining the
Pietists, Beissel met in small groups not sanctioned by the church to read the
Bible and pray. The church found Beissel in conflict with the law, and following
a personal religious awakening about 1715, he was banished from his homeland. He
remained in Germany until 1720 when he immigrated to Pennsylvania, where William
Penn?s policies offered freedom of conscience.
After spending a year in Germantown, just outside Philadelphia, Beissel moved to
the Conestoga area, just east of present day Lancaster, Pennsylvania. There he
affiliated with the Brethren, an Anabaptist group which offered admission to the
faith to those individuals who had reached maturity. In 1724 Beissel was
appointed leader of the newly formed Conestoga Brethren Congregation. His
radical ideas of Saturday worship and promotion of celibacy soon caused a split
within the congregation, and in 1728 Beissel withdrew his membership in the
church. His charismatic personality continued to attract followers until 1732
when he left the Conestoga and sought the hermit's life along the banks of the
Cocalico Creek in northern Lancaster County. Soon after his move to the Cocalico
region, Beissel was followed by like-minded men and women who wished to follow
his teachings.
What began as a hermitage for a small group of devoted individuals grew into a
thriving community of nearly 80 celibate members supported by an estimated 200
family members from the region at its zenith in the mid-18th-century. During
that period much of the activity surrounded the charismatic founder and leader,
Conrad Beissel. His theology, a hybrid of pietism and mysticism, encouraged
celibacy, Sabbath worship, Anabaptism, and the ascetic life, yet provided room
for families, limited industry, and creative expression. The community became
known for its self-composed a cappella music, Germanic calligraphy known as
Frakturschriften, and the complete publishing center which included a paper
mill, printing office, and book bindery.
During the period from 1735 to 1746 the community constructed no less than eight
major structures, dormitories or meetinghouses, in addition to a number of
smaller dwellings, workshops, and mills. Not all of this was done without
internal discord. The most dramatic was the challenge to leadership posed by
Israel Eckerlin, Prior of the Brotherhood. The Eckerlin controversy came to a
head in 1745 with Eckerlin?s expulsion from Ephrata, but is was not the only
note of conflict in the community?s long history.
With the death of Beissel in 1768 the society quickly declined. Peter Miller,
successor to Beissel, recognized that the monastic life was no longer attractive
to new generations. He wrote to Benjamin Franklin saying, ?the mind of Americans
is bent another way.? By 1813 the last of the celibate members died, and the
following year the remaining members of the married congregation formed the
German Seventh Day Baptist Church. Poorer members of the Church moved into many
of the original buildings on the Cloister property and altered the spaces to
suit their needs. With these new residents came bits of furniture and household
items; however they also made use of the furnishings that remained in the
buildings. In many cases 18th-century furniture was given a coat of paint, cut
down to fit a space, or repaired with disregard to original construction methods
or materials.
By 1929 the remaining church members living at the Cloister entered into a
disagreement with each other on the disposition of the site and its artifacts.
The members took legal action against one another, and in 1934 the court system
revoked the incorporation charter for the Church at Ephrata. The property was
placed under the care of a court appointed receiver, who in 1941, sold the
remaining 28 acres of the historic site to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Restoration on the nine surviving original buildings began immediately, headed
by architect G. Edwin Brumbaugh. Brumbaugh left the project in 1960 and most
interior spaces were restored by architect John Heyl.
Today the National Historic Landmark is administered by the Pennsylvania
Historical and Museum Commission. Daily tours, special programs, and on-going
research continue to inform and educate visitors to the site about Ephrata?s
surviving legacy and the people who built it.

Goshenhoppen -

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/legacies/PA/200002955.html
http://www.goschenhoppen.org/
In upper Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, lives one of the oldest Pennsylvania
German communities in existence. In 1963, observing that the forces of change
were threatening to obliterate the local German culture, folklife scholars and
friends decided to found a society that would protect German culture and
traditions, finally incorporating in 1965 as the Goschenhoppen Historians. They
are chartered to collect, preserve, and present to the public the folk culture
and history of the Goschenhoppen folk region and surrounding areas of
southeastern Pennsylvania. The Goschenhoppen region includes parts of Bucks,
Berks, and Lehigh Counties, and can be roughly identified as the valley of the
Perkiomen Creek north of Schwenksville. The precise meaning and derivation of
the term "Goschenhoppen" has been lost, but it is thought to have come for
"Goshenhof," a German placename. The name "Goschenhoppen," however, has long
been associated with the region, and it appears in public records as early as
1728.
Rather than just preserving and protecting historic structures, records, and
artifacts, the Goschenhoppen Historians have devoted themselves to the European
model of folk culture research, which studies the region's language and
dialects, folk beliefs and practices, material culture, and geographic, historic
and religious influences. By spring 1964, the Goschenhoppen Folklife Museum and
Library had been established in the village of Vernfield, moving in 1971 to a
building which is an outstanding example of late Victorian village lodge-hall
architecture in Green Lane, Pennsylvania. The folklife museum presents the
Goschenhoppen area prior to 1870, with exhibits of agricultural tools and
implements; an 18th-century weaver's shop; a turner's shop; a flax exhibit; and
decorative arts exhibit. Local material culture, folk beliefs and customs are
illustrated by permanent exhibits in a room-like settings. Kammer (bedroom),
Küche (kitchen), and Stube (parlor) rooms have been set up to reflect
representative activities of the period, for example, a quilting frame with an
in-process quilt and children's toys on the floor underneath appear in the
Stube exhibit. Docents act as interpreters. The Goschenhoppen Folklife Library
holds local English and German newspapers, account books, tradesmen's records,
mid-19th century insurance company records, as well as books, magazines and
pamphlets on Pennsylvania German folk culture.
Since 1963, monthly meetings of the Goschenhopper Historians have featured
programs on various aspects of Pennsylvania folk culture, on the history of the
area, and other folklife topics. Between 1960 and 1980, members of the group
engaged in oral history interviews with folklife informants whose native
language and culture were essential Goschenhoppen; the interviews continue to
this day with elders in the community, though the contemporary interviewees are
less likely to recall the dialect, old folk beliefs and folk songs than the
previous generation.
Yet another Goschenhoppen Historian initiative was the sponsoring of a
quilt-documentation project. Taped interviews with traditional quilters, over
1800 color transparencies and 1500 black-and-white photographs resulted. The
Historians published a book, Lest I Shall Be Forgotten, which summarized the
outcomes of the project. Another long-term preservation project of the
Historians is the restoration of the Henry Antes house in Frederick, upper
Montgomery County, thought to be the headquarters of General George Washington
during the Pottsgrove Encampment in 1777.
The first annual Goschenhoppen Folk Festival was held in 1967 at the Old
Goschenhoppen Union Church in the small town of Woxall. The festival, described
as "living history," has featured demonstrations of traditional German crafts by
volunteers in authentic period clothing, stage programs, and preparation and
sales of traditional foods. It has since moved to the New Goschenhoppen Park in
East Greenville, where it attracts about 8,500 attendees annually. The
Goschenhoppen Historian insist upon total authenticity; no souvenirs, hotdogs,
hamburgers nor soft drinks are sold.
The project is documented by an extensive article in the Spring 1996 edition of
Pennsylvania Folklife, and two videotapes: "The Road Least Traveled..." on the
Goschenhoppen Museum and '97 Folk Festival; and "Experience Yesterday Today," on
the Goschenhoppen Historians Folk Festival.
Originally submitted by: Patrick J. Toomey, Representative (15th District).
Since 2007, our Annual Folk Festival has been held at the Henry Antes
Plantation, Colonial Road in Frederick, PA. The potential of the Antes
Plantation, with its 18th century backdrop is vast and so conducive to the
authentic interpretation of the Pennsylvania German folk culture that it is the
ideal location to continue the tradition of the Folk Festival.
The Goschenhoppen Historians was established as an educational society dedicated
to learning about preserving and teaching the Pennsylvania German folk culture.
Red Men's Hall, the annual Folk Festival and the Antes House are the three
primary ways the Historians accomplish this mission. For the past 40 years the
authentic recreation of folk culture trades and home skills have been
demonstrated at the annual Folk Festival. Red Men's Hall houses a local folk
life museum, country-store museum, a research library and a blacksmith's shop.
The Antes House was acquired in 1987 with one acre of land in Upper Frederick
Township and in 2000 an additional 25 acres were purchased. The Antes House has
been designated a National Historic Landmark as an outstanding example of
Pennsylvania German architecture in the mid-18th century, and in recognition of
Henry Antes'contributions to Colonial America. The restoration of the house is
nearly completed and the master plan for the property has been prepared.
For years the goal of the organization was to have a place of its own to keep
alive the Pennsylvania German folk culture and to educate the public. The Antes
Plantation is that place. We look forward to the continued support of the
members and friends of the Historians as we make this exciting move.
The annual Goschenhoppen Folk Festival, started in 1966 is nationally recognized
as an educational event to be enjoyed by the whole family. It is always held in
August on the 2nd Saturday and the Friday before. It is a non-commercial family
oriented day in Goschenhoppen. Old fashioned foods and Pennsylvania Dutch meals
are for sale on the festival grounds. Young and old alike can leisurely enjoy
more than 500 skilled and apprentice craftsmen giving live demonstrations of
more than 150 skills of the 18th and 19th centuries. Dressed in authentic
costumes of the periods (many of which are loaned from the Historian's extensive
wardrobe), they use authentic tools in recreating traditional home skills,
trades, pastimes, foods, and folk music. Stage programs and lectures both
scholarly and entertaining, serious and humorous, in the dialect and in English,
are presented throughout the day.
The Historians put their own learning to work as they display the area's largest
collection of traditional foods, crafts, homeskills, trades, music and folk
itinerants. The Historians are purists and the Festival Committee documents as
completely as possible every detail of early Goschenhoppen life including food,
dress and practices. Since 1976 a Student Apprentice program has introduced and
educated countless numbers of school children to the traditional ways of
Goschenhoppen. These young apprentices are included each year in festival
activities. It is a leisurely family event which visitors will find educational
and entertaining.
The staff and workers are dressed in typical everyday working garb that
corresponds to the time frame and the type of tools used in the demonstration.
Styles of clothing seen on the festival grounds date from 1750-1820, 1810-1830,
and 1880-1900. Some 20th century "Plain" garb can also be seen which is not a
recreation.

Tours of days gone by:

Day 15 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-07-25T03:40:00.000-07:00

Today is to be nice but hot around 85' it is now 62'. We are demonstrating at
Danville Iron Heritage Days today. Today we will be touring:

11 Conestoga Wagon
34 Fort Mifflin
37 Fort Rice
57 Mason and Dixon Line
86 Strasburg Railroad

I will post later the details of the tour after we get home on
http://vonsnoidlehandsneedlework.blogspot.com/ look at day 15. I do have some
details.

Conestoga Wagon -

The Conestoga wagon is a heavy, broad-wheeled covered freight carrier used
extensively during the late 1700s and 1800s in the United States. It was large
enough to transport loads up to 8 short tons (7 metric tons), and was drawn by 4
to 6 Conestoga horses.
History
The first Conestoga wagons originated in Pennsylvania around 1750 and are
thought to have been introduced by Mennonite German settlers. The name came from
the Conestoga Valley near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In colonial times the
Conestoga wagon was popular for migration southward through the Great
Appalachian Valley along the Great Wagon Road. After the American Revolution it
was used to open up commerce to Pittsburgh and Ohio. In 1820 rates charged were
roughly one dollar per 100 pounds per 100 miles, with speeds about 15 miles (25
km) per day. The Conestoga, often in long wagon trains, was the primary overland
cargo vehicle over the Appalachians until the development of the railroad. The
wagon was pulled by six to eight horses or a dozen oxen. The wagon is shaped
like a boat because it keeps the goods from falling out. A toolbox is attached
to the side just in case of repairs. The wagon bows is a cloth that protects
passengers from heat, rain, and snow. The wheels helped the wagon from getting
stuck in the mud. The average Conestoga wagon was 24 feet long, 11 feet high,
and 4 feet in width and depth. It could hold up to 12,000 pounds of cargo.
The Conestoga wagon was cleverly built. Its floor curved upward to prevent the
contents from tipping and shifting. The cracks in the body of the wagon were
stuffed with tar to protect them from leaks while crossing rivers. Also for
protection against bad weather, stretched across the wagon was a tough, white
canvas cover. The frame and suspension were made of wood, while the wheels were
often iron plated for greater durability. Water barrels built on the side of the
wagon were used to hold water and toolboxes held tools needed for repair on the
wagon. The Conestoga wagon was used for many types of travel including passage
to California during the Gold Rush.
The term "Conestoga wagon" refers specifically to this type of vehicle; it is
not a generic term for "covered wagon." The wagons used in the westward
expansion of the United States were, for the most part, ordinary farm wagons
fitted with canvas covers.

Fort Mifflin -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Mifflin
Fort Mifflin, originally called Fort Island Battery and also known as Mud Island
Fort, was commissioned in 1771 and sits on Mud or Deep Water Island on the
Delaware River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During the American Revolutionary
War, the fort was a centerpiece of the British conquest of Philadelphia. The
name "Fort Mifflin" became official in 1795. The fort was rebuilt at the start
of 1794 during the presidency of John Adams to a design by Pierre L'Enfant, and
added to in the 19th century.
History
Construction
Fort Mifflin's hospital
In 1771, Governor John Penn recognized the vulnerability of the port of
Philadelphia to invasion and asked Massachusetts Governor Thomas Gage to send
someone who could design defenses for the city. General Gage assigned
Engineering Captain John Montresor to the task. Montresor presented six designs
to the Governor and Board of Commissioners to be constructed on Mud Island—also
known as Deep Water Island—as proposed by the board.
When the Commissioners reviewed the plans, they thought them all to be too
expensive and insisted on economy despite Montresor's protestations about
budget. Montresor stated that his preferred plan would cost about £40,000 and
that he intended to mount "32 pieces of cannon, 4 mortars and 4 royal
howitzers... which at 6 men each make 240 men required, 160 musketry, in all 400
garrison." The General Assembly passed a bill releasing £15,000 for the
construction of the fort and the purchase of Mud Island from Joseph Galloway,
the Speaker of the House. The board instructed Montresor to begin construction
but failed to provide him with the funds he deemed necessary to properly do the
job. On June 4 1772, Montresor left the head workman in charge of the
construction project and, disgruntled, returned to New York. The project
floundered on for about a year, when it stopped for lack of guidance and
funding. By this time only the south walls, which were built in stone, had been
completed.
Following the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin
headed a committee to provide for the defense of Philadelphia. Construction was
restarted soon after by the Philadelphia Committee of Public Safety, and the
fort was finally completed in 1776. During this period, the committee also
constructed Fort Mercer on the eastern bank of the Delaware River across from
Fort Mifflin. The Americans intended to use Fort Mifflin and Fort Mercer to
control the activity of the British Navy on the Delaware River.
Obstacles called "chevaux de frise" were assembled and placed in 'tiers',
spanning the width of the Delaware between the forts. These defenses were
wooden-framed "boxes", 30 feet square, constructed of huge timbers and lined
with pine planks. When lowered onto the riverbed, the frames were filled with 20
to 40 tons of stone to anchor them in place. Two or three large timbers tipped
with iron spikes were placed in each frame, set underwater and facing obliquely
downstream. The boxes were then chained together to maintain continuity. The
chevaux de frise presented a formidable obstacle and could impale unwitting
ships. The system was designed with gaps to allow passage of friendly shipping.
Only a select few knew the locations of safe passage through this barrier. Forts
Mercer and Mifflin would have been able to fire at anyone attempting to
dismantle these obstacles.
Siege in American Revolutionary War
Hessian map showing campaign against Fort Mifflin and Fort Mercer (Redbank) in
1777.
After the defeat of Washington at the Battle of Brandywine, the British took
control of Philadelphia in September of 1777. The British forces then laid siege
to Fort Mifflin and Fort Mercer in early October 1777. The siege was intended to
open up the supply line for the British Army. Captain Montresor, who had
designed and led the early construction of the fort, led the siege, planning and
building the siege works used against Fort Mifflin. The siege, which lasted
until the middle of November, destroyed much of Fort Mifflin. During the siege,
400 soldiers held off over 2,000 British troops and 250 ships until November 10,
when the British intensified their assault, launching an incessant barrage of
cannonballs into the fort. On November 15 1777, the American troops evacuated
the fort. Their stand, which denied the British Navy free use of the Delaware
River, allowed the successful repositioning of the Continental Army for the
Battle of White Marsh and subsequent withdrawal to Valley Forge. The bombardment
the fort experience was the heaviest of the American Revolutionary War. Roughly
85 of the 406–450 men garrisoned at the fort when the siege started were killed
or wounded. The dead and wounded were ferried to the mainland before the final
evactuation. The siege was the only time the fort saw action in its entire
history.
The buildings standing today were all built after 1795. The white stone walls of
the fort are the only survivor of British construction prior to the
Revolutionary War. Evidence of the 1777 British bombardment, the greatest
bombardment of the American Revolution, can be seen by the pockmarks in these
stone walls. This massive bombardment is also known as The Battle of Mud Island
to local residents living near Fort Mifflin. The ruins lay derelict until 1793
when Pierre L'Enfant, who was responsible for planning Washington D. C.,
supervised the reconstruction and designed the rebuild in 1794. and
reconstruction work began on the fort in 1795. After the construction of Fort
Delaware in 1820, Fort Mifflin was relegated to secondary status. During the
19th century, the area around the fort was drained and filled until eventually
Mud Island was no longer an island and became part of the western bank of the
Delaware River.
American Civil War
During the Civil War, Fort Mifflin was used to house Confederate prisoners of
war, as well as Union soldiers and civilians accused of breaking the law. On
November 24, 1864, LTC Seth Eastman, the great American Western frontier
painter, was sent to Ft. Mifflin to supervise the discharge all of the over
200 civilian and military prisoners. On January 2 1865, Eastman reported his
garrison consisted of B Company, 186th PA Vol, a detachment of recruits and the
hospital staff. On August 20 1865, Eastman was relieved by CPT Thomas E.
Merritt, with A Company, 7th US Veteran volunteers.
After the Civil War
In 1866 A Company of the 7th US Veteran Volunteers vacated the fort and was
replaced by the District Engineer Office, Corps of Engineers. The fort was
discontinued as an active post. Between 1866 and 1876 Fort Mifflin underwent
intermittent repairs, armament upgrade, and modernization by the Corps of
Engineers. The detached high battery south of the fort was constructed from 1870
to 1875, but it was never finished. The Torpedo Casemate was constructed in
1876. From 1876 to 1884, the fort was the custodial responsibility of the
Philadelphia District Office of the Corps of Engineers.
During the Second World War, anti-aircraft guns were stationed at the fort to
defend the nearby Fort Mifflin Naval Ammunition Storage Depot (NASD) and the US
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Marine Corps units out of the PNSY guarded the
NASD, at the northern end of what was Mud and Cabin Islands, while regular Army
troops were assigned to the historic fort proper. By April 24 1942, Battery "H"
of the 76th Coast Artillery Regiment was stationed at the fort. The unit was the
first Negro CA unit in US history. By the summer of 1942, the 601st CA was
stationed at Fort Mifflin. In 1954 the fort fell out of use as a military post.
When it closed, Fort Mifflin was the oldest fort in continuous use in the
country (1771 to 1954). In 1962, Fort Mifflin was deeded back to the City of
Philadelphia.
Restoration
Arsenal: restored in the early 1990s by Harold Finigan.
Artillery shed: re-roofed in the early 1980s by architect J. Dickey. Restored by
Harold Finigan.
Blacksmith shop: Interior restored by John Dickey in 1969; Exterior by Harold
Finigan.
Sutler/storehouse: Interior renovated by G.E. Brumbaugh, 1960; Exterior by
Harold Finigan.
Soldiers' barracks: restored in the 1990s by Harold Finigan
Officers' quarters: major restoration by the Harold Finigan in the 1980s, and
the kitchen wings were restored.
Hospital: restored by Harold Finigan in the early 1980s
Standing buildings
Artillery shed The commandant's house
Arsenal: One story brick structure 24 feet (7.3 m) by 44 feet (13 m). It was
built in 1815–1816 as a guardhouse and prison. By 1839 it was designated as an
arsenal. (Historic American Building Survey (HABS) #PA1225.
Artillery Shed: Built in 1837 for the storage and protection of cannon on an
interior raised platform. (As cited in a report from the Engineers Dept, 28 Nov
1837; American State Papers 7:580)
Blacksmith Shop: Built before 1802, it is probably the oldest structure in the
fort. (RG77 NAB)
Sutler Building/Storehouse: A brick, one story building measuring 55 feet (17 m)
by 20 feet (6,100 mm). It was completed on 27 December 1842 (Tompkins to Jessup,
Consolidated Correspondence, Box 662, RG 92 NAB).
Soldiers' Barracks: Built in the 1790s, the barracks measure 117 feet (36 m) by
28 feet (8.5 m) and consist of two stories. It originally had 7 rooms, of which
5 were designed to house 25 men each. The building was extensively renovated in
1836, and again later when the roofline was changed to add the second floor.
(HABS # PA-1225E)
Officers Quarters: A two story building measuring 96 feet (29 m) by 28 feet
(8.5 m) that was built in 1814. (#475, RG 77, NAB). Renovated in 1836, the
building had a 2 two story kitchen wing added in the 1840s. These wings were
removed before the 1920s (HABS #PA-1225F).
Commandant's House (Citadel): Originally a cross shaped hole in the ground in
the center of the fort and designed as a last ditch defensive area, the presnt
structure was built in 1796. This structure was completed by LTCOL Stephen
Rochefontaine, who replaced Pierre Charles L'Enfant as chief Engineer at Ft
Mifflin in 1798. Rochfontaine used L'Enfant's original designs and improved on
them. Today, the Commandants House is partly restored after a 1983 fire and is
one of the only Greek Revival structures of its kind situated on an Army
installation in the United States. ASP 1:11
Hospital/Messhall Built about 1819 north of the fort walls, this building was
converted to a messhouse in 1837. (ASP 7:632)
West Sallyport: Proposed in 1864, completed by 1866. (B-566, RG 77, NAB).
Casemates Built as defensive structures in the case of an enemy siege, the six
cavelike structures were built in the reconstruction of 1798-1801. A "Bake Oven"
just outside the Main Gate and the entrance to the Casemate or Bombproofs was
used for baking bread and as a chapel and mess hall. Casemate 31, the largest of
the rooms was designed as a barracks and was used by the numerous Confederate
prisoners that occupied the fort from 1863 to 1865. There are three smaller
casemates that were used as storage areas and held political prisoners during
the Civil War and Casemate #5, about half the size of Casemate #1 would have
been utilized as the headquarters in the time of attack.
East Magazine: (Torpedo casemate) Noted in the 1875 Annual Report "The
construction of the torpedo casemate has commenced", it first appears on a map
in 1886. (RG77, NAB)
Casemate 11
Recently, Casemate #11 was unearthed at Fort Mifflin. The rooms in the farthest
interior are of the original construction in 1771, with the outer room built
during the post Revolutionary war reconstruction of the fort (1794-98) and used
as a "Proof Room", a room to make cannon charges. The nearby Torpedo Casement
was built in 1874-75; its entrance sealing off access to the unused Casement.
There are several references to "Casemate #11" in this location, but the only
evidence known was the cap of what was believed to be a chimney and nothing
more. Not until the rooms were uncovered in August 2006 was the complexity of
the inner rooms discovered, along with the trove of historical artifacts inside
that had not seen the light of day in 139 years.
Casemate #11 housed Fort Mifflin's most famous prisoner, William H Howe, after
he led an attempted escape of 200 prisoners from casement # 5. Howe was a Union
soldier accused of desertion and found guilty of murder. Howe was held at Fort
Mifflin from January 1864 until April 1864 when he was transferred to Eastern
State Penitentiary, after being placed in solitary confinement in Casemate #11
in February 1864 and then transferred back to Fort Mifflin on the day of his
execution on August 26, 1864. He was held in the fort's wooden guard house, just
steps from the gallows where he would be hung. He has the distinction of being
the only person ever executed by the army where tickets to the execution were
sold to the public. Inside the casemate, the signature of William H. Howe can
clearly be seen. Prior reports of Howe being illiterate are completely false.
Howe wrote to President Lincoln twice in his own hand asking for clemency. The
letters are filled with bad grammar and run on sentences, but are clearly in
Howe's hand; the signature found in the cell is a perfect match to the two
letters to Lincoln. Other artifacts found in the casemate include pottery, a tin
cup, the cell doors with numerous graffiti written on the inside by various
people in the 1860s, a tin chamber pot, period buttons, an 1864 wine token, a
penny dated 1864 in remarkable condition and dozens of animal bones. Various
graffiti of the Civil War period also grace the interior walls.

Fort Rice -

Fort Rice—Northumberland Co.
Local historians say that Fort Rice was a fortified house. The house is still
standing today.
This was a small fort erected about 1780, not far from Sunbury, as appears from
a letter from Col. Sam'l Hunter, dated at that place, September 21, 1780, (Penn.
Arch., Vol. VIII., p. 567. He says, " we were alarmed by a large party of the
enemy making their appearance in our county, on the 6th inst., they came first
to a small fort that Col. Weltner's troops had erected on the head-waters of
Chillisquake creek, called Fort Rice, about thirteen miles from Sunbury, which I
ordered to be garrisoned by twenty of our militia; when the German regiment
marched off, the enemy attacked the fort about sundown and fired very smartly,
the garrison returned the fire with spirit, which made them withdraw a little
off and in the night they began to set fire to a number of houses and stacks of
grain, which they consumed; in the meantime, our militia had collected to the
number of 100 men, under the command of Col. John Kelly, who marched to the
relief of the garrison and arrived there next day. The people in the garrison
acquainted Col. Kelly, there must be 250 or 300 of the enemy, which he did not
think prudent to engage without being reinforced; the confusion this put the
inhabitants in, it was not easy to collect a party equal to fight the savages. I
immediately sent off an express to Col. Purdy, on Juniata, whom I heard was
marching to the frontiers of Cumberland county, with the militia; he came as
quick as possible to our assistance, with 110 of the militia and about 80
volunteers, which was no small reinforcement to us. Gen. Potter just coming from
camp, at this critical time, came up to Sunbury and took the command of the
party that went in quest of the enemy, but previous to his marching, discharged
the volunteers, as he concluded from information received from spies, we had
out, that the enemy did not exceed 150 and that they had withdrawn from the
inhabitants to some remote place. Gen. Potter, however, marched on to Muncy
Hill, but was a little baffled by the information he had of their route and did
not come on their track till the 13th and followed on about 50 miles up Pishing
creek, the road the enemy took, but finding they had got too far ahead, returned
here the 17th inst. The enemy got but one scalp and one prisoner. We all
concluded the enemy had gone off, but on the 18th, there was a Killed! party
made their appearance on the west branch, about 14 , miles above this, they
killed one man and wounded another and killed three horses they had in the
plow." "When I received the intelligence of a large party of Savages and Tories,
coming against fort Rice, I gave orders to evacuate Fort Jenkins." (See General
Potter's own account in Penn. Arch., Vol. VIII., p. 561

Mason and Dixon Line -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mason-Dixon_Line
The Mason–Dixon Line (or "Mason and Dixon's Line") was surveyed between 1763 and
1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in the resolution of a border dispute
between British colonies in Colonial America. It forms a demarcation line among
four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland,
Delaware, and West Virginia (then part of Virginia). In popular usage,
especially since the Missouri Compromise of 1820 (apparently the first official
use of the term "Mason's and Dixon's Line"), the Mason-Dixon Line symbolizes a
cultural boundary between the Northern United States and the Southern United
States (Dixie).
Background
Maryland and Pennsylvania both claimed the land between the 39th and 40th
parallels according to the charters granted to each colony. The 'Three Lower
Counties' (Delaware) along Delaware Bay moved into the Penn sphere of
settlement, and later became the Delaware Colony, a satellite of Pennsylvania.
In 1732 the proprietary governor of Maryland, Charles Calvert, 5th Baron
Baltimore, signed an agreement with William Penn's sons which drew a line
somewhere in between, and also renounced the Calvert claim to Delaware. But
later Lord Baltimore claimed that the document he signed did not contain the
terms he had agreed to, and refused to put the agreement into effect. Beginning
in the mid-1730s, violence erupted between settlers claiming various loyalties
to Maryland and Pennsylvania. The border conflict between Pennsylvania and
Maryland would be known as Cresap's War.
The issue was unresolved until the Crown intervened in 1760, ordering Frederick
Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore to accept the 1732 agreement. As part of the
settlement, the Penns and Calverts commissioned the English team of Charles
Mason and Jeremiah Dixon to survey the newly established boundaries between the
Province of Pennsylvania, the Province of Maryland, Delaware Colony and parts of
Colony and Old Dominion of Virginia.
After Pennsylvania abolished slavery in 1781, the western part of this line and
the Ohio River became a border between free and slave states, although Delaware
remained a slave state.
Geography
Diagram of the survey lines creating the Mason-Dixon Line and "The Wedge."
Mason and Dixon's actual survey line began to the south of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, and extended from a benchmark east to the Delaware River and west
to what was then the boundary with western Virginia.
The surveyors also fixed the boundary between Delaware and Pennsylvania and the
approximately north–south portion of the boundary between Delaware and Maryland.
Most of the Delaware–Pennsylvania boundary is a circular arc, and the
Delaware–Maryland boundary does not run truly north-south because it was
intended to bisect the Delmarva Peninsula rather than follow a meridian.
The Maryland–Pennsylvania boundary is an east-west line with an approximate mean
latitude of 39° 43' 20" N (Datum WGS 84). In reality, the east-west Mason-Dixon
line is not a true line in the geometric sense, but is instead a series of many
adjoining lines, following a path between latitude 39° 43' 15" N and 39° 43' 23"
N; a surveyor or mapper might call it an approximate rhumb line. As such, the
line approximates a segment of a small circle upon the surface of the (also
approximately) spherical Earth. An observer standing on such a line and viewing
its path toward an unobstructed horizon would perceive it to bend away from his
line of sight, an effect of the inequality between the amount of curvature to
his left and right. Among parallels of latitude, only the Equator is a great
circle and would not exhibit this effect.
The surveyors also extended the boundary line to run between Pennsylvania and
colonial western Virginia (which became West Virginia during the American Civil
War, on June 20, 1863), though this was contrary to their original charter; this
extension of the line was only confirmed later (see Yohogania County for
details).
The Mason–Dixon Line was marked by stones every mile and "crownstones" every
five miles, using stone shipped from England. The Maryland side says (M) and the
Delaware and Pennsylvania sides say (P). Crownstones include the two
coats-of-arms. Today, while a number of the original stones are missing or
buried, many are still visible, resting on public land and protected by iron
cages.
Mason and Dixon confirmed earlier survey work which delineated Delaware's
southern boundary from the Atlantic Ocean to the "Middle Point" stone (along
what is today known as the Transpeninsular Line). They proceeded nearly due
north from this to the Pennsylvania border.
Later the line was marked in places by additional benchmarks and survey markers.
The lines have been resurveyed several times over the centuries without
substantive changes to Mason and Dixon's work. The stones may be a few to a few
hundred feet east or west of the point Mason and Dixon thought they were; in any
event, the line drawn from stone to stone forms the legal boundary.
According to Dave Doyle at the National Geodetic Survey, part of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the common corner of Pennsylvania,
Maryland, and Delaware, at The Wedge is marked by Boundary Monument #87. The
marker "MDP Corner" dates from 1935 and is offset on purpose.
Doyle said the Maryland–Pennsylvania Mason–Dixon Line is exactly:
39° 43' 19.92216? N
and Boundary Monument #87 is on that parallel, at:
075° 47' 18.93851? W.
Visitors to the tripoint are strongly encouraged to first obtain permission from
the nearest landowner, or use the path from the arc corner monument which is
bordered by Delaware parkland most of the way, and Pennsylvania parkland the
entire way.
History
A "crownstone" boundary monument on the Mason-Dixon Line. The coat of arms of
Maryland's founding Calvert family is shown. On the other side are the arms of
William Penn.
The line was established to end a boundary dispute between the British colonies
of Maryland and Pennsylvania/Delaware. Due to incorrect maps and confusing legal
descriptions, the royal charters of the three colonies overlapped. Maryland was
granted the territory north of the Potomac River/Watkins Point up to the
fortieth parallel; Pennsylvania was granted land extending northward from a
point "12 miles [12 mi (19 km)] north of New Castle Towne", which is located
south of the fortieth parallel. The most serious problem was that the Maryland
claim would put Philadelphia, which became the major city in Pennsylvania,
within Maryland.
A protracted legal dispute between the Calvert family, which controlled
Maryland, and the Penn family, which controlled Pennsylvania and the "Three
Lower Counties" (Delaware), was ended by the 1750 ruling that the boundary
should be fixed as follows:[citation needed]
Between Pennsylvania and Maryland:
The parallel (latitude line) 15 miles (24 km) south of the southernmost point in
Philadelphia, measured to be at about 39° 43' N and agreed upon as the
Maryland–Pennsylvania line.
Between Delaware and Maryland:
The existing east-west Transpeninsular Line from the Atlantic Ocean to its
mid-point to the Chesapeake Bay.
A Twelve Mile (radius) Circle (12 mi (19 km)) around the city of New Castle,
Delaware.
A "Tangent Line" connecting the mid-point of the Transpeninsular Line to the
western side of the Twelve-Mile Circle.
A "North Line" along the meridian (line of longitude) from the tangent point to
the Maryland Pennsylvania border.
Should any land within the Twelve-Mile Circle fall west of the North Line, it
would remain part of Delaware. (This was indeed the case, and this border is the
"Arc Line".)
The disputants engaged an expert British team, astronomer Charles Mason and
surveyor Jeremiah Dixon, to survey what became known as the Mason–Dixon Line. It
cost the Calverts of Maryland and the Penns of Pennsylvania £3,512/9 s to have
244 miles (393 km) surveyed with such accuracy. To them the money was well
spent, for in a new country there was no other way of establishing ownership.
The Mason–Dixon line is made up of four segments corresponding to the terms of
the settlement:
Tangent Line
North Line
Arc Line
the 39° 43' N parallel
The most difficult task was fixing the Tangent Line, as they had to confirm the
accuracy of the Transpeninsular Line mid-point and the Twelve-Mile Circle,
determine the tangent point along the circle, and then actually survey and
monument the border. They then surveyed the North and Arc Lines. They did this
work between 1763 and 1767. This actually left a small wedge of land in dispute
between Delaware and Pennsylvania until 1921.[citation needed]
In April 1765, Mason and Dixon began their survey of the more famous
Maryland-Pennsylvania line. They were commissioned to run it for a distance of
five degrees of longitude west from the Delaware River, fixing the western
boundary of Pennsylvania (see the entry for Yohogania County). However, in
October 1767, at Dunkard Creek near Mount Morris, Pennsylvania, nearly 244 miles
(393 km) west of the Delaware, a group of Native Americans forced them to quit
their progress.[citation needed]
In 1784, surveyors David Rittenhouse and Andrew Ellicott and their crew
completed the survey of the Mason-Dixon line to the southwest corner of
Pennsylvania, five degrees from the Delaware River. Other surveyors continued
west to the Ohio River. The section of the line between the southwestern corner
of Pennsylvania and the river is the county line between Marshall and Wetzel
counties, West Virginia.[citation needed]
The boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland was resurveyed in 1849, then
again in 1900.[citation needed]
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 created the political conditions which made the
Mason-Dixon Line important to the history of slavery. It was during the
Congressional debates leading up to the compromise that the term "Mason-Dixon
line" was first used to designate the entire boundary between free states and
slave states.[citation needed]
On 14 November 1963, during the bicentennial of the Mason–Dixon Line, U.S.
President John F. Kennedy opened a newly completed section of Interstate 95
where it crossed the Maryland-Delaware border. It was his last public appearance
before the one eight days later in Dallas, Texas, where he was assassinated. The
Delaware Turnpike and the Maryland portion of the new road were each later
designated as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway.

Strasburg Railroad -

http://www.strasburgrailroad.com/
Strasburg Rail Road Yesterday
Founded in 1832, the Strasburg Rail Road celebrated the 175th Anniversary of its
railroad charter in 2007. Precisely when the railroad first turned a wheel is
still a matter of patient research, but the earliest timetable found to date
indicates Strasburg trains were scheduled as of December 1851.
On February 22, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln made a stop at Leaman Place on
his inaugural train ride, en route to Lancaster. His four-minute visit brought
nearly 5,000 people out to cheer for the President and Mrs. Lincoln.
To prepare for the President's visit, Strasburg Rail Road had purchased their
first passenger car, which ran on a special train to transport people to and
from Leaman Place.
First used for passenger and freight transportation, the railroad's main purpose
became a freight interchange with the Pennsylvania Railroad. Following World War
II, improved highway transportation decreased the need for the railroad. By the
mid 1950s, the Strasburg Rail Road was nearing the end of its usefulness. In
1957, destruction of the tracks caused by a series of storms placed an immediate
embargo on the carload freight. The owners were unwilling to invest in the
necessary repairs.
A second chance.
While petitions for abandonment were being considered, Henry K. Long, an
industrialist and railfan from nearby Lancaster, along with Donald E. L.
Hallock, another enthusiastic railfan with a vision, formed a group of
interested individuals to save the railroad. With perseverance and a creative
idea, the Strasburg Rail Road was saved.
After repairing the worst spots on the four-and-a-half mile track, the owners
began acquiring an inventory of historic locomotives and passenger cars from all
across North America. Using the old feed mill as a station, the ambitious band
of "rail barons" opened the railroad to visitors in 1958. 2008 will mark the
50th anniversary of Strasburg Rail Road as a tourist railroad.
Today, as we look back at their labor of love, the Strasburg Rail Road is one of
Lancaster County's most popular tourist attractions - and recognized as one of
America's most significant examples of early 20th century railroading.

Tours of days gone by:

Day 14 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-07-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

We have 67' with chances of showers. The humidity but it isn't too bad yet but
I'm ready turn on the AC if needed, on Saturday sounds like the better day of
the weekend.

Today we will be touring:

13 Constitution
38 Genesee Country Village and Museum
53 Keystone State
62 Newlin Grist Mill
98 Widow Smith

Constitution -

http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html
I believe everyone knows the Preamble of the Constitution of the United States
of America.
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union,
establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense,
promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves
and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United
States of America.
The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the
United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying
the existence of the United States of America and the Federal Government of the
United States. It provides the framework for the organization of the United
States Government. The document defines the three main branches of the
government: The legislative branch with a bicameral Congress, an executive
branch led by the President, and a judicial branch headed by the Supreme Court.
Besides providing for the organization of these branches, the Constitution
outlines obligations of each office, as well as provides what powers each branch
may exercise. It also reserves numerous rights for the individual states,
thereby establishing the United States' federal system of government. It is the
shortest and oldest written constitution of any major sovereign state.
The United States Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787, by the
Constitutional Convention (or Constitutional Congress[citation needed]) in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and later ratified by conventions in each U.S. state
in the name of "The People"; it has since been amended twenty-seven times, the
first ten amendments being known as the Bill of Rights. The Articles of
Confederation and Perpetual Union was actually the first constitution of the
United States of America. The U.S. Constitution replaced the Articles of
Confederation as the governing document for the United States after being
ratified by nine states. The Constitution has a central place in United States
law and political culture. The handwritten, or "engrossed", original document
penned by Jacob Shallus is on display at the National Archives and Records
Administration in Washington, D.C.
Drafting and ratification requirements
In September 1786, commissioners from five states met in the Annapolis
Convention to discuss adjustments to the Articles of Confederation that would
improve commerce. They invited state representatives to convene in Philadelphia
to discuss improvements to the federal government. After debate, the Congress of
the Confederation endorsed the plan to revise the Articles of Confederation on
February 21, 1787. Twelve states, Rhode Island being the only exception,
accepted this invitation and sent delegates to convene in May 1787. The
resolution calling the Convention specified that its purpose was to propose
amendments to the Articles, but through discussion and debate it became clear by
mid-June that, rather than amend the existing Articles, the Convention decided
to propose a rewritten Constitution. The Philadelphia Convention voted to keep
the debates secret, so that the delegates could speak freely. They also decided
to draft a new fundamental government design. Despite Article 13 of the Articles
of Confederation stating that the union created under the Articles was
"perpetual" and that any alteration must be "agreed to in a Congress of the
United States, and be afterwards confirmed by the legislatures of every State,"
Article VII of the proposed constitution stipulated that only nine of the
thirteen states would have to ratify for the new government to go into effect
(for the participating states). Current knowledge of the drafting and
construction of the United States Constitution comes primarily from the diaries
left by James Madison, who kept a complete record of the proceedings at the
Constitutional Convention.

Genesee Country Village and Museum -

This site is actually in New Perk but a short distance to Pennsylvania. I have
it listed in places to visit
http://www.gcv.org/
Step back into a living, working 19th century country village. Explore over 40
furnished buildings faithfully restored to their original glory. Meet
knowledgeable costumed interpreters who keep the hearth fires burning, the
heirloom gardens flourishing, and the livestock tended. You'll hear the clanging
of the blacksmith's hammer, smell the aroma of fresh baked pies and bread, roll
the hoop with the stick, test your balance on the stilts and otherwise truly
experience life in a 19th century American country village.
Be sure to catch live demonstrations at the pottery, cooper shop, tinsmith and
more. Children especially love our one-room schoolhouse and the 19th century
games they can play on the village square. You might even decide to try your
hand at making a punched tin ornament.
Nation's 3rd largest outdoor living history museum
10:00am - Arrive at Genesee Country Village & Museum
Take your place in history, just minutes from Genesee County at Genesee Country
Village & Museum! See New York State's largest living history museum and the
largest collection of historic buildings in the East. Each of the 57
19th-century buildings has been moved to the site, restored to original
condition, and furnished with period antiques. As you stroll through the
buildings, "villagers" in period dress tell you about 1800s Genesee River
Valley life. Live demonstrations of crafts and tasks of the 19th century take
place every day, including blacksmithing, cooking, spinning, and much more.
The museum also includes the John L. Wehle Gallery of Wildlife and Sporting Art,
North America's premier collection of Wildlife and Sporting art, and Genesee
Country Nature Center -- 175 acres featuring five miles of hiking trails
through woodlands, wetlands, and meadows.

Keystone State -

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( /?p?ns?l've?nj?/ (help·info)), often
colloquially referred to as PA (its postal abbreviation, which succeeds the
archaic Penn. and Penna. as common abbreviations) by natives and
Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic
regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the
south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and a water
border with Canada to the north, and New Jersey to the east. The state's most
populous city is Philadelphia, followed by Pittsburgh.
Pennsylvania has been known as the Keystone State since 1802,#HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania" \l "cite_note-symbols-2" based in
part upon its central location among the original Thirteen Colonies forming the
United States, and also in part because of the number of important American
documents signed in the state (such as the Declaration of Independence). It was
also a keystone state economically, having both the industry common to the North
(making such wares as Conestoga wagons and rifles) and the agriculture common to
the South (producing feed, fiber, food, and tobacco).
Another one of Pennsylvania's nicknames is the Quaker State; in colonial times,
it was known officially as the Quaker Province, in recognition of Quaker William
Penn's First Frame of Government constitution for Pennsylvania that guaranteed
liberty of conscience. He knew of the hostility Quakers faced when they opposed
religious ritual, taking oaths, violence, war and military service, and what
they viewed as ostentatious frippery.
Pennsylvania has 51 miles (82 km) of coastline along Lake Erie and 57 miles
(92 km) of shoreline along the Delaware Estuary.
Before the Commonwealth was settled by Europeans, the area was home to the
Delaware (also known as Lenni Lenape), Susquehannock, Iroquois, Eriez, Shawnee,
and other Native American tribes. Both the Dutch and the English claimed the
both sides of the Delaware River as part of their colonial lands in America. The
Dutch were the first to take possession, and this has impact on the history of
Pennsylvania. By June 3, 1631, the Dutch had started up the DelMarVa Peninsula
by establishing the Zwaanendael Colony on the site of present day Lewes,
Delaware. In 1638, Sweden heated up the issue by establishing the New Sweden
Colony, centered on Fort Christina, on the site of present day Wilmington,
Delaware. New Sweden claimed and, for the most part, controlled the lower
Delaware River region (Parts of present Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania),
but settled few colonists there.
On March 12, 1664, King Charles II of England gave James, Duke of York a Grant
that included all of the lands included in the original Virginia Company of
Plymouth Grant as well as other lands. This grant was – again – in conflict with
the Dutch claim for New Netherland, which included parts of today's
Pennsylvania.
On June 24, 1664, The Duke of York sold the portion of his large grant that
included present day New Jersey to John Berkeley and George Carteret for a
proprietary colony. As of yet, the land was not in English possession, but the
sale boxed in the portion of New Netherland on the West side of the Delaware
River. The English conquest of New Netherland was commenced on August 29, 1664,
when New Amsterdam was coerced to surrender facing the cannons on English ships
in New York Harbor. This conquest continued, and was completed in October of
1664, when the English captured Fort Casimir in what today is New Castle,
Delaware.
The Peace of Breda between England, France and the Netherlands confirmed the
English conquest on July 21, 1667, although there were temporary reversions.
On September 12, 1672, as part of the Third Anglo—Dutch War, the Dutch
re-conquered New York Colony/New Amsterdam, the Dutch established three County
Courts which went on to become original Counties in present day Delaware and
Pennsylvania. The one that later transferred to Pennsylvania was Upland. This
was partially reversed on February 9, 1674, when the Treaty of Westminster ended
the Third Anglo-Dutch War, and reverted all political situations to the Status
Quo Ante Bellum. The English retained the Dutch Counties with their Dutch names.
By June 11, 1674, New York reasserted control over the outlying colonies,
including Upland, but the names started to be changed to English names by
November 11, 1674. Upland was partitioned on November 12, 1674, producing the
general outline of the current border between Pennsylvania and Delaware.
On February 28, 1681, Charles II granted a land charter to William Penn to repay
a debt of £20,000 (around $30,000,000 in 2007) owed to William's father, Admiral
Penn. This was one of the largest land grants to an individual in history. It
was called Pennsylvania, meaning "Penn's Woods", in honor of Admiral Penn.
William Penn, who had wanted his province to be named "Sylvania", was
embarrassed at the change, fearing that people would think he had named it after
himself, but King Charles would not rename the grant. Penn established a
government with two innovations that were much copied in the New World: the
county commission and freedom of religious conviction.
What had been Upland on what became the Pennsylvania side of the
Pennsylvania-Delaware Border was renamed as Chester County when Pennsylvania
instituted their colonial governments on March 4, 1681.
Between 1730 and when it was shut down by Parliament with the Currency Act of
1764, the Pennsylvania Colony made its own paper money to account for the
shortage of actual gold and silver. The paper money was called Colonial Scrip.
The Colony issued "bills of credit", which were as good as gold or silver coins
because of their legal tender status. Since they were issued by the government
and not a banking institution, it was an interest-free proposition, largely
defraying the expense of the government and therefore taxation of the people. It
also promoted general employment and prosperity, since the Government used
discretion and did not issue too much to inflate the currency. Benjamin Franklin
had a hand in creating this currency, of which he said its utility was never to
be disputed, and it also met with the "cautious approval" of Adam Smith.
After the Stamp Act Congress of 1765, Delegate John Dickinson of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, wrote the Declaration of Rights and Grievances. The Congress was
the first meeting of the thirteen colonies, called at the request of the
Massachusetts Assembly, but only nine colonies sent delegates. Dickinson then
wrote Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, To the Inhabitants of the British
Colonies, which were published in the Pennsylvania Chronicle between December 2,
1767, and February 15, 1768.
When the Founding Fathers of the United States convened in Philadelphia in 1774,
12 colonies sent representatives to the First Continental Congress. The Second
Continental Congress, which also met in Philadelphia (in May, 1775), drew up and
signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, but when that city was
captured by the British, the Continental Congress escaped westward, meeting at
the Lancaster courthouse on Saturday, September 27, 1777, and then to York.
There they drew up the Articles of Confederation that formed 13 independent
colonies into a new nation. Later, the Constitution was written, and
Philadelphia was once again chosen to be cradle to the new American Nation.
Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution on December
12, 1787, five days after Delaware became the first.
The "Redbrick Capitol", used from 1821 until it burned down in 1897
Dickinson College of Carlisle was the first college founded in the United
States. Established in 1773, the college was ratified five days after the Treaty
of Paris on September 9, 1783. The school was founded by Benjamin Rush and named
after John Dickinson.
For half a century, the Commonwealth's legislature met at various places in the
general Philadelphia area before starting to meet regularly in Independence Hall
in Philadelphia for 63 years. But it needed a more central location, as for
example the Paxton Boys massacres of 1763 had made the legislature aware. So, in
1799 the legislature moved to the Lancaster Courthouse, and finally in 1812 to
Harrisburg. The legislature met in the old Dauphin County Court House until
December 1821, when the Redbrick Capitol was finished. It burned down in 1897,
presumably because of a faulty flue. The legislature met at Grace Methodist
Church on State Street (still standing) until the present capitol was finished
in 1907.
The new state Capitol drew rave reviews. Its dome was inspired by the domes of
St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and the United States Capitol. President Theodore
Roosevelt called it the "the most beautiful state Capitol in the nation" and
said, "It's the handsomest building I ever saw" at the dedication. In 1989, the
New York Times praised it as "grand, even awesome at moments, but it is also a
working building, accessible to citizens ... a building that connects with the
reality of daily life".
Pennsylvania accounts for nine percent of all wooded areas in the United States.
In 1923 President Calvin Coolidge established the Allegheny National Forest
under the authority of the Weeks Act of 1911 in the northwest part of the state
in Elk, Forest, McKean, and Warren Counties for the purposes of timber
production and watershed protection in the Allegheny River basin. The Allegheny
is the state's only national forest.
James Buchanan, of Franklin County, was the only bachelor President of the
United States and the only one to be born in Pennsylvania. The Battle of
Gettysburg—-the major turning point of the Civil War—took place near Gettysburg.
An estimated 350,000 Pennsylvanians served in the Union Army forces along with
8,600 African American military volunteers.
Pennsylvania was also the home of the first commercially drilled oil well. In
1859, near Titusville, Pennsylvania, Edwin L. Drake successfully drilled the
well, which led to the first major oil boom in United States history.
See also: List of Pennsylvania firsts and List of people from Pennsylvania

Newlin Grist Mill -

http://www.newlingristmill.org/
The Grist Mill
This was the third of three mills built by Nicholas Newlin's family. Built in
1704 by Nathaniel, it was owned by the Newlin family until 1817. It operated
commercially until 1941. In 1958, the mill was purchased by E. Mortimer Newlin,
ninth generation descendant of Nicholas Newlin. Restoration then began.
The mill is water powered, borrowing water from the creek via the mill race, and
returning it underground in the tail race. Through a series of gears, the power
of the water is transmitted from the water wheel to an upright shaft which
supports and turns the grinding stone.
During its history, the mill ground wheat, corn, oats, buckwheat, and rye.
Today, corn is ground into cornmeal which can be purchased in the office.
The Newlin Grist Mill is the only operating eighteenth century gristmill in the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It was placed in the National Register of Historic
Places on March 9, 1983. The mill is funded in part by a General Operating
Support Grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
The Miller's House
In 1739, Nathaniel Newlin III (grandson of Nathaniel Newlin) built a stone house
for the Miller, adjacent to the Mill. The house consists of two rooms upstairs
and two rooms downstairs with a fireplace in each and a beehive oven outside the
kitchen fireplace. A third story and rear addition were added circa 1860. The
top floor was removed when the house was restored in the 1960s. The house is
furnished with period pieces acquired by Elizabeth Battles Newlin during the
restoration.
Trimble House
The original house was built in 1739 by William and Anne Trimble, owners of a
mill downstream from the Newlin mill. It began as a simple two story, four room
bank house. By 1765, the final rooms had been added to the west section of the
house to accommodate William Trimble's second wife and family. William Trimble
Jr. purchased the adjacent grist mill in 1817 from the Newlin family. The house
remained in the Trimble family until the late nineteenth century when it became
property of Samuel Hill, new owner of the grist mill. Few structural changes
were made over the years, and much of the original flooring, woodwork, doors,
and hardware remains intact. The house features nine fireplaces, three of which
are large walk-ins, plus a fifty-three foot deep stone well. This building is an
excellent example of the residence of an eighteenth century property holder. In
1998, the Newlin Foundation acquired the Trimble house, and it is now being used
as a private residence.
The Barn
Behind the miller's house is a small bank barn. Removed from a northern Delaware
farm and erected on this site in 1986, it serves as a reminder that in the 18th
century, people were forced to be much more self-sufficient than today.
The Office
The building that serves as the Visitor Center for Newlin Grist Mill was
originally built as a railroad station in the 1850s. Known as Markham Station,
it also served as a post office for many years. The ticket office was closed by
the mid 1900s, but the Octoraro branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad used the
rail line until 1971 when a severe flood destroyed a nearby bridge. Beginning in
the 1960s, Newlin Grist Mill used the station house as a residence and then as a
an office and reception area until March 2000. With the help of a team of
restoration specialists, the old station house was refurbished to its original
19th century appearance, including the formal Victorian wallpaper on the
interior. It reopened as the Visitor Center several months later with staff
offices, a large meeting room, and public restrooms added to its west side. The
three photos show the building from different directions. In May 2001 the
station house was officially dedicated and named the Willam Ver Planck Newlin
Visitor Center after a descendent of the original Newlin family and a long-time
trustee of the Nicholas Newlin Foundation.
Grain Storage
Next to the mill is a grain storage building constructed during the first part
of the nineteenth century. It is currently being renovated to house the archives
and library of the Newlin Foundation.
Click here for directions to Newlin Grist Mill.

Widow Smith -

http://www.historicwilliamsport.com/Features/Widow%20Smith.htm
The Remarkable Widow Catherine Smith
Widow Catherine Smith settled at the mouth of White Deer Creek about 1773 on
300 acres of land claimed by her late husband Peter Smith. Catherine, mother of
10, was
a small woman, about 5 feet tall, with short black hair and a pleasant
expression. The
Smith's, from Manheim Township, Lancaster County, operated a trading post (c.
1768 -
1773) at what is now Lock Haven. Sons Michael and Philip built a gristmill at
McElhatton Run, Clinton County. Son William removed to the Ohio Territory.
Settlers at White Deer asked Widow Smith to build a gristmill to process local
grains, and a sawmill to cut local timber. The location at White Deer Creek,
just off the
Susquehanna, provided power for the mills and access to transportation.
A boring mill was soon added. Boring mills made rifle barrels and re-bored
barrels as they became worn from use. In the 1770's guns were scarce. Some
settlers had
muskets which were neither as accurate nor effective as rifles. Many in the
militia had no
guns at all.
In order to forge a rifle barrel, a bar of iron was heated and hammered into a
flat
shape, the dimensions of which (length, width and thickness) were determined by
the
ultimate size of the rifle barrel. A rifle barrel could be up to 48" long. The
flattened
metal was shaped around a steel rod until the edges overlapped and could be
welded
together by heating successive small sections. Through repeated heatings and
hammerings, it would in the end appear that the barrel was made from a solid
piece of
iron. The interior of the barrel could be enlarged for different caliber sizes.
Gunsmiths added sights and so on to the barrel blanks to make rifles. The Widow
Smith may have had a gunsmith working at the boring mill or her sons might have
assisted her.
No records remain of the operations of Widow Smith's mills. It is most likely
that
Smith's boring mill was used to re-bore rifles of local settlers, and those who
fought in
the Revolution and other military actions.
Widow Smith's mills were important enough to the settlers that a fort was built
in
1778 for protection. Fort Menninger stood near the mouth of the creek. Widow
Smith's
stone house was nearby. All were abandoned in 1779 during the "Great Runaway."
The
Indians burned down the fort and mills.
In 1793, Widow Smith and her family returned to White Deer and rebuilt the flour
and saw mills. However, having no deed to the land, she was evicted by Mr.
Claypole
and Mr. Robert Morris, both of Philadelphia, who claimed ownership of the tract.
Widow Smith petitioned the Pennsylvania Assembly for the return of her property
and payment for her work for the militia. Many locals supported her claims. She
is
supposed to have walked many times to Philadelphia (160 miles each way) to have
her
case heard. She was unsuccessful in having the land returned to her and others
took over
the mills.
Catherine Smith died about 1829 and was buried in the Old Settlers' Graveyard.
Her grave was disturbed during construction of a shed some years later and she
was
reburied in the local cemetery.
The State Geographic Board named the eastern end of Nittany Mountain
"Catherine's Crown" in the 1920's. A state historical marker commemorating her
is in a
small park off Old Route 15 near white Deer Creek (south of the White Deer
Pike).
Widow Smith's mill stood until 1848 when it was destroyed by fire. Her stone
house still
stands just to the west of the Danowsky-Wagner House, just north of the White
Deer
Pike.
Read about Widow Smith and early Union County history in the following
sources for this article: Annals of Buffalo Valley, John B. Linn; "Catherine
Smith and her
Mills," Marion Stover Wheeland, Union County Heritage Volume V, 1976; The
History
of White Deer Township, Arna Dersham; and Union County: A Celebration of
History,
Charles M. Snyder - available at the Union County Historical Society office.

The Widow Smith: Walking Barefoot to Philadelphia
By Robin Van Auken
Williamsport Sun-Gazette

While Michael Ross was settling the City of Williamsport, selling parcels of
land to frontier families and immigrants, another enterprising resident of the
West Branch Valley was being hoodwinked from her home and business.
Catherine Smith, an old woman "of great business tact and energy," had erected
gristmills and sawmills on White Deer Creek. According to John F. Meginness'
"History of Lycoming County," Smith "was a child of sorrow and affliction." She
was left a widow with 10 children with no visible means to support her family
except for 300 acres of forested land, which included the mouth of White Deer
Creek. "There was a good mill seat at this point, and as a grist and saw mill
were much wanted, she was often solicited to erect them," Meginness writes.
The mills, completed in 1774-75, "were of great advantage to the county; and the
following summer, she built a boring mill where great numbers of gun barrels
were bored for service in the Revolutionary army."
Smith is considered a patriot because of her rifle-boring business and because
she lost a son -- "her greatest help" -- during the conflicts. In 1779,
marauding Indians burned her mills. Katharine W. Bennet, in her "Stories of the
West Branch Valley," writes that Smith "returned to view the ruins wrought by
war. The pioneers urged her to rebuild the grist and saw mills."
After much difficulty, she raised the money needed and, in 1783, rebuilt the
mills. Before her business was under way, however, the firm of Claypool and
Morris claimed a prior right to the land and brought ejection notice against
her. "As frequently happened," Bennet writes, "the land office had given several
warrants for the same tract, and the Claypool and Morris patent bore the earlier
date."
Prominent residents and soldiers interceded on her behalf, and the widow walked
to Philadelphia and back 13 times -- in her bare feet -- to plead her case.
According to Dr. Lewis E. Theiss in a 1950 speech to the Muncy Historical
Society, "As I gather from other sources, the lawyers repeatedly double-crossed
her. A hearing would be set for a given date. The troubled widow would take off
her shoes and walk the 170 or so miles to Philadelphia in her bare feet. She
could not afford to wear out her shoes -- probably she had but one pair. She put
them on at the last minute. The pioneers habitually went to church in the same
way. When she got to court, the case had been postponed. There was nothing to do
but trudge back home -- barefooted."
Theiss contends "there was a lot of fraud about land sales then. Indeed, when
Ole Bull purchased the land for his colony of Norwegians up in the Coudersport
region, well into the 19th century, he was defrauded and lost the entire tract
of land, just as Catherine Smith lost her land."
No compromise was reached and, according to Bennet, "In spite of the justice of
her claims and the efforts of her friends, the case was decided against her. In
1801, she gave up possession of the property that she had labored so hard to
improve."
There was, however, one way to retain her property, writes Col. Henry W.
Shoemaker in a "Now and Then" column printed Oct. 26, 1934, in the Williamsport
Sun.
"On one of her first trips to Philadelphia, she was accompanied by her beautiful
daughter, Cassandra, who created a sensation, when she entered Independence
Hall," Shoemaker writes. "Of the same witching, dark-eyed type as her mother had
been in her youth, with the proud coronet features, she was a head taller than
the old lady. She won the hearts of the susceptible legislators. It was asserted
that one of the Claypool, a man of 45, wished to become the husband of Cassandra
Smith. For this, he would quash the firm's claims and restore the property.
Shoemaker continues, "The lonely 22-year-old girl was willing to marry him, in
order to see her mother made happy. But the stern old Roman matron refused this
patrician alliance for her daughter and the return of her property by any
'left-handed bargain,' as she called it, and continued to fight her petition on
to its final inglorious end."
Widow Smith died in poverty and was buried in the ancient settler's graveyard at
the corner of Daniel Caldwell's barn.
In making improvements years later, the farmer leveled the graveyard with the
plow. Smith's bones were disturbed, and those who knew her well recognized her
skull -- on account of its protruding teeth.
"There is something unspeakably pathetic in the history of this woman,"
Meginness concludes. "Her struggles in widowhood; what she accomplished for the
benefit of early settlers; the fact that she furnished a mill for the
manufacture of gun barrels to aid in the achievement of our liberties; her
misfortunes and her last appeal to the law-making power for assistance; her
death, burial and the final disturbance of her bones, afford a theme for a
volume."
In recognition of her heroism, a state commission selected a natural memorial to
the Widow Smith and named the "noble culmination of Nittany Mountain, which
looks down on the spot where she passed her most eventful and memorable days,
"Catherine's Crown,' " Shoemaker writes.
For her "relentless pursuit of righteousness, her lofty ideals and heroic
efforts in the cause of freedom," Shoemaker writes, and "though she was poor and
obscure and had few educational advantages . . . she deserves a place among the
seats of the might, right beside the greatest women of the land."

Tours of days gone by:

Day 13 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-07-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

We have 79' with chances of showers, we had a gentle shower earlier today.
You can feel the humidity but it isn't too bad yet, on Saturday sounds like the
better day of the weekend.

Today we will be touring:

9 Bushy Run Battlefield
10 Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation
29 Fort Augusta
52 Joseph Priestly House
63 Old Bedford Village

Bushy Run Battlefield -

http://www.bushyrunbattlefield.com/WelcomePage.html
Colonel Henry Bouquet and a force of approximately 400 British soldiers left
Carlisle in July to relieve the besieged Fort Pitt and end a series of unchecked
attacks against frontier outposts. The opening of western Pennsylvania to
settlement was the result of a decisive victory over the Native Americans at the
Battle of Bushy Run, August 5th and 6th, 1763. Highlights of the site include
the interpretive exhibit, “The March to Bushy Run” at the site’s visitor
center, as well as guided and self-guided tours, special events and educational
programs.

The 213 acres of forested and grassy areas that comprise Bushy Run Battlefield, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, can be viewed as one large historical entity. The events that transpired here in August 1763, during Pontiac's War, forever set Bushy Run apart as a place of historical significance. The battle near Bushy Run and the events of Pontiac's War leading to the battle add to the understanding of the Indian-European culture clash, which is an important theme in American history. The battle also has a place in the broader study of American settlement and expansion, and possesses great significance in the realm of British, Amerian and Indian military history.

A Significant Story

The British victory at Bushy Run was the critical turning point in Pontiac's War. It also prevented the capture of Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh) and restored lines of communication between the frontier and eastern settlements. The British victory helped to keep the "gateway to western expansion" open.

Pontiac, an Ottawa chief in the Detroit areas, retaliated against British policies and control following the collapse of New France at the close of the French and Indian War. Because of Pontiac's successful advances against the British, Indian revolts quickly spread eastward. His plans were covert until 1763 when attacks on British outposts began. By the end of July, nine British forts were captured, a tenth fort abandoned, and the great strongholds of Pitt and Detroit under seige. The geographic area affected included the present states of Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and parts of Maryland and West Virginia. Truly this was the greatest Indian threat to the British colonies during the 18th century.

Because the Indians so throroughly controlled the frontier, information about the war filtered slowly east to the British high command. Once the scope of the situation was realized in late June, an expedition was organized to march west to Fort Pitt and then to proceed north and west to re-estabish fallen forts. Colonel Henry Bouquet, a Swiss born professional soldier, commanded the expedition as it left Carlisle, Pennsylvania on July 18th. Indian scouts observed Bouquet's army marching west along Forbes Road and reported this to the large force of Indians surrounding Fort Pitt. The Indians decided to temporarily end their siege and attack the British expedition in the open. The attack took place one mile east of Bushy Run Station on August 5th and 6th, 1763. The engagement resulted in a victory for the British.

A Unique History

Bushy Run Battlefield is the only historic site or museum that deals exclusively with Pontiac's War, one of the most significant Native American conflicts in American History. The battlefield today is topographically intact. Combatants' positions and maneuvers can be "seen" and understood and the wooded acres (90 acres) give a sense of the original environment at the time of the battle. Self-guiding trails, guided tours and interpretive programs return visitors to the days of the battle. Interpretive exhibits located in a modern Visitor's Center aid the visitor in understanding the significance of the events that occurred at Bushy Run. Only historic sites, particularly battlefields, can give visitors this unique feeling. A sixth sense tells you something unique and important happened here, something that changed the lives of people and the progression of history.

Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation -

http://www.colonialplantation.org/
Since 1974 the Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation has offered programs related to
18th century Pennsylvania farm life to the public through its special events and
living history weekend activities. It has also been recognized as a leader in
the development of hands-on programs for students of all ages. Come and
experience one of the oldest working colonial farms in Pennsylvania.

ABOUT COLONIAL PENNSYLVANIA PLANTATION:
Astride Ridley Creek in Edgemont, PA., the 112 acres of the Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation provide the context of early American history, the setting where the impact of King George's taxes was felt, the American melting pot began to simmer, and American ingenuity took root.

While the decisions of military and political leaders may set the course of history, it is left to the average people, the footsoldiers of history, to carry themselves and their nation to the future.

As much as the conflict and debate of the Revolution, it was the daily conquest of the land that shaped the character and growth of America. Using their resourcefulness to survive and prosper, the colonists helped establish the foundation of the American way. Much of the familiarity with colonial times is based on history's memorialized few. Accounts of the clothing, homes and style of living of the likes of Washington, Franklin and Jefferson have implied an elite standard beyond the reality of the typical southeastern Pennsylvanian, a rural farmer. The Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation's modest role - as a working farm operating with the methods and implements of colonial America - belies its significance as a living example of that period.

The people and activities of the Plantation represent more than the one 18th century family who owned the property. The way of life that exists at the Plantation is a tribute not simply to the Pratt family, who lived on this farm from 1720-1820, but to the efforts and achievements of the typical colonial resident of this area. Consistent with the findings of local research into religious and tax records, wills and letters of the 1760-90 period, the Plantation represents a broader view of early American life, an authentic demonstration of how most people in this area lived during colonial times.

Fort Augusta -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Augusta
Fort Augusta was a stronghold in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, in the
upper Susquehanna Valley from the time of the French and Indian War to the close
of the American Revolution. The fort was erected by Col. William Clapham in 1756
at a site now within the limits of the city of Sunbury, in an area the Indians
called "Shamokin." It was first constructed as part of the British defense
against the raids of the French and Indians from the upper Allegheny region.
Later, it served as an American fortress to aid in protecting settlers of the
upper Susquehanna from Britain's Indian allies to the north. Named for Augusta
of Saxe-Gotha, the mother of King George III, Fort Augusta was the largest of
the Provincial forts. It was dismantled in 1794.
Today, on the site of the old Fort, the Northumberland County Historical Society
has its headquarters in the Hunter House, which it operates as a museum. The
museum contains historical and archaeological artifacts dealing with Fort
Augusta and items of local history. There is also a genealogical library of
material on early families in Northumberland County and surrounding counties.
The museum is located at 1150 North Front Street, Sunbury, Pennsylvania.
The fort's underground powder magazine still exists.
Located in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, at the confluence of the West
and North Branches of the Susquehanna River, (Sunbury, PA today) an area not yet
obtained by agreement from the Indians, and named for the mother of the future
King, George III, Fort Augusta was the largest of the Provincial forts. It was
built on a square plan 204 feet by 204 feet, with 4 corner bastions and at least
6 buildings, a well and an underground Powder Magazine built in 1758 (see
pictures below) contained within. In addition, it had palisades with blockhouses
to secure the river shore from landward attack. It was designed and built to
accommodate 400 men. Construction began in July of 1756 and it was garrisoned
through the French and Indian (Seven Years) War, Pontiac's Rebellion, and until
June of 1765.
According to William Hunter in his marvelous work, Forts on the Pennsylvania
Frontier 1753-1758, Augusta was, "the most impressive of the forts built by
Pennsylvania during the French and Indian War, the one longest garrisoned by
provincial troops, and the last one used for military purposes." The 3rd
Battalion Pennsylvania was formed of troops from the 1st and 2nd Battalions,
plus some recruits, specifically to build and garrison Fort Augusta. It became
known as The Augusta Regiment. In 1758, after the re-organization of the
Pennsylvania Regiment, the 3rd Battalion was tied more closely to the rest of
the provincial defense system. Hunter says, that during the 1759-1763 interwar
period, "the most important activity at Fort Augusta was the Indian trade
carried on at the provincial store." After 1761 Fort Augusta was the only
provincial fort maintained in the colony. (Hunter, pp. 508, 537, 541)
Ft. Augusta once again served the area during the American Revolution as a haven
of safety for local citizens when Indians threatened, as a base for Ranging
Companies who watched over the Frontier Chain of Forts (mostly stockaded private
homes in or near settlements along the River and tributary creeks) along both
branches of the Susquehanna from Antes Fort in the west to Jenkins Fort in the
east, as the base for Hartley's Expedition in 1778 to Wyalusing, and as a supply
base for Sullivan's Expedition against the Iroquois in 1779. In addition, troops
from Ft. Augusta were engaged in numerous skirmishes and patrols throughout the
West and North Branch Valleys. Other engagements and attacks against the
settlements occurred at Forty Fort, at Wyoming on November 3, 1778 (Wyoming
Massacre), at Ft. Freeland, July 28, 1779 with the loss of 21 patriots, at Fort
Montgomery (a.k.a. Ft. Rice), Ft. Muncy, Ft. Brady, Ft. McClure, to mention a
few.
At the conclusion of the American Revolution, Colonel Samuel Hunter, commandant
of Ft. Augusta was still living in the commandant's house in the fort. His
family of 4 children had been born there. Hunter died on April 10, 1784, and was
buried in back of the fort. Fortunately, the Hunter Cemetery has been preserved
and can be visited today. The Northumberland County Historical Society has its
headquarters in the Hunter Mansion on the site of the old Fort.
It was stated above that Ft. Augusta was built upon land which had not been
purchased from the Indians. Through the Treaty of Ft. Stanwix in 1768, this land
became the property of the Penns, and in 1786 was sold to the Hunter family by
way of a kinsman, William Wilson. Col. Hunter's daughter, Nancy, lived in the
commandant's headquarters all of her 67 years, dying in 1834. Her son, Samuel,
lived there until 1852, when it was destroyed by fire. The current Hunter
mansion was built to replace it.
Fort Augusta itself was dismantled in 1794. The Powder Magazine still exists,
and is a reminder of the building of this magnificent fort which played such a
vital role in preventing the French from taking this valley. "Fort Augusta was,"
as Harry S. Knight, Esquire, so eloquently stated, "the stronghold in the
wilderness where it was determined whether the language of the North American
Continent should be English or French, whether the dominant race should be
Anglo-Saxon or Latin, whether its laws be based upon the Common Law of England
or the Code of France." ( The Fort Augusta Story, pp. 37, 41, 50, 51)

Joseph Priestly House -

http://www.josephpriestleyhouse.org/
Soon after their arrival in Northumberland, Joseph Priestley and his wife Mary
began construction of a house on land overlooking the Susquehanna River. It was
intended as the re-creation of a self-contained, English gentleman's estate. The
Priestleys' pleasure in their new habitation is reflected in their letters.
Joseph wrote, “I do not think there can be, in any part of the world, a more
delightful situation than this.” It was Mary Priestley, however, who took the
greater delight in the planning; sadly, two years after their arrival in
Northumberland, she died and was never to see the completion of her house.
Priestley the widower moved into the home in 1798 and resided there with his
eldest son Joseph, Joseph's wife Elizabeth, and their children. In addition,
there were servants.
The exterior and plan of the house are typically Georgian in style with some
decorative elements more characteristic of the Federal style of architecture,
the hallmark of which is an attention to balance and symmetry. The balustraded
deck on the roof and the semi-circular fanlight above the main entrance doors
are characteristic of this style. Arches in the entrance and second floor halls
attest to a stylish and grand design for the house. The construction, which
employed local workers and carpenters from Philadelphia, continued from 1795 to
1798. Each piece of timber was kiln dried for two weeks at the site. “A house
constructed with such boards I prefer to one of brick and stone,” wrote
Priestley.
After Priestley's death, Joseph Junior and his family lived in the house until
1811, when they returned to England. The house was sold in 1815 to the first of
several subsequent owners. In 1874, the Priestley House was the gathering spot
for American chemists who celebrated the centennial of chemistry on the 100th
anniversary of Priestley's discovery of oxygen gas.
The creation of a museum at Priestley House first occurred to chemists from Penn
State College (now Penn State University), who honored their colleague, Dr.
George Gilbert Pond, professor of chemistry and dean of the School of Natural
Sciences, by building a brick museum building named for Dr. Pond on the
property. Dr. Pond had been the successful bidder when the Priestley House was
offered at public auction in 1919. His untimely death shortly after the purchase
derailed a plan to move the house to the college campus for use by the chemistry
department. Instead, trustees appointed by the college hired caretakers who
lived in and maintained the house as a museum in Northumberland. In 1955, the
college gave the property to the Borough of Northumberland, which maintained the
museum property until 1959.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania next acquired the house. In 1961, the
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission was appointed to administer and
restore many of the property's original features. In 2000, as an enhancement to
the site's historic landscape, the Commission completed reconstruction of
outbuildings, including a carriage barn, associated with the property during
Priestley's residency.

Old Bedford Village -

http://www.oldbedfordvillage.com/
Old Bedford Village welcomes you to discover America's history. Our living
history village brings the past into the present. Old Bedford Village offers a
rich variety of educational and entertainment activities. Visitors of all ages
will enjoy our military and civilian re-enactments, colonial crafts, exhibits
and instructions, festivals, murder/mystery evenings, old fashioned Christmas
celebrations and more!
http://www.pennsylvania-mountains-of-attractions.com/pennsylvania-history.html

Tours of days gone by:

Day 12 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-07-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

We have 74' with an overcast sky, so there is a slight chance for showers today.
You can feel the humidity but it isn't too bad yet, on Saturday we will have the
3 H's from the sound of the forecast.
Today we will be touring:

28 Flax Cultures
35 Fort Necessity National Battlefield
36 Fort Pitt Museum
56 Liberty Bell
95 Washington's Crossing Historic Park

Flax Cultures -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flax
Flax (also known as common flax or linseed) (binomial name: Linum usitatissimum)
is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the
region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first
domesticated in the Fertile Crescent. This is called as Jawas/Javas or Alashi in
Marathi. Flax was extensively cultivated in ancient Egypt. New Zealand flax is
not related to flax, but was named after it as both plants are used to produce
fibers.
Flax is an erect annual plant growing to 1.2 m tall, with slender stems. The
leaves are glaucous green, slender lanceolate, 20–40 mm long and 3 mm broad. The
flowers are pure pale blue, 15–25 mm diameter, with five petals; they can also
be bright red. The fruit is a round, dry capsule 5–9 mm diameter, containing
several glossy brown seeds shaped like an apple pip, 4–7 mm long.
In addition to referring to the plant itself, the word "flax" may refer to the
unspun fibers of the flax plant.
Flax is grown both for its seeds and for its fibers. Various parts of the plant
have been used to make fabric, dye, paper, medicines, fishing nets, hair gels
and soap. It is also grown as an ornamental plant in gardens.
Flax fibers are amongst the oldest fiber crops in the world. The use of flax for
the production of linen goes back 5000 years. Pictures on tombs and temple walls
at Thebes depict flowering flax plants. The use of flax fiber in the
manufacturing of cloth in northern Europe dates back to Neolithic times. In
North America, flax was introduced by the Puritans. Currently most flax produced
in the USA and Canada are seed flax types for the production of linseed oil or
flaxseeds for human nutrition.
Flax fiber is extracted from the bast or skin of the stem of the flax plant.
Flax fiber is soft, lustrous and flexible. It is stronger than cotton fiber but
less elastic. The best grades are used for linen fabrics such as damasks, lace
and sheeting. Coarser grades are used for the manufacturing of twine and rope.
Flax fiber is also a raw material for the high-quality paper industry for the
use of printed banknotes and rolling paper for cigarettes. Flax mills for
spinning flaxen yarn were invented by John Kendrew and Thomas Porthouse of
Darlington in 1787.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weaving
Colonial America Colonial America was heavily reliant on Great Britain for
manufactured goods of all kinds. British policy was to encourage the production
of raw materials in colonies. Weaving was not prohibited, but the export of
British wool was. As a result many people wove cloth from locally produced
fibers in Colonial America. In Colonial times the colonists mostly used cotton
and flax for weaving. They could get one cotton crop each fall. Flax was
harvested in the summer. In preparing wool for weaving, colonists would first
shear the sheep with spring back clippers. This was done while keeping the
sheep's feet from touching anything so it would not try to break free. They
would try to cut the wool off the sheep in one big chunk because that way they
would get long fibers. Sheep-shearing was done in the spring so that the fleece
would regrow in time for the winter. After shearing, wool would be washed in
hot water to get out the dirt and grease (lanolin), then carded, at which point
it would be ready for spinning into yarn. Washing the wool was a delicate
procedure, because they didn't want to agitate the fibres too much in the
process, and end up with felt. If the wool was clean enough (little to no
vegetable matter), they could wait until after it is spun to clean out the
lanolin, at which point it is easier to clean because it is yarn. A card is a
set of two brushes stroked one on the other with the fibre in the middle. This
process of carding loosens and fluffs the fiber, as opposed to combing, which
lines up all the fibres in the same direction, making the wool or cotton ready
for spinning. Cotton was harvested from little stalks. The cotton boll is
white, roughly spherical and fluffy. Its seeds had to be removed before carding,
a difficult and time-consuming process. (Later, a "cotton gin" was invented
which took a lot of the work out of seed removal.) After carding it would be
ready for spinning. Linen is made from flax fibre. After growing the flax,
workers had to ret it. To prepare flax for weaving, the stalks would be
"braked", meaning beaten, with a tool that looks like a paper cutter but instead
of having a big knife it has a blunt arm, then a scutching tool (a blunt wooden
knife) is used to scrape away pieces of the stalk, and then the fibre is pulled
through a heckling comb to get it ready for spinning. A heckling comb is like a
brush with metal bristles that you pull flax stalks through. After they spun
the yarn, it would be dyed with berries, bark, flowers, herbs or weeds, often
gathered by children. With the yarn made, they would prepare the loom. The
strings on a loom run in two directions. The yarn that is attached to the loom
is called the warp, and the woof or weft is woven through it. The woof is
wrapped around the shuttle, and woven alternately over and under the warp
strings. A plain weave was what most people liked in Colonial times. Almost
everything was plain woven then. Sometimes designs were woven into the fabric
but mostly designs were added after weaving. The colonists would usually add
designs by using either wood block prints or embroidering.

Fort Necessity National Battlefield -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Necessity_National_Battlefield
Fort Necessity National Battlefield is a National Battlefield Site preserving
elements of the Battle of Fort Necessity in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United
States. The Battle of Fort Necessity occurred on July 3, 1754 and was an early
battle of the French and Indian War.
Battle of Fort Necessity
After returning to the great meadows in what is now Fayette County,
Pennsylvania, Washington decided it prudent to reinforce his position.
Supposedly named by Washington as Fort Necessity or Fort of Necessity, they
constructed a storehouse to store supplies such as gunpowder, rum, and flour.
The crude palisade they erected was built to more to defend supplies in the
fort's storehouse from Washington's own men, whom he described as loose and
idle, rather than as a planned defense against a hostile enemy. It also served
as a useful mustering position, situated in a pleasant mountain meadow not far
after the summit of the Cumberland Gap mountain pass had been surmounted by
westward moving travelers or troops, and Washington was hoping for further
reinforcements.
By June 12, 1754, Washington had under his command 293 colonials and the nominal
command of 100 additional regular British army troops from South Carolina.
Washington spent the remainder of June 1754 extending the wilderness road
further west and down the western slopes of the Allegheny range into the valley
of the Monongahela River aiming for a river crossing point roughly 41 mi (66 km)
near Redstone Creek and a mound on a bluff overlooking the river crossing known
as Redstone Old Fort — an aboriginal mound structure that may have once been a
fortification. Five years later in the war Fort Burd was constructed at the
target destination and the area eventually became the site of Nemacolin Castle
and Brownsville, Pennsylvania — an important western jumping off point in the
late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century.
Colonel Washington's chosen path west in order to reach the Ohio River basins'
navigable waters as soon as possible on the Monongahela River was along
Nemacolin's Trail — as opposed to following the ridge hopping high altitude
path traversed by the western part of Braddock's Road which jogged to the north
near the fort and passed over another notch near Confluence, Pennsylvania into
the valley and drainage basin of the Allegheny River. The Redstone destination
at the terminus of Nemacolin's Trail was a natural choice for an advanced base
for the location was one of the few known good crossing points where both sides
of the wide deep river had low accessible banks in a region where steep-to-sides
characteristic of the Mon-valley were the norm.
Late in the day on July 3rd, Washington did not know the French situation.
Feeling that their position was untenable, Washington accepted surrender terms
which allowed the peaceful withdrawal of his forces which he completed on July
4, 1754[2]. The French subsequently occupied the fort and then burned it.
Washington did not speak French, and stated later that if he had known that he
was confessing to the "assassination" of Jumonville, he would not have signed
the surrender document.
Park Formation and Structure
Attempts to preserve the location of Fort Necessity were undertaken and on March
4, 1931, Congress declared the location a National Battlefield Site under
management of the War Department. Transferred to the National Park Service in
1933, the park was redesignated a National Battlefield on August 10, 1961. As
with all historic sites administered by the National Park Service, the
battlefield was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October
15, 1966. Subsequent archaeological research helped to uncover the majority of
the original fort position, shape and design. A replica of the fort was
completed in the 1970s. A new visitor center, which also is home to a National
Road interpretive center opened on October 8, 2005. The battlefield and fort are
currently being improved, with a the fort replica being reconstructed to look
more historically accurate, new informative signs being added, and the historic
treelines and charge locations being outlined.
Along with the fort, the national battlefield also features two other historic
sites. On a hillside adjacent to the battlefield and within the boundaries of
the park is Mount Washington Tavern, a classic example of the many inns lining
the National Road, America's first federally-funded highway. The land on which
the tavern was built was originally owned by George Washington, who purchased
the site on which he commanded his first battle just a few months before his
death in 1799. In 1827, Judge Nathnial Ewing of Uniontown constructed the
tavern. James Sampey acquired the land and constructed an inn along the new
highway. It was operated by his family until the railroad construction boom
caused the National Road to decline in popularity, rendering the inn
unprofitable. In 1855, it was sold to the Fazenbakers and served as a private
home for the next 75 years, until it was acquired by the National Park Service
in 1933 and restored. The Mount Washington Tavern demonstrates the standard
features of an early American tavern, including a simple but congenial barroom
that served as a gathering place, a more fancy parlor room that was used for
relaxation, and crowded bedrooms in which people would crowd in order to catch
up on sleep.
In a separate unit of the park lying about one mile (1.6 km) east of the
battlefield lies the grave of General Edward Braddock. The legendary British
commander oversaw many French and Indian War battles and led the construction of
a useful, but inadequate wilderness road through Western Pennsylvania. Braddock
was severely wounded in a failed siege on Fort Duquesne. He and his regiment
fled along the wilderness road to a site near Great Meadows. Here, on July 13,
1755, the worn-out general died and was buried in an elaborate ceremony presided
and officiated by George Washington. His grave was hidden by the British, hoping
to keep the site's location out of the hands of the enemy. His body was
discovered in 1804 by men making repairs to the wilderness road. A fitting
marker was erected in 1913.

Fort Pitt Museum -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Pitt_(Pennsylvania)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Pitt_Museum
Fort Pitt was a fort in what is now the city of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County,
Pennsylvania. The fort was built in 1758 during the French and Indian War, next
to the site of Fort Duquesne. The French built Fort Duquesne in 1754, at the
beginning of that war, and it became a focal point due to its strategic river
location. The Braddock expedition, a 1755 attempt to take Fort Duquesne, met
with a bloody repulse at the Monongahela River. The French garrison viciously
mauled an attacking British regiment in September 1758, but abandoned and
destroyed the fort at the approach of General John Forbes's expedition in
November.
The Forbes expedition was successful where the Braddock expedition had failed
because of the Treaty of Easton, in which area American Indians agreed to
abandon their alliance with the French. American Indians—primarily Delawares and
Shawnees—made this agreement with the understanding that the British military
would leave the area after the war. The Indians wanted a trading post on the
spot, but they did not want a British army garrison. The British, however, built
a new fort on the site and named it Fort Pitt, after William Pitt the Elder.
As a result, in 1763 local Delawares and Shawnees took part in Pontiac's
Rebellion, an effort to drive the British out of the region. The Indians' siege
of Fort Pitt began on June 22, 1763, but the fort was too strong to be taken by
force. In negotiations during the siege, Captain Simeon Ecuyer, the commander of
Fort Pitt gave two Delaware emissaries blankets that had been exposed to
smallpox, in hopes of infecting the surrounding Indians and ending the siege.
The attempt was probably unsuccessful, and on August 1, 1763, most of the
Indians broke off the siege in order to intercept an approaching force under
Colonel Henry Bouquet, resulting in the Battle of Bushy Run. Bouquet fought off
the attack and relieved Fort Pitt on August 20.
After Pontiac's War, Fort Pitt was no longer necessary to the British Crown, and
was abandoned to the locals in 1772. At that time, the Pittsburgh area was
claimed by both Virginia and Pennsylvania, and a power struggle for the region
commenced. Virginians took control of Fort Pitt, and for a brief while in the
1770s it was called Fort Dunmore, in honour of Virginia's Governor Lord Dunmore.
The fort served as a staging ground in Dunmore's War of 1774.
During the American Revolutionary War, Fort Pitt served as a headquarters for
the western theatre of the war.
A small brick building called the Blockhouse—actually an outbuilding known as a
redoubt—remains in Point State Park, the only intact remnant of Fort Pitt. It
was erected in 1764, and is believed to be the oldest building, not only in
Pittsburgh, but in western Pennsylvania. Used for many years as a house, the
blockhouse was purchased and has been preserved for many years by the Daughters
of the American Revolution, who make it open to the public. Part of the
foundations of Fort Pitt have been excavated and some of the fort has been
rebuilt, though, giving visitors to Point Park a sense of the size of the fort.
In this rebuilt section the Monongahela Bastion houses the Fort Pitt Museum.It
should be noted that the excavated portions of the fort have been filled in and
are no longer accessible by the public, despite outrage from local citizens. The
city of Pittsburgh thought the land would be better used as solid ground.
However, the rebuilt section containing the Fort Pitt Museum and the Blockhouse
still stand.
Fort Pitt Foundry was an important armaments manufacturing center for the
Federal government during the Civil War, under the charge of William Metcalf.
Fort Pitt Museum is an indoor/outdoor museum that is administered by the
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in downtown, Pittsburgh, Allegheny
County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is at the confluence of the
Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers, where the Ohio River is formed. Fort Pitt
Museum is surrounded by Point State Park, a Pennsylvania state park named for
the geographically and historically significant point that is between the
rivers. This piece of land was key to controlling the upper reaches of the Ohio
River Valley and western Pennsylvania, before, during and after the French and
Indian War as well as the American Revolution.
The museum is in a recreated bastion of the fort that was originally built in
1758 by the British. An outline of Fort Duquesne is nearby. The historical focus
of the museum is the role that Fort Pitt played during the French and Indian
War. The museum also features detailed information on Fort Pitt's role during
the American Revolution, the Whiskey Rebellion and the founding of Pittsburgh.

Liberty Bell -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Bell
he Liberty Bell, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is one of the most prominent
symbols of the American Revolutionary War. It is a familiar symbol of
independence within the United States and has been described as an icon of
liberty and justice.
According to tradition, its most famous ringing occurred on July 8, 1776, to
summon citizens of Philadelphia for the reading of the Declaration of
Independence. Historians today consider this highly doubtful, as the steeple in
which the bell was hung had deteriorated significantly by that time. The bell
had also been rung to announce the opening of the First Continental Congress in
1774 and after the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775.
The Liberty Bell was known as the "Independence Bell" or the "Old Yankee's Bell"
until 1837, when it was adopted by the American Anti-Slavery Society as a symbol
of the abolitionist movemen
The inscription on the Liberty Bell reads as follows:
Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof Lev.
XXV X
By Order of the ASSEMBLY of the Province of PENSYLVANIA for the State House in
Philada Pass and Stow Philada MDCCLIII
The source of the inscription is Leviticus 25:10, which reads "And ye shall
hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all
the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return
every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family."
Ordering of the bell from the Whitechapel Bell Foundry and first crack
The bell was ordered in 1751 by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly for use in
the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall) in Philadelphia.
It was cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London and delivered to
Philadelphia in late August/early September 1752 via the ship Hibernia. It cost
£100, weighed 2,080 lbs, is twelve feet in the lip circumference, and three feet
from the lip to the top. The following March, the bell was hung from temporary
scaffolding in the square outside the State House. To the dismay of onlookers,
the bell cracked during testing. Isaac Norris, speaker of the Pennsylvania
Assembly, wrote "I had the mortification to hear that it was cracked by a stroke
of the clapper without any other violence [sic] as it was hung up to try the
sound."
Recasting of the bell by Pass and Stow and hanging in State House steeple
While a replacement from Whitechapel was ordered, the bell was recast by John
Dock Pass and John Stow of Philadelphia, whose surnames appear inscribed on the
bell. Pass and Stow added copper to the composition of the alloy used to cast
the bell, and the tone of the bell proved unsatisfactory. The two recast the
bell yet again, restoring the correct balance of metal, and this third bell was
hung in the steeple of the State House in June 1753.
The American War of Independence
Tradition holds that the bell was rung to announce the opening of the First
Continental Congress in 1774 and after the Battle of Lexington and Concord in
1775.
After Washington's defeat at the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777, the
revolutionary capital of Philadelphia was defenseless, and the city prepared for
what was seen as an inevitable British attack on the city. The Supreme Executive
Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ordered that eleven bells, including
the State House bell and the bells from Christ Church and St. Peter's Church, be
taken down and removed from the city to prevent the British, who might melt the
bells down to cast into cannons, from taking possession of them. A train of over
700 wagons, guarded by 200 cavalry from North Carolina and Virginia and under
the command of Colonel Thomas Polk of the 4th Regiment North Carolina
Continental Line, left Philadelphia for Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh
Valley. Hidden in the manure and hay were the bells, and hidden in the wagon of
Northampton County militia private John Jacob Mickley was the State House bell.
On September 18, the entourage and armed escort arrived in Richland Township
(present-day Quakertown, Pennsylvania). On September 23, the bishop of the
Moravian Church in Bethlehem reported that the wagons had arrived, and all bells
except the State House bell had been moved to Northampton-Towne (present-day
Allentown, Pennsylvania). The following day, the State House bell was
transferred to the wagon of Frederick Leaser and taken to the historic Zion's
Reformed Church in center city Allentown, where it was stored (along with the
other bells), under the floorboards. On September 26, British forces marched
into Philadelphia, unopposed, and occupied the city. The bell was restored to
Philadelphia following the end of the British occupation in June of 1778.
19th century
During the 19th century, the bell tolled at the death of Alexander Hamilton
(1804), Lafayette's return to Philadelphia (1824), the deaths of Adams and
Jefferson (1826), Washington's 100th birthday celebration (1832) and the deaths
of Lafayette (1834), John Marshall (1835) and William Henry Harrison (1841).
In 1839, William Lloyd Garrison's anti-slavery publication The Liberator
reprinted a Boston abolitionist pamphlet containing a poem about the Bell,
entitled, "The Liberty Bell," which represents the first known usage (in print)
of the name, "Liberty Bell."
It is not certain when the second crack began (the first after the recastings),
though it has been long believed to have been at the death of John Marshall in
1835. This has been rhetorically linked with the overriding of the judge's
support for the rights of the Cherokee.
The bell was repaired in February 1846. The method of repair, known as stop
drilling, required drilling along the hairline crack so that the sides of the
fracture would not reverberate.
On February 22, 1846, the bell was tolled for several hours in the tower of
Independence Hall in honor of George Washington's birthday. When the bell was
rung, the crack grew from the top of the repaired crack to the crown of the
bell, rendering the bell unusable. Contrary to appearances, the large crevice
that currently exists in the Liberty Bell is a repair from the expansions, and
not the crack itself.
In 1852, the bell was removed from its steeple, and put on display in the
"Declaration Chamber" of Independence Hall. In the meantime, a "Centennial Bell"
replica was given as a gift to Philadelphia in 1876. The bell was cast by
Meneely & Kimberly, a Troy, New York, bell foundry in June 1876. A third bell
hangs in a modern tower nearby. Cast at the same British foundry as the
original, this replica, called the Bicentennial Bell, was given to the people of
the United States by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain during a visit to
Philadelphia in 1976.
From 1885 to 1915, the Liberty Bell traveled to numerous cities and was
displayed at expositions and world's fairs.
Visiting the Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell Center is open daily with the exception of Christmas Day from
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. with extended hours of operation during the summer months.
No tickets are required; however, visitors must submit to a security screening.
Over two million tourists visit the bell per year.
Sister Bell
The replacement bell ordered from the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1753 became
known as the "Sister Bell". It was installed at the Pennsylvania State House
(Independence Hall), and attached to the State House clock. The Sister Bell rang
the hours until the late 1820s, when the bell was removed during a renovation
and loaned to the Olde St. Augustine Church in Philadelphia. In 1829, the bell
was hung in a new cupola and tower designed by architect William Strickland.
There it remained until May 8, 1844, when it was destroyed, along with the Olde
St. Augustine Church, during the Philadelphia Nativist Riots. The friars of St.
Augustine had the "Sister Bell" recast and transferred to Villanova University,
which had been established in 1842. It is currently enshrined in the Falvey
Memorial Library on Villanova's campus.

Washington's Crossing Historical Park -

http://www.ushistory.org/washingtoncrossing/
From this site, General George Washington and men of the Continental Army and
militia crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night 1776 and marched to
Trenton, New Jersey. There they attacked and defeated Hessian troops quartered
in and around the village. This surprise attack and victory set the stage for
Washington's subsequent victories at the Second Battle of Trenton and Princeton.
The Crossing and the Trenton/Princeton campaign have become known as the Ten
Crucial Days — a campaign that saved Washington's army from defeat, allowing
them to fight another day and achieve ultimate victory.
What did they see? Gusts of breath billowing from the nostrils of agitated
horses being loaded this dawn onto ferry boats. Ice floes clogging the Delaware
and the river's choppy water churning past.
What could they hear? The poles of Glover's Marblehead sailors penetrating the
water with frigid splashing and oar-thwacks as they maneuvered the Durham boats
across the inky river. They heard Colonel Knox's booming voice giving orders,
rising above the confusion, as to how the assembled 2400 troops, cannons and
equines should be shuttled across the Delaware.
What did these soldiers think about? About getting across this cold-cloaked
river? About attacking Hessians, those fierce European soldiers allied with the
British to help staunch this revolt? Did they think it was remotely possible
that this plan of Washington's would work? To make a nocturnal river crossing,
covertly entering New Jersey, march 9 miles, and attacking these Hessians at a
Trenton outpost? Did they think that as night faded to daybreak that their
chances of a successful surprise attack would fade as well? Did they think about
their families at home this Christmas Day? Did they think about their farms and
friends and villages? Slouching into these Durham boats, did they think what
they were doing would change the world?
Washington's army needed a victory. Enlistments were soon to expire. The
soldiers' and the country's morale were low. Winter was upon them and they
needed to end the campaign season on a positive note after surviving through a
summer and fall filled with agonizing failures. This was the moment, a turning
point, a crossroads. Would the army survive to fight another season? Would this
bring new hope or was it the end of a Revolution?
From the time of the crossing of the Delaware River to within the next ten days,
the fate of the colonies was changed. The army survived and grew stronger. The
British and Hessians almost instantly saw their enemies, these "rebellious
farmers," turn into a formidable foe. And it all began here, by the McKonkey
Ferry Inn, when a small band crossed a tempestuous river, because they could
see, hear, and conceive a new future.
In the winter of 1776, General George Washington and his ragged army had
experienced only defeat and despair. The War for Independence was going badly,
with failure following failure. In the preceding months, Washington's campaign
in New York had not gone well; the Battle of Long Island ended in a loss when
the British troops managed to out-maneuver the Continental Army. A series of
defeats settled around Washington as he was forced to retreat across New Jersey
to Pennsylvania on December 7th and 8th.
As the harsh Pennsylvania winter set in, the morale of the American troops was
at an all time low. The soldiers were forced to deal with a lack of both food
and warm clothing , while Washington watched his army shrink due to desertions
and expiring enlistments. Now, more than ever, a victory was desperately needed.
The original plan called for the three divisions to cross the river under the
cover of darkness. The boats to be used for the crossing were gathered earlier
in the month in compliance with General Washington's orders, primarily as a
defensive measure. Various types of boats were collected; most notable were the
large, heavy Durham boats used to carry pig iron down the Delaware.
Fully expecting to be supported by two divisions south of Trenton, Washington
assembled his own troops near McConkey's Ferry in preparation for the crossing.
By 6 PM. 2,400 troops had begun crossing the ice-choked river. The operation was
slow and difficult due to the condition of the river. There was an abrupt change
in the weather forcing the men to fight their way through sleet and a blinding
snowstorm. These obstacles proved to be too much for the supporting divisions
led by Generals Cadwalader and Ewing, ultimately preventing their crossing at
southern points along the Delaware.
Against all odds, Washington and his men successfully completed the crossing and
marched into Trenton on the morning of December 26, achieving a resounding
victory over the Hessians.
By moving ahead with his bold and daring plan, General George Washington
re-ignited the cause of freedom and gave new life to the American Revolution.
Washington Crossing Historic Park was founded in 1917 to perpetuate and preserve
the site from which the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River. This
purpose is achieved by interpreting the historical significance of this site for
thousands of Park visitors each year through tours, exhibits and various special
events. The spirit of the 1776 Crossing is recreated every year on Christmas Day
when the annual reenactment of Washington Crossing the Delaware takes place on
December 25. In this annual reenactment the visitor can see reenactors in
Continental military dress cross the river in the replica Durham boats.
But that isn't all! Washington Crossing Historic Park also preserves and
interprets the early 19th century history of Taylorsville, the area in which the
crossing of the Delaware occurred. This small ferry crossing of the 18th century
developed into a quintessential village of the next era, reflecting progress,
American ideals and the new industrial age. As the Delaware Canal came through,
a fully fleshed out community bravely looked to the future while remembering its
past.

Tours of days gone by:

Day 11 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-07-21T08:48:00.000-07:00

There is a slight chance of showers this morning and a chance of thunderstorms
this afternoon. It is 68' now and we are expecting it to reach 78' today. Right
now it is a little cloudy. So I decided to start the touring now to avoid the
rain.

Today we will be touring:

20 Eckley Miner' Village
66 Penn's Woods
71 Pennsylvania Farm Show
77 Poconos Mountain
90 Thomas Edison

Eckley Miner' Village -

http://www.eckleyminers.org/
It is located in Weatherly ,Pennsylvania
Eckley Miners' Village A 19th century coal-mining town, one of the first
company-planned and owned anthracite communities. Eckley Miners Village is
little changed since it first bustled with activity. The life of the miner and
his family is shown through their houses, stores and churches.
During the summer, Eckley Miners' Village recreates the 1863 Union Army
occupation during the Civil War.
http://www.angelfire.com/pa3/81stpennsylvania/eckley.html
Eckley, PA Hometown of Co. K, 81st PA
Many of the men in the original Co. K, 81st PA came from the mining village of
Eckley near Hazleton, PA. Every August today's Company K, and other Civil War
groups, hold a two-day encampment and living history to honor the men and their
hometown. The town is now known as Eckley Miner's Village and has not changed
much over the years. The old houses, churches, stores, and streets give a great
backdrop to our encampment. It is not hard to imagine our men walking down the
street or sitting under a tree contemplating what the future would hold for them
as they prepared to depart for the war. Many did not return. A lucky few came
back unscathed, but most returned with wounds or diseases they would suffer with
until their dying day. Again, we represent them with sincerity and pride. Please
visit the Original 81st page to learn about the men of Company K.
Join us August 18th & 19th, 2001 for a great Civil War weekend!
More interesting information on these sites:
http://www.pagenweb.org/~luzerne/eckley.htm
http://www.fieldtrip.com/pa/76362070.htm

Penn's Woods -

This was one of the largest land grants to an individual in history. It was
called Pennsylvania, meaning "Penn's Woods", in honor of Admiral Penn. William
Penn, who had wanted his province to be named "Sylvania", was embarrassed at the
change, fearing that people would think he had named it after himself, but King
Charles would not rename the grant.
On March 4, 1681, King Charles II of England granted William Penn a New World
colony as payment for a debt of 16,000 pounds the King owed to Penn's father, a
deceased admiral in the British Navy. It was a shrewd move on the part of
Charles. By giving Penn a colony in America, he managed to pay off an
outstanding debt and at the same time rid his country of Quakers, a religious
sect that constantly challenged English laws and the legitimacy of the Anglican
Church, the nation's established church. Penn's tract of land consisted of
45,000 square miles of land, an area almost as large as England itself. King
Charles named the new colony, "Penn's woods" in honor of the admiral. Penn
called the capital city Philadelphia, meaning the "City of Brotherly Love," to
reflect his desire that his colony serve as a haven for Quakers and other
oppressed Christians seeking religious freedom.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( /?p?ns?l've?nj?/ (help·info)), often
colloquially referred to as PA (its postal abbreviation, which succeeds the
archaic Penn. and Penna. as common abbreviations) by natives and
Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic
regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the
south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and a water
border with Canada to the north, and New Jersey to the east. The state's most
populous city is Philadelphia, followed by Pittsburgh.
Pennsylvania has been known as the Keystone State since 1802,#HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania" \l "cite_note-symbols-2" based in
part upon its central location among the original Thirteen Colonies forming the
United States, and also in part because of the number of important American
documents signed in the state (such as the Declaration of Independence). It was
also a keystone state economically, having both the industry common to the North
(making such wares as Conestoga wagons and rifles) and the agriculture common to
the South (producing feed, fiber, food, and tobacco).
Another one of Pennsylvania's nicknames is the Quaker State; in colonial times,
it was known officially as the Quaker Province, in recognition of Quaker William
Penn's First Frame of Government constitution for Pennsylvania that guaranteed
liberty of conscience. He knew of the hostility Quakers faced when they opposed
religious ritual, taking oaths, violence, war and military service, and what
they viewed as ostentatious frippery.
Pennsylvania has 51 miles (82 km) of coastline along Lake Erie and 57 miles
(92 km) of shoreline along the Delaware Estuary.
History
Main article: History of Pennsylvania John Dickinson
Before the Commonwealth was settled by Europeans, the area was home to the
Delaware (also known as Lenni Lenape), Susquehannock, Iroquois, Eriez, Shawnee,
and other Native American tribes. Both the Dutch and the English claimed the
both sides of the Delaware River as part of their colonial lands in America. The
Dutch were the first to take possession, and this has impact on the history of
Pennsylvania. By June 3, 1631, the Dutch had started up the DelMarVa Peninsula
by establishing the Zwaanendael Colony on the site of present day Lewes,
Delaware. In 1638, Sweden heated up the issue by establishing the New Sweden
Colony, centered on Fort Christina, on the site of present day Wilmington,
Delaware. New Sweden claimed and, for the most part, controlled the lower
Delaware River region (Parts of present Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania),
but settled few colonists there.
On March 12, 1664, King Charles II of England gave James, Duke of York a Grant
that included all of the lands included in the original Virginia Company of
Plymouth Grant as well as other lands. This grant was – again – in conflict with
the Dutch claim for New Netherland, which included parts of today's
Pennsylvania.
On June 24, 1664, The Duke of York sold the portion of his large grant that
included present day New Jersey to John Berkeley and George Carteret for a
proprietary colony. As of yet, the land was not in English possession, but the
sale boxed in the portion of New Netherland on the West side of the Delaware
River. The English conquest of New Netherland was commenced on August 29, 1664,
when New Amsterdam was coerced to surrender facing the cannons on English ships
in New York Harbor. This conquest continued, and was completed in October of
1664, when the English captured Fort Casimir in what today is New Castle,
Delaware.
The Peace of Breda between England, France and the Netherlands confirmed the
English conquest on July 21, 1667, although there were temporary reversions.
On September 12, 1672, as part of the Third Anglo—Dutch War, the Dutch
re-conquered New York Colony/New Amsterdam, the Dutch established three County
Courts which went on to become original Counties in present day Delaware and
Pennsylvania. The one that later transferred to Pennsylvania was Upland. This
was partially reversed on February 9, 1674, when the Treaty of Westminster ended
the Third Anglo-Dutch War, and reverted all political situations to the Status
Quo Ante Bellum. The English retained the Dutch Counties with their Dutch names.
By June 11, 1674, New York reasserted control over the outlying colonies,
including Upland, but the names started to be changed to English names by
November 11, 1674. Upland was partitioned on November 12, 1674, producing the
general outline of the current border between Pennsylvania and Delaware.
On February 28, 1681, Charles II granted a land charter to William Penn to repay
a debt of £20,000 (around $30,000,000 in 2007) owed to William's father, Admiral
Penn. This was one of the largest land grants to an individual in history. It
was called Pennsylvania, meaning "Penn's Woods", in honor of Admiral Penn.
William Penn, who had wanted his province to be named "Sylvania", was
embarrassed at the change, fearing that people would think he had named it after
himself, but King Charles would not rename the grant. Penn established a
government with two innovations that were much copied in the New World: the
county commission and freedom of religious conviction.
What had been Upland on what became the Pennsylvania side of the
Pennsylvania-Delaware Border was renamed as Chester County when Pennsylvania
instituted their colonial governments on March 4, 1681.
Between 1730 and when it was shut down by Parliament with the Currency Act of
1764, the Pennsylvania Colony made its own paper money to account for the
shortage of actual gold and silver. The paper money was called Colonial Scrip.
The Colony issued "bills of credit", which were as good as gold or silver coins
because of their legal tender status. Since they were issued by the government
and not a banking institution, it was an interest-free proposition, largely
defraying the expense of the government and therefore taxation of the people. It
also promoted general employment and prosperity, since the Government used
discretion and did not issue too much to inflate the currency. Benjamin Franklin
had a hand in creating this currency, of which he said its utility was never to
be disputed, and it also met with the "cautious approval" of Adam Smith.
After the Stamp Act Congress of 1765, Delegate John Dickinson of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, wrote the Declaration of Rights and Grievances. The Congress was
the first meeting of the thirteen colonies, called at the request of the
Massachusetts Assembly, but only nine colonies sent delegates. Dickinson then
wrote Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, To the Inhabitants of the British
Colonies, which were published in the Pennsylvania Chronicle between December 2,
1767, and February 15, 1768.
When the Founding Fathers of the United States convened in Philadelphia in 1774,
12 colonies sent representatives to the First Continental Congress. The Second
Continental Congress, which also met in Philadelphia (in May, 1775), drew up and
signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, but when that city was
captured by the British, the Continental Congress escaped westward, meeting at
the Lancaster courthouse on Saturday, September 27, 1777, and then to York.
There they drew up the Articles of Confederation that formed 13 independent
colonies into a new nation. Later, the Constitution was written, and
Philadelphia was once again chosen to be cradle to the new American Nation.
Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution on December
12, 1787, five days after Delaware became the first. The "Redbrick Capitol",
used from 1821 until it burned down in 1897. Dickinson College of Carlisle was
the first college founded in the United States. Established in 1773, the college
was ratified five days after the Treaty of Paris on September 9, 1783. The
school was founded by Benjamin Rush and named after John Dickinson.
For half a century, the Commonwealth's legislature met at various places in the
general Philadelphia area before starting to meet regularly in Independence Hall
in Philadelphia for 63 years. But it needed a more central location, as for
example the Paxton Boys massacres of 1763 had made the legislature aware. So, in
1799 the legislature moved to the Lancaster Courthouse, and finally in 1812 to
Harrisburg. The legislature met in the old Dauphin County Court House until
December 1821, when the Redbrick Capitol was finished. It burned down in 1897,
presumably because of a faulty flue. The legislature met at Grace Methodist
Church on State Street (still standing) until the present capitol was finished
in 1907.
The new state Capitol drew rave reviews. Its dome was inspired by the domes of
St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and the United States Capitol. President Theodore
Roosevelt called it the "the most beautiful state Capitol in the nation" and
said, "It's the handsomest building I ever saw" at the dedication. In 1989, the
New York Times praised it as "grand, even awesome at moments, but it is also a
working building, accessible to citizens ... a building that connects with the
reality of daily life".
Pennsylvania accounts for nine percent of all wooded areas in the United States.
In 1923 President Calvin Coolidge established the Allegheny National Forest
under the authority of the Weeks Act of 1911 in the northwest part of the state
in Elk, Forest, McKean, and Warren Counties for the purposes of timber
production and watershed protection in the Allegheny River basin. The Allegheny
is the state's only national forest.
James Buchanan, of Franklin County, was the only bachelor President of the
United States and the only one to be born in Pennsylvania. The Battle of
Gettysburg—-the major turning point of the Civil War—took place near Gettysburg.
An estimated 350,000 Pennsylvanians served in the Union Army forces along with
8,600 African American military volunteers.
Pennsylvania was also the home of the first commercially drilled oil well. In
1859, near Titusville, Pennsylvania, Edwin L. Drake successfully drilled the
well, which led to the first major oil boom in United States history.

Pennsylvania Farm Show -

The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center was built upon agriculture. The
Pennsylvania Farm Show began in 1917, and since that time, it has not lost touch
with its core purpose: to provide a valuable forum for the improvement of the
state's agriculture industry. Over the years, the complex has grown to cover 24
acres, with the most recent construction in 2001.
http://www.farmshow.state.pa.us/
http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us/fscomplex/site/default.asp
Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center is an exhibition center and indoor
arena in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is primarily used for concerts, the
Pennsylvania Farm Show, and indoor football.
The complex consists of the following components:
Main Hall, 146,527 square feet (13,612.8 m2), built in 1931[1]
Exposition Hall, 172,000 square feet (16,000 m2)
Large Arena, 28,000 square feet (2,600 m2) at floor, 7318 seats, completed in
1939[1]
Equine Arena, 39,200 square feet (3,640 m2) at floor, 1660 seats
Sale Arena, 4,000 square feet (370 m2) at floor, 918 seats[2]
The North, Northeast, Northwest and West Halls add another 187,600 square feet
(17,430 m2) of space. A large equine barn serves the Equine Arena.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center hosted the Harrisburg Heat of
the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1991 - 2003, and the Harrisburg Hammerheads
of the Continental Basketball Association from 1994-1995. In 2009, the
Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center will host the Harrisburg Stampede
of the American Indoor Football Association.
From the agricultural shows that gave the building its name, to the car shows,
proms and other activities that take place here throughout the year, the
Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center is home to a host of exciting
events. Featuring more than 200 shows and events each year, and utilizing nearly
one million square feet of indoor floor space, the complex is one of the premier
event locations in Pennsylvania. The flexibility of the complex allows it to
host major events around the entire facility, a private meeting, or anything in
between. That flexibility also allows it to hold numerous events of different
types throughout the complex, while providing each with the attention they
deserves.

Poconos Mountain -

The Poconos is famous for honeymoons and the Nascar Race Track.
http://www.800poconos.com/
With 2,400 square miles encompassing northeast Pennsylvania's Carbon, Monroe,
Pike and Wayne counties, the Pocono Mountains region is home to rolling mountain
terrain, breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls, thriving woodlands and 170 miles
of winding rivers. Winters offer guests the opportunity to ski, snowboard, snow
tube and even snowshoe their way through snowy wonderlands encompassing over 163
ski trails, while summers also cater to the active traveler allowing exploration
of 261 miles of hiking and biking trails, over 35 golf courses, whitewater
rafting, boating, fishing and open access to nine state and two national parks.
Any time of year is a good time to visit the Pocono Mountains, located within
driving distance of most major East Coast cities. This region steaming with
history offers year-round cultural tours and art exhibitions, abundant antiquing
and brand-name shopping and a full calendar of festivals showcasing the
heritage, music and food of the Pocono Mountains.
Even the most discerning traveler will find comfortable accommodations in the
Pocono Mountains, which offers an eclectic mix of resorts, distinctive
properties and quaint, country inns and bed and breakfasts.
All of this makes the Poconos ideal for a family vacation or reunion, corporate
meeting or convention, wedding or couples getaway or a motorcoach trip.
Early Days: The First Inhabitants
Long before the Pocono Mountains became a destination for families,
honeymooners, nature-lovers and relaxation-seekers, the area was inhabited by
the Delaware, Iroquois, Shawnee, Minisink, Lenape and Paupack Indians. In 1659,
the Dutch established settlements near the famous Delaware Water Gap, but were
forced to leave by the English in 1664. By 1742, English and German settlers
were arriving in the Pocono Mountains and the first permanent residence was
established by Nicholas Depui in 1725 at Shawnee.
1829 - 1927: First Hotel Established and an Industry is Born
The Delaware Water Gap was the site of the first boarding house hotel,
established in 1829 by Anthony Dutot, who initiated what would become a wildly
successful resort industry. By 1900, thousands of visitors from the growing
cities of Philadelphia and New York escaped to the high altitudes for summer
vacations. In the upper regions of the Pocono Mountains, the Pennsylvania Power
and Light Company (now PPL Electric Utilities, Inc.) began the construction of
what is now the third largest man-made lake in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
Lake Wallenpaupack. In 1926, PPL Electric Utilities, Inc. dammed the creek and
built a hydro-electric plant and in doing so, a 5,600-acre lake was created with
52 miles of uninterrupted shoreline. During Prohibition, resorts of the Poconos
described themselves as "Friendly Mountain Resorts" where card-playing or games
of chance were not allowed and golf, tennis and other sports were not permitted
on Sundays.
Post World War II: Here Come the Honeymooners!
During World War II, many GI's took their leave with their girlfriends and
families in the Poconos. The area took on a romantic appeal for these young
people, and many returned after the war as honeymooners. In 1945, Rudolf Von
Hoevenberg opened a rustic operation consisting of some cabins and a main lodge,
called The Farm on the Hill, the first honeymoon resort of the Pocono Mountains.
Plush resorts sprang up in the 1940s and 1950s and spurred the growth of a
flourishing resort business in the Pocono Mountains.
In 1946, the Pocono Mountains welcomed the first commercial ski area in
Pennsylvania, Big Boulder Ski Area. In 1950, the first patent application for
the making of snow by blowing water through a nozzle was filed, and by the
winter of 1956, the system was perfected and in place at Big Boulder Ski Area,
making the Poconos a bonafide ski destination. Shortly after, the opening of
Interstates 80 and 81 in the late 1950s and 1960s in the four-county region made
the Pocono region easily accessible by motor vehicles. Family-owned and operated
resorts gained popularity during this time, where the comforts of home could be
found among the convenience of a full-service resort for an ideal summer
vacation of family picnics, zany games and organized sports and activities.
1960s – 70s: Heart-shaped Tubs and Racing Stripes
In 1963, the heart-shaped tub was introduced at Caesars Cove Haven in Lakeville.
Life Magazine ran photos of this latest novelty and a flood of publicity
followed, resulting in the naming of the Pocono Mountains as the "Honeymoon
Capital of the World." Pocono International Raceway (now Pocono Raceway) in Long
Pond opened its 2½ mile super speedway in 1971 with the first series of Indy car
races. NASCAR soon followed in 1972 and continues to bring over 100,000 race
fans to the Poconos twice each summer. In the 1980s, the growth of whitewater
rafting, golfing, outlet shopping and other attractions further broadened the
four-season appeal of the Pocono Mountains.
1990s: A Destination Evolves
The 1990s ushered an era of change to the Pocono Mountains: several venerable
honeymoon resorts closed, while other accommodation facilities and tourist
attractions made significant capital improvements to their properties. The
Pocono Mountains Quality Assurance program was created in 1996 to enable Pocono
tourist facilities to not only provide a superior product to their existing
customers but to aid them in attracting new business and to help ensure that
visitors have a satisfying experience. Today the program encompasses 100
properties including accommodations, restaurants, attractions, ski areas and
campgrounds.
A New Century: Fresh New Look and Exciting Future
In 2003, the Mountain Laurel Center for the Performing Arts opened in Bushkill
to attract world-class caliber artists. Fall of 2005 welcomed Great Wolf Lodge,
the northeast's largest indoor waterpark resort with 90,000 square feet of
waterslides, a lazy river, an interactive treehouse water fort, a wave pool and
400 rooms. This spurred the onset of planning for Split Rock Resorts' indoor
waterpark, H20ooohh!!, which opened in October 2008. The region's first casino
resort, Mount Airy Casino Resort, featuring slot-machine gaming greeted
additional travelers to the Poconos beginning in October 2007.
Pocono Mountains properties are continuing to invest millions in improvements
and renovations including golf courses, resorts, bed and breakfasts, rental
properties and timeshares. To attract midweek business to the Pocono Mountains,
resorts have also invested in new conference and meeting facilities that will
serve the needs of corporations, associations and other groups looking to hold
business-related events, meetings and team building experiences.
Golfers can now tee-off at more than 35 courses, including those designed by
Robert Trent Jones, AJ Tillinghast and Donald Ross. Resorts began adding on-site
spas as well to cater to stressed consumers seeking to be pampered, including
the Lodge at Woodloch, an exclusive $35-million destination spa that opened in
spring 2006 in the Lake Region of the Pocono Mountains.
Throughout the four-county region, country inns and bed and breakfasts provide
serene escapes with beautiful accommodations, delicious home-baked goods and
personal hospitality.
The Pocono Mountains region is also a place for soft adventure activities such
as hiking, biking, fishing, canoeing and whitewater rafting. With nine state
parks, the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, the Upper Delaware
Scenic and Recreational River and Steamtown National Historic Site, the Pocono
Mountains offer a wide spectrum of outdoor recreation opportunities.
The small towns of the Pocono Mountains are becoming tourist meccas on their
own, each encompassing culture, art and history. Milford, along the Delaware
River, hosts musical events and a fall film festival and offers its visitors
nearby historic sites, a charming downtown of galleries, shops, restaurants,
inns and a painstakingly, beautifully restored boutique hotel, The Hotel
Fauchère, which opened in 2006. The quaint Victorian town of Jim Thorpe, along
the Lehigh River, has historic mansions and seasonal celebrations. Honesdale,
the "Birthplace of the American Railroad," is home to friendly downtown
boutiques and themed railroad tours. Stroudsburg awaits visitors with unique
shopping and dining experiences, spectacular local artistry and a variety of
festivals.
With Interstates 80, 81, 84 and the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania
Turnpike criss-crossing through the region, driving to the different areas of
the Poconos is more convenient than ever.
As it has for almost two centuries, the Pocono Mountains region continues to be
so close yet feel so far removed from the everyday hassles of life – a region
filled with relaxing and scenic beauty, and encompassing a calm, carefree style
that engages guests in leisure pursuits and in connection with nature, friends
and loved ones. This is the legacy of the Pocono Mountains

Thomas Edison -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Edison
In Sunbury, PA The City Hotel was the first building to be lit with Edison's
three wire system. Today the Hotel is known by The Hotel Edison.
Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American
inventor, scientist and businessman who developed many devices that greatly
influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture
camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. Dubbed "The Wizard of
Menlo Park" by a newspaper reporter, he was one of the first inventors to apply
the principles of mass production and large teamwork to the process of
invention, and therefore is often credited with the creation of the first
industrial research laboratory.
Edison is considered one of the most prolific inventors in history, holding
1,093 U.S. patents in his name, as well as many patents in the United Kingdom,
France and Germany. He is credited with numerous inventions that contributed to
mass communication and, in particular, telecommunications. His advanced work in
these fields was an outgrowth of his early career as a telegraph operator.
Edison originated the concept and implementation of electric-power generation
and distribution to homes, businesses, and factories - a crucial development in
the modern industrialized world. His first power plant was on Manhattan Island,
New York.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Alva_Edison_Memorial_Tower_and_Museum
Places named for Edison
Several places have been named after Edison, most notably the town of Edison,
New Jersey. Thomas Edison State College, a nationally-known college for adult
learners, is in Trenton, New Jersey. Two community colleges are named for him:
Edison State College in Fort Myers, Florida, and Edison Community College in
Piqua, Ohio.[55] There are numerous high schools named after Edison; see Edison
High School.
The City Hotel, in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, was the first building to be lit with
Edison's three-wire system. The hotel was re-named The Hotel Edison, and retains
that name today.
Three bridges around the United States have been named in his honor (see Edison
Bridge).

Tours of days gone by:

Day 10 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-07-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

Today is to be mostly sunny with the temp 81'.
Looks like a nice day for tourists visiting Pennsylvania.

32 Fort Halifax
61 National Canal Museum
91 Thompson Neely House
96 Washington's Watch Key
100 Wyoming Valley Massacre

Fort Halifax -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Halifax_(Pennsylvania)
Fort Halifax, was located along the Susquehanna River near the present day
borough of Halifax, Pennsylvania. It was a temporary stronghold in northern
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, from 1756 to 1757, during the time of the French
and Indian War. The fort was erected by Col. William Clapham, with the order of
Governor Morris, and guarded by a garrison of the Pennsylvania colonial militia.
The fort was a subpost of Fort Augusta, which was the largest of the Provincial
forts. It was a 160 feet (49 m) square log stockade with four bastions. It was
dismantled in 1757 and its garrison was moved to Fort Hunter.
A stone monument, erected in 1926, is located along PA Route 147 north of
Halifax along Armstrong Creek. The area of the former fort is now part of the
Halifax Township Park and Conservation Area, which consists of 174 acres
(0.70 km2) bordered on one side by the Susquehanna River and contains a long
stretch of Armstrong Creek.
http://www.forthalifax.net/
Fort Halifax was located along the Susquehanna River near the present day
borough of Halifax, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Built in 1756, it was a
shelter used by settlers and by wagon trains passing through.
Talk to Augusta Regiment living history members about the significance of Fort
Halifax to the region.

National Canal Museum -

http://www.canals.org/
National Canal Museum The National Canal Museum is the only museum in the
country dedicated to telling the story of America's historic towpath canals. The
museum features four galleries filled with hands-on exhibits that educate and
entertain parents and children alike.
Welcome to beautiful Hugh Moore Park. While visiting the park you will see locks
and other canal structures, 19th century industrial ruins, as well as the park's
centerpiece, the Josiah White II (as pictured above). Take a voyage on the
Josiah White II and listen while a costumed crew gives you an oral history of
regional canals. It's a memorable trip through history for all ages!

Thompson Neely House -

Jonathan Pidcock is one of my ancestors
http://www.lincolnbittner.com/thompson_neely_house.html
On this spot a tract of land totaling 505 acres called win-na-haw-caw-chunk by
local Indians, Jonathan Pidcock the first white settler in this area built mills
and established a trading post with the Indians in 1684.
This house was the headquarters for Brigadier General Lord Sterling prior to the
battle of Trenton. Quartered with him were Captain William Washington, cousin of
General George Washington, Lt. James Monroe (later to become President of the
United States), and Captain James Moore of the New York artillery who later died
here on Christmas day, 1776 and is buried at the Captain James Moore Memorial
located just across the canal from this site.
The central portion of the house was built by Jonathan Pidcock in 1702. His
remains are located at Bowman's Tower hill which is in sight of this home, along
with the remains of several of his family members, including his wife, Ankey.
http://www.ushistory.org/washingtoncrossing/history/hospitals.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington%27s_crossing_of_the_Delaware_River

Washington's Watch Key -

http://www.smithsjlrs.com/
http://www.smithsjlrs.com/watch_key.asp
In July of 2003, Gary L. Smith, was commissioned to replicate an ornate watch
key owned by George Washington. The original key is housed in the Atwater Kent
Museum in Philadelphia. After traveling to Philadelphia and much research, the
replica was started. It took several months to accomplish but the result was
phenomenal. It was an exact replica. Mr. Smith wished to acknowledge and thank
the following: Stuller, Inc., Lafayette LA, for custom alloying, fabricating,
and supplying the gold for the project. Rofin Baasel Inc. (Laser), Boxborough
MA/Plymouth MI, for engineering facilities and use of their state-of-the-art
laser for cutting the patterns. Edward S. Katz, GG, for his lapidary expertise
in cutting the carnelian beads.
French watchmaker, Jean Antone Lepine, created the watch for George Washington
in 1789 and in the following centuries was assumed to have been the maker of the
key as well. Upon the forensic examination, Mr. Smith discovered that the key
contained no hallmarks indicating the manufacturer or country of origin. I have
reached the conclusion that the key was crafted by a colonial goldsmith because
of the absence of markings, which all European countries strongly enforced, and
had yet to be adopted by the colonies.
To make this story even more interesting, in October of 2004, Mr. Smith was
attending the Fort Freeland Heritage Days in Turbotville, PA, and happened to
recognize a charred artifact they had in a display. It looked identical to the
one he had replicated just two years earlier. This one was a pendant, but one
third larger in size, and was unearthed during a 1979 archeological dig at the
site of the Battle of Fort Freeland.
The watch key and the pendant are both of Dutch design and identical in pattern
shape, which gives them another possible link.
Mr. Smith did a presentation about the two pieces at the Fort Freeland
Historical Association's banquet on April 26, 2005 and also is a presenter at
the Fall Heritage Days in October each year.
He will also be crafting one for the President of the United States in hopes to
present it to him on President's Day, 2007.
He also appeared live on WVIA's broadcast of "State of Pennsylvania". This was a
live call-in show that people could call in and talk to Gary about the watch
key. This was aired live on Thursday, May 5th, 2005, at 7:00pm and again
rebroadcast on several occasions.
He has also made and donated a key that was auctioned on WVIA's 2005 Great TV
Auction in May, 2005.

Wyoming Massacre -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Wyoming
he Battle of Wyoming was an encounter during the American Revolutionary War
between American Patriots and Loyalists accompanied by Iroquois raiders that
took place in Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania, on July 3, 1778. More than three
hundred Patriots were killed in a battle followed by a massacre, in which the
Iroquois raiders hunted and killed fleeing Patriots before torturing to death
thirty to forty who had surrendered.
The Iroquois were primarily Seneca and Onondaga, and only a few Moha
Encounter
On July 1, the British arrived to find that their approach had already been
discovered and that the Americans were assembled in between eight and ten forts.
The British marched within view of Wintermute's (Wintermoot) fort. Terms were
arranged that the defenders, after surrendering the fort with all their arms and
stores, would be released on the condition that they would not again bear arms
during the war. On July 3, the British saw that the defenders were gathering in
great numbers outside of Forty Fort. William Caldwell was destroying Jenkin's
fort, and when the Americans were still a mile away Butler directed that Fort
Wintermute (Wintermoot) to be set on fire. The Americans, thinking this was a
retreat, advanced rapidly. Butler instructed the Seneca to lie flat on the
ground to avoid observation. The Americans advanced to within one hundred yards
of the rangers and fired three times. The Seneca came out of their positions,
fired a volley, and attacked the Americans in close combat.
Accounts indicate that the moment of contact was followed by a sharp battle
lasting about forty-five minutes. An order to reposition the Patriot line turned
into a frantic rout when the inexperienced Patriot militia panicked. This ended
the battle and triggered the Iroquois hunt for survivors. Only sixty of the
Americans managed to escape, and only five were taken prisoner. Some of the
victorious Loyalists and Iroquois killed and tortured an unknown number of
prisoners and fleeing soldiers. Butler reported that 227 American scalps had
been taken.
Colonel Dennison surrendered Forty Fort and two other forts along with the
remaining soldiers the next morning. The Americans were paroled with the
condition that they not engage in hostilities for the remainder of the war.
These soldiers were not harmed. Colonel Dennison and the militia did not honor
the terms of their parole, and they were under arms within the year and later
attacked Iroquois villages.
After the battle, about 1,000 homes and all of the forts in the area were
burned.
There was no substantial killing of non-combatants and almost no inhabitants
were injured or molested after the surrender. John Butler wrote : "But what
gives me the sincerest satisfaction is that I can, with great truth, assure you
that in the destruction of the settlement not a single person was hurt except
such as were in arms, to these, in truth, the Indians gave no quarter." An
American farmer wrote: "Happily these fierce people, satisfied with the death of
those who had opposed them in arms, treated the defenseless ones, the woman and
children, with a degree of humanity almost hitherto unparalleled",
According to one source, 60 bodies were found on the battlefield and another 36
were found on the line of retreat and all were buried in a common grave. See
According to another source 73 bodies were also buried in one hole
This battle caused a panic on the frontier, and settlers in the surrounded
counties fled.
The Iroquois were enraged at the accusations of atrocities which they said they
had not committed, as well as at the militia taking arms after being paroled.
This would have tragic consequences at the Cherry Valley Massacre later that
year. Reports of the massacres of prisoners and atrocities at Wyoming and
atrocities at Cherry Valley enraged the American public.
The Wyoming militia led by Denisson, and others, violated their parole and later
that year under Colonel Hartley ascended the Susquehanna as far as Tioga
destroying the Loyalist farms and destroying the Indian village of Tioga.
In 1779, the Sullivan Expedition commissioned by General George Washington
methodically destroyed at least forty Iroquois villages throughout upstate New
York.
The massacre was depicted by the Scottish poet Thomas Campbell in his 1809 poem
Gertrude of Wyoming. Because of the atrocities involved, Campbell described
Joseph Brant as a "monster" in the poem, though it was later determined that
Brant had not been present. Brant was at Oquaga on the day of the attack.
The western state of Wyoming received its name from the U.S. Congress when it
joined the Union in 1890, much to the puzzlement of its residents. Ohio
Congressman J. M. Ashley suggested the name supposedly because he liked the poem
by Campbell.[citation needed]
The battle and massacre is commemorated each year by the Wyoming Commemorative
Association, a local non-profit organization, which holds a ceremony on the
grounds of the Battle of Wyoming Monument. The Monument is a mass grave
containing the bones of many of the victims of the battle and massacre. The
commemorative ceremonies began in 1878, to mark the 100th anniversary of the
battle and massacre. The principal speaker at the event was President Rutherford
B. Hayes. The annual program has continued each year since then on the grounds
of the Wyoming Monument. One hundred and seventy-eight names of Patriots killed
in the battle are listed on the Wyoming Monument. {This monument includes the
names of about a dozen militiamen who were killed/and or died in captivity a day
or so prior to the main battle}. A possible explanation for the difference
between the number of names on the monument {178} and the reported number of
scalps taken in the battle {227} is that allegedly a large number of civilians
{perhaps 200{?}—instead of surrendering to Colonel Butler—elected to try to flee
and died of exposure in a swamp known as the "Shades of Death" after the battle;
thus possibly the extra 50 to 60 "scalps" could have been taken from either/or
the 100 unmustered volunteers and/or the civilians who died of exposure.
http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_html/Our_Country_vol_2/wyomingva_bbg.html
The site below also has some information about the Great Runaway.
http://www.colcohist-gensoc.org/Essays/wyomingmassacre.htm
The Wyoming Massacre and Columbia County
by William Baillie
The year 2003 marks the 225th anniversary of the Battle of Wyoming and the
infamous Wyoming Massacre during the Revolutionary War. On July 3, 1778 a
contingent of about 300 American militia met a much larger invading army of
British regulars, Tories and Indians in the Wyoming Valley near modern Exeter
south of Scranton. The Americans were overwhelmed and driven into a panicked
retreat, with the Indians scalping every soldier they could lay hands on. The
several American forts in the Valley were surrendered or abandoned; the invaders
killed many civilians and destroyed houses, crops, and cattle. As news of the
"massacre" spread along the River, settlers in the Valley (more than 3000) fled
in panic, joined by thousands more from the whole of the North Branch and West
Branch regions of the Susquehanna, in what came to be known as the Great
Runaway.
While few if any men from the area of modern Columbia County fought in the
Battle itself, this region was directly involved in the events which led up to
and followed from the Massacre. Local forts, fighters, and families played
heroic roles in the struggle to cast off British rule and claim the frontier
lands. Among the most noted local names were Lieutenant Moses VanCampen, Captain
Lazarus Stewart and pioneer settler James McClure. All three owned lands in the
Bloomsburg-Orangeville area; the latter two were brothers-in-law, married to
sisters Martha and Mary Espy.
Early in 1776, a Committee of Safety was set up in then-Northumberland County, a
huge territory which included all the land in the Forks of the Susquehanna.
Wyoming Township, which included modern Columbia County, was represented on the
Committee by James McClure (of later Bloomsburg), Thomas Clayton of Catawissa,
and Peter Mellick of Fishing Creek. The Committee raised a regiment to join
Washington's army near Boston, and one of the early recruits was
nineteen-year-old Moses VanCampen, whose family had recently settled on Fishing
Creek. James McClure, however, knowing that young VanCampen was a crack shot and
expert scout, persuaded him to stay and enroll in the Northumberland militia to
help protect the local settlers.
Forts in Columbia County
As a key defense to fend off Indian raids from the north, the county's military
commander at Fort Augusta (modern Sunbury) established a chain of forts running
from the West Branch to the North Branch, roughly along the line of an ancient
warrior trail. Fort Muncy (near today's Lycoming Mall) anchored the line on the
west. Next was Fort Freeland along Warrior Run (near Turbotville), then a fort
at Bosley's Mills in the Forks of Chillisquaque Creek (now Washingtonville,
Montour County). Within (modern) Columbia County were Fort Wheeler (at
Lightstreet) and, anchoring the eastern end of the chain, Fort Jenkins along the
North Branch (at Lime Ridge). (A third Columbia County fort was established
slightly later, Fort McClure at Bloomsburg.)
Fort Wheeler and Fort Jenkins were both established in early 1778. In the winter
and spring of 1777-1778, the region was frightened by reports of a large
British/Indian invasion planned for the summer. Moses VanCampen's autobiography
relates that "early in the month of April he was ordered to go with his men
[from Sunbury] up the North Branch of the Susquehanna river, to the mouth of
Fishing Creek, and follow up this three miles, to a compact settlement located
in that region [modern Lightstreet], and build a fort for the reception of the
inhabitants in case of an attack from the Indians." He built a stockade of
sharpened stakes around the farmhouse of Isaiah Wheeler, "sufficiently large to
accommodate all the families of the neighborhood." (In the choice of Wheeler's
house, VanCampen may have been "influenced by the tender passion," for he was
wooing Wheeler's daughter Ann in rivalry with his best friend, Joseph Salmon;
the friend won and married Miss Wheeler.) In May, before this fort was
completed, Indian raiders approached, driving all the local inhabitants into the
stockade. There they watched in dismay as the raiders pillaged and burned their
homes, but the fort itself withstood the Indian attack, and by morning the
invaders had gone away.
One evening the next month a scout saw Indians sneaking up to the cattle pound
at milking time. VanCampen led a party of ten sharpshooters to intercept the
raiders, and their volley killed the leader and drove off the rest; the
milkmaids "started upon their feet, screamed aloud and ran with all their might,
fearful lest the enemy should be upon them. In the mean time the milk pails flew
in every direction and the milk was scattered to the winds." VanCampen made Fort
Wheeler his headquarters for the next year as he led scout parties regularly on
patrols, north up Green Creek, west across the headwaters of Little Fishing
Creek to the Muncy Hills, and returning by the line of forts described above.
Fort Jenkins was situated along the North Branch just north of the modern I-80
bridge and about 40 yards from the riverbank. This "fort" too was simply a
farmhouse surrounded by a stockade, sixty by eighty feet, intended primarily to
afford shelter to local residents. The Fort was already in existence in April
1778: VanCampen's narrative reports that at the first attack on Fort Wheeler,
the defenders ran short of ammunition and at night he sent two men to Fort
Jenkins, about eight miles distant, for a supply of powder and lead. As the key
fort along the lower North Branch, Fort Jenkins was defended by as many as 100
soldiers; in 1778 there were troops of the Pennsylvania Line, then local militia
until late 1779 when Hessian mercenaries from General Sullivan's expedition were
quartered there for a short time.
Fort McClure was the home of James McClure along the North Branch about a mile
above the mouth of Fishing Creek. In late 1778 a company of militia from
Lancaster was posted to Fishing Creek and stayed at the McClure house.
Lieutenant VanCampen, their officer for a time, stockaded the home and stored
supplies there for his scouting operations. This Fort, however, was not
regularly garrisoned and apparently was never attacked during the War.

The Battle of Wyoming
Isolated attacks by small Indian raiding parties, though terrifying and often
deadly, paled in comparison with the one major pitched battle in this region,
the Battle of Wyoming. As mentioned above, few if any men from (later) Columbia
County fought at Forty Fort on July 3, 1778. Aid had been urgently requested
from Fort Jenkins, but the commander felt that sending soldiers upriver would
leave his fort indefensible.
One leader in the Battle, however, did have a Columbia County connection:
Captain Lazarus Stewart. Born near Harrisburg of Scotch-Irish immigrants, during
the French and Indian War of the 1760s he had been a leader in the unofficial
mounted militia troop known as the Paxtang Rangers, performing heroically in
patrols to protect isolated settlements from enemy raids. After that War ended,
however, the Rangers continued forays against local Indians and came into
disfavor with the Pennsylvania colonial government; Philadelphia offered a large
reward for the arrest of the leading Raiders, including Stewart.
In 1769 Stewart found new opportunities beckoning him up the Susquehanna. There
a bitter conflict had broken out in the "Wyoming Settlements" between claimants
from Connecticut and from Pennsylvania. (A century earlier, Britain's King
Charles II had granted charters to Connecticut and to William Penn which set up
overlapping rights to lands between Fishing Creek and the New York border.)
Connecticut men formed a private joint-stock venture, the Susquehannah Company,
to settle the lands in the Wyoming Valley along the North Branch, with their
southern boundary at the mouth of Fishing Creek. (Actually, the forty-first
parallel crosses the Susquehanna River at the northern end of Bloomsburg Airport
and cuts diagonally across the Town to the northeast corner of the fairgrounds.)
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania began selling off the same lands under the Patent
system, which allowed anyone to stake out up to 300 acres for just £5 per 100
acres. Each colony rushed to beat the other in settling the Wyoming Valley. The
rivalry soon broke out into armed conflict called the Yankee—Penamite War, with
each side in turn gaining temporary advantage and evicting the other from their
new homes.
On May 12, 1769 the Penns' agent in the Valley wrote to the Governor: "On my way
up the River from Shamokin, on Wednesday Evening last, I was hailed by a Man at
the Mouth of Fishing Creek, named James McClure, who told me He and four others,
then at a Fire hard by, was an advanced Party of one hundred, going to join the
New England Men, and that they would chiefly be from Lancaster County." Whatever
McClure's intent, he soon settled near where he was camped that night. Lazarus
Stewart also claimed patent land at Fishing Creek, evidently intending to defend
the southern border of the Connecticut claim. In 1770, however, the Yankees
offered the Paxtang Rangers large land grants in the Wyoming Valley in exchange
for the Rangers' protection of Connecticut settlers. Lazarus Stewart led some
forty Paxtang men to the Wyoming Valley and built a blockhouse at the southern
end of the Valley (near modern Nanticoke).
When the Revolutionary War began, the Yankees and Penamites set their local
quarrel aside for the duration of the struggle against the British. That is how
things stood when in 1778 the British at Niagara gathered forces for a strong
raid to clear Americans out of the land in the Forks of the Susquehanna. This
army included about 400 British "green coats" and Tories along with nearly 700
Iroquois warriors. The Americans in the Wyoming Valley had a chain of forts to
help protect their settlements, but most of their able-bodied fighters had gone
off to join the Continental Army. As the invaders approached the Valley in late
June, there remained to defend it six companies of raw militia recruits, chiefly
old men and boys. By chance, home on leave was a regular-army officer, Col.
Zebulon Butler, and he took command of the American militia gathered at Forty
Fort across the river from Wilkes-Barre.
After receiving a British demand for surrender, the Americans held a council of
war. Col. Butler and several other officers advised waiting for reinforcements.
(A troop of Continentals was expected within a day or two, and other forces had
been requested from Col. Clingaman at Fort Jenkins.) Captain Lazarus Stewart and
others, however, argued vehemently for marching out immediately to face the
enemy before Forty Fort was surrounded; according to some reports, Stewart even
accused Col. Butler of cowardice. In mid-afternoon, the Americans marched out
and within a couple miles met the British. The outnumbered American forces
fought bravely, but after a half hour their left flank was turned and they were
trapped. The battlefield became a slaughter ground; among those killed were all
six company commanders, including Captain Lazarus Stewart.
Fleeing soldiers were chased down and killed; many captives were tortured and
then scalped. (Upon their return to Fort Niagara, the Indians collected bounty
payments for 227 scalps.) Some of the American soldiers escaped to Forty Fort,
but the next morning that fort was surrendered to the British. The Indians went
on a rampage throughout the Valley, burning homes and destroying crops and
cattle.
The Great Runaway
The terrified settlers fled in all directions, without provisions or protection.
Some hiked east through forest and swamps to the Delaware River; others fled by
water down the North Branch to Fort Augusta. Among the latter was Lazarus
Stewart's widow, Martha. She lashed two canoes together and embarked with her
nine children—the youngest just two days old. She floated downstream through the
rapids at Nanticoke and Nescopeck; when she reached her sister, the widow of
James McClure at their farm in modern Bloomsburg, Mary McClure joined the flight
with her children.
As news of the disaster spread beyond the Wyoming Valley, it prompted a general
exodus of residents from throughout the area of the Forks of the Susquehanna. In
a letter of 1 August, Col. Thomas Hartley reported to the colony's Council:
"Four fifths of the Inhabitants fled with such Effects as they could carry from
this Country. . . . A most extraordinary panic seems to have struck the People.
The Wyoming Settlement is almost totally destroyed." A few days later, on 10
August, Hartley wrote: "All the People of the West Branch above . . . Muncy had
fled & evacuated their settlements—so on the North-East Branch, all above
Nescopeck Falls were gone."
Most of (modern) Columbia County was caught up in this panicky flight. In the
Greenwood Valley along Fishing Creek, for example, a friendly Indian named Job
Shiloway brought news of the Massacre to the John Eves family, who fled West on
the Indian path to the fort at Bosley's Mills. The village of Catawissa, on the
other hand, was not emptied out; the Quakers there were known to have close ties
to the Indians, and some of them were suspected of being Tory sympathizers who
would not be bothered by the British. In fact, some refugees fleeing the upriver
settlements stopped and stayed at Catawissa. There were also Tory sympathizers
remaining in Scotch Valley in (modern) Main Township.
To restore settler confidence, General De Haas sent a contingent of 80 men to
the mouth of Briar Creek, but on August 10 that position was abandoned and Fort
Jenkins was garrisoned by Continental troops. In the Fall some refugees began to
return, but on 7 October Lieutenant Samuel Hunter wrote from Fort Augusta: "As
for the Inhabitants of this [Northumberland] County, they seem very much afraid
at present. . . . one half of this County is left vacant, and not more than one
third of the Inhabitants that lived formerly here, is putting in any fall crop
this year." Indian raids on isolated settlements continued. Lt. Hunter and
others repeatedly urged General Washington that only a punitive expedition deep
into Iroquois territory in the Finger Lakes region could halt the incursions.
In April of 1779, the Indians approached again in force; Penn agent William
McClay reported to Council April 27th: "almost every Hour for Three days past,
we have had fresh alarms of the Enemy. Massacres and Depredations have been
committed at Wioming, Fort Jenkins, Fishing Creek [and three other forts] almost
at one and the same Time. . . . The whole Force of the Six Nations seems to be
poured down upon Us." He, too, urged that the American army "carry an Expedition
immediately into their Country."
In fact, such an expedition was already planned. In midsummer General Sullivan
gathered at Easton a force of some 3000 men, marched overland to Fort Wyoming
(Wilkes-Barre) and from there up the North Branch. Lieutenant Moses VanCampen as
Quartermaster marshaled the army's supplies carried upriver in 300 boats, while
the army marched along the shore. After defeating a British/Indian force at
Chemung, New York, Sullivan marched through the home grounds of the Iroquois as
far as Rochester, razing villages, orchards and crops everywhere. By September
30 the army was back in the Wyoming Valley, having destroyed the homeland of the
Six Nations.
Conclusion
After Sullivan's raid, the region of the Forks of the Susquehanna gradually
filled up again with settlers. In most cases, we have no exact information about
the resettlement of (present) Columbia County. Mary McClure seems to have stayed
with her family in Northumberland until the end of the War, and the Eves family
came back to their farm but had to flee again. Catawissa, on the other hand,
seems to have grown considerably in population by War's end.
Indian raids on settlements in the region continued throughout the War. For
example, in late April 1779 a band of thirty-five Indians attacked three
families living near Fort Jenkins, killing one and taking twenty-four prisoners.
Twenty soldiers from the Fort pursued and overtook them, and a thirty-minute
battle ensued. During the melee the prisoners escaped and returned to the Fort;
the Indians also got away after killing four soldiers and wounding five. The
next month, another incident happened just across the river from the fort, where
a settler family named Windbigler had a cabin (near modern Mifflinville); one
morning two children of the family were sent to Catawissa to purchase flour, but
on the way they found evidence of Indians and turned back, only to discover
their home burning and the four other family members slain and scalped. Moses
VanCampen was twice captured by Indian raiders, escaping once and being freed on
parole from Montreal the second time.
Fort Jenkins continued to play an important part in defense of the North Branch.
On November 14, 1778 Col. Hartley wrote from that fort: "The enemy is in force
between here and Wyoming. By their plunder and desolation near this place they
expect the frontiers to give away; but the good continuance of this garrison has
saved all below." The next year, however, when the garrison marched to the aid
of besieged Fort Rice, a band of Tories and Indians found the fort unoccupied
and burned it; it was never rebuilt. By contrast, tradition holds that Fort
Wheeler was the only one of the original line of forts across the Forks that was
never captured or abandoned. The later Fort McClure, likewise, survived the War
intact.
The Battle of Wyoming and the Great Runaway which followed dealt a severe blow
to the tenuous settlements in the area of Columbia County. A majority of
settlers fled the region, and of those brave ones who remained many were
attacked and burned out. Others, including some Tory sympathizers, remained
safely in their homes throughout the War. After the Treaty of Paris in 1783 made
the region safe from incursions, settlement proceeded rapidly and by 1795
extended to remote valleys and uplands throughout the county.
Stories of the "Massacre" at Wyoming became a powerful propaganda weapon. The
bravery of the outnumbered Americans and the heartless cruelty of the enemy were
often retold in story, poem, and oration; throughout the Thirteen Colonies,
"Wyoming Massacre" became a rallying cry in the War and an important element in
eventual American success. On the periphery of the Wyoming Settlements, the
region of Columbia County shared in both the horror and the eventual hard-won
triumph.

Tours of days gone by:

The Village Blacksmith

2009-07-20T07:22:00.000-07:00

The Village Blacksmith

UNDER a spreading chestnut-tree: The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,: With large and sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms: Are strong as iron bands.
His hair is crisp, and black, and long,: His face is like the tan;
His brow is wet with honest sweat,: He earns whate'er he can,
And looks the whole world in the face,: For he owes not any man.
Week in, week out, from morn till night,: You can hear his bellows blow;
You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,: With measured beat and slow,
Like a sexton ringing the village bell,: When the evening sun is low.
And children coming home from school: Look in at the open door;
They love to see the flaming forge,: And hear the bellows roar,
And catch the burning sparks that fly: Like chaff from a threshing-floor.
He goes on Sunday to the church,: And sits among his boys;
He hears the parson pray and preach,: He hears his daughter's voice,
Singing in the village choir,: And it makes his heart rejoice.
It sounds to him like her mother's voice,: Singing in Paradise!
He needs must think of her once more,: How in the grave she lies;
And with his hard, rough hand he wipes: A tear out of his eyes.
Toiling,---rejoicing,---sorrowing,: Onward through life he goes;
Each morning sees some task begin,: Each evening sees it close;
Something attempted, something done,: Has earned a night's repose.
Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,: For the lesson thou hast taught!
Thus at the flaming forge of life: Our fortunes must be wrought;
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped: Each burning deed and thought.; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Day 9 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-07-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

Today is to be mostly sunny with the temp reaching 78', it is currently 69'.
Looks like a nice day for tourists visiting Pennsylvania.

5 Betsy Ross
27 First Turnpike
70 Pennsylvania Dutch
75 Philadelphia
93 Valley Forge

Betsy Ross -

Early life
Betsy Ross was born Elizabeth Griscom to parents Samuel and Rebecca in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 1, 1752, the eighth of 17 children. She
"grew up in a household where the plain dress and strict discipline of the
Society of Friends dominated her life." She learned to sew from her great-aunt
Sarah Griscom.
After she finished her schooling at a Quaker public school, her father
apprenticed her to an upholsterer named William Webster. At this job, she fell
in love with fellow apprentice John Ross, son of an assistant rector Aeneas Ross
(Sarah Leach) at (Episcopal) Christ Church. The couple eloped in 1773 when she
was 21 at Hugg's Tavern in Gloucester, New Jersey. The marriage caused a split
from her family and meant her expulsion from the Quaker congregation. The young
couple soon started their own upholstery business and joined Christ Church.
Betsy and John had two children.
The Revolutionary War
The Rosses were financially stressed by the outbreak of the American
Revolutionary War. The fabrics they depended on grew scarce, and business slowed
considerably. John joined the Pennsylvania militia and was killed in January
1776 when ammunition in a storehouse he was guarding exploded.
After her first husband's death, Betsy Ross joined the "Fighting Quakers" which,
unlike traditional Quakers, supported the war effort. In June 1777, she married
sea captain Joseph Ashburn at Old Swedes' Church in Philadelphia. British
soldiers forcibly occupied their house when they controlled the city in 1777.
Following the Battle of Germantown, she nursed both American and British
soldiers.
Betsy Ross is best remembered, however, as a flag maker during the Revolution.
Family oral history, supported only by 19th century affidavits, recounts the
widowed Ross meeting with George Washington, George Ross, and Robert Morris at
her upholstery business in Philadelphia, a meeting said to have resulted in the
sewing of the first U.S. "stars and stripes" flag. According to the story, it
was at this meeting, to "silence the men's protests that these new five-pointed
stars would be unfamiliar and difficult for seamstresses to make, she folded a
piece of paper, made a single scissor snip, and revealed a perfect five-pointed
star."
Evidence that Ross did in fact make flags for the government includes a receipt
for her making "ship's colours" for the Pennsylvania Navy in May 1777, as well
as a folded star pattern with her name found in a Philadelphia Quaker Society
safe. Whether or not Ross made the "first" stars and stripes has never been
proven, however. According to the family legend, many women were making flags
when Betsy received her first order. Francis Hopkinson also took credit for the
design of the stars and stripes, which was partially acknowledged by Congress.
Post-War
In May 1783, Ross married John Claypoole, an old friend who had told her of
Ashburn's death in a British prison where he and Ashburn had been confined. The
couple had five daughters together. He died in 1817 after twenty years of ill
health. She continued working in her upholstery business, including making flags
for the United States of America, until 1827. After her retirement, she moved in
with her married daughter, Susannah Satterthwaite, who continued to operate the
business. Ross died in Philadelphia on January 30, 1836, at age 84.
Although it is one of the most visited tourist sites in Philadelphia, the claim
that Ross once lived at the Betsy Ross House is a matter of dispute.
Burials
Ross's body was first buried at the Free Quaker burial ground on South 5th
Street. Twenty years later, her remains were exhumed and reburied in the Mt.
Moriah Cemetery in the Cobbs Creek Park section of Philadelphia. In preparation
for the United States Bicentennial, the city ordered the remains moved to the
courtyard of the Betsy Ross House in 1975; however, workers found no remains
under her tombstone. Bones found elsewhere in the family plot were deemed to be
hers and were re-interred in the current grave visited by tourists at the Betsy
Ross House.

First Turnpike -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is a toll highway system operated by the Pennsylvania
Turnpike Commission in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. The
turnpike system encompasses 532 miles (855 km) in three sections. Its main
section, extending from the Ohio state line in the west to the New Jersey state
line in the east, is 359 miles (578 km). Its Northeast Extension, extending from
Plymouth Meeting in the southeast to Wilkes-Barre and Scranton in the northeast,
is 110 miles (177 km). Its various access segments in Western Pennsylvania total
62 miles (100 km).
The highway serves most of Pennsylvania's major urban areas. The main east/west
section serves the Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia areas, while its
Northeastern Extension serves the Allentown/Bethlehem and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
areas.
This 360-mile (580 km) highway allows an optional way of paying called E-ZPass,
in which tolls are paid electronically through a transponder attached to the car
behind its rear-view mirror or attached to the front bumper.
History
Pennsylvania Turnpike as it appeared in July 1942
When the Pennsylvania Turnpike opened in 1940, it was the first long-distance
rural highway in the United States and was popularly known as the "tunnel
highway" because of the seven mountain tunnels along its route.
First section
The turnpike was partially constructed on an unused railroad grade constructed
for the aborted South Pennsylvania Railroad project, and six of its seven
original tunnels (all tunnels with the exception of the Allegheny Mountain
tunnel) were first bored for that railroad. The construction began in the 1880s
but was never completed. A combined total of 4.5 miles (7.2 km) of tunnel had
been dug through seven mountains.
Rays Hill Tunnel during construction of the railroad tunnel in the
1880s. Andrew Carnegie is present in the middle of the image
Proposals to use the grade and tunnels for a toll road were made starting in
late 1934. The road would bypass the steep grades on Pennsylvania's existing
major east-west highways – US 22 (William Penn Highway) and US 30 (Lincoln
Highway) – and offer a high-speed four lane route free of cross traffic. The
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission was created by law on May 21, 1937, and
construction began October 27, 1938 with the removal of water from the
unfinished tunnels. The 160-mile (260 km) roadway took 770,000 tons of sand,
1,200,000 tons of stone, 50,000 tons of steel, and more than 300,000 tons of
cement to complete. It was built at a cost of $370,000 per mile.
In October 1, 1940 the first section of Turnpike opened, running from US 11 near
Carlisle (southwest of Harrisburg) west to US 30 at Irwin (east of Pittsburgh).
As built, the majority of the road was four lanes, but it narrowed to one lane
in each direction for the seven tunnels (the South Pennsylvania had begun work
on nine, but two – the Quemahoning Tunnel and Negro Mountain Tunnel – were
bypassed by the Turnpike). Despite the existence of the railroad right-of-way,
much of the new Turnpike was built on a new, straighter alignment, as
engineering had progressed much since the days of the railroad.
Unlike earlier parkways, mostly in the New York City area, which were restricted
to cars, the Turnpike allowed all traffic. Like the German Autobahn on which it
was loosely based, there was no enforced speed limit on most of the road—some
cars could travel at 100 mph (160 km/h) and traverse the entire 160 mile
(256 km) original segment in less than two hours. The phenomenon of highway
hypnosis began to afflict motorists on some of the long, straight
segments[citation needed]—especially on the 21 mile (34 km) section of Turnpike
between the Blue Mountain Tunnel and the eastern terminus at Carlisle.

Pennsylvania Dutch -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Dutch
The Pennsylvania Dutch are the descendants of Germanic peoples who immigrated to
the U.S. (primarily to Pennsylvania), from Germany and The Low Countries prior
to 1800. The Dutch are generally regarded as one of several Germanic peoples.
The German, Deutsch, the archaic Dutch, Deitsch, and the modern Dutch, Duits,
each mean 'German' yet are all cognates of the English, 'Dutch'. Hostetler
(1993) gives the origin of 'Dutch' as a "folk-rendering" of 'Deitsch'.
Pennsylvania Dutch are a people of various religious affiliations, most of them
Lutheran or Reformed, but many Anabaptists as well. They live primarily in
southeastern Pennsylvania in the area stretching in an arc from Bethlehem and
Allentown through Reading, Lebanon, and Lancaster to York and Chambersburg. They
can also be found down throughout the Shenandoah Valley (the modern Interstate
81 corridor) in the adjacent states of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and
North Carolina, and in the large Amish and Mennonite communities in Mifflin
County, Pennsylvania, in Ohio north and south of Youngstown and in Indiana
around Elkhart. Their cultural traditions date back to the German immigrations
to America in the 17th and 18th centuries. Only then did German immigration from
various parts the southern Rhineland, Palatinate, the southern part of Hesse,
Baden, Alsace Switzerland, and Tyrol Austria gain momentum, and soon dominate
the area. But the Pennsylvania Dutch language is ultimately a derivative of
Palatinate German.

Philadelphia -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia
Philadelphia (pronounced /?f?l?'d?lfi?/) is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the sixth-most-populous city in the United States.
In 2008, the population of the city proper was estimated to be over 1.4 million, while the Greater Philadelphia metropolitan area's population of 5.8 million made it the country's fifth-largest. The city is the nation's fourth-largest urban area by population and its fourth-largest consumer media market as ranked by the Nielsen Media Research. It is the county seat of Philadelphia County (with which it is coterminous). Popular nicknames for Philadelphia include Philly and The City of Brotherly Love (from Greek: F??ad??fe?a, pronounced [p?ila'delp?e?a], Modern Greek: [fila'ð?lfia], "brotherly love" from philos-f????, "love", and adelphos-ade?f?? or ade?f?? "brother").
A commercial, educational, and cultural center, the city was once the second-largest in the British Empire[2] (after London), and the social and geographical center of the original 13 American colonies. Ben Franklin took a large role in Philadelphia's early rise to prominence. It was in this city that many of the ideas, and subsequent actions, gave birth to the American Revolution and American Independence, making Philadelphia a centerpiece of early American history. It was the most populous city of the young United States, and served as the nation's first capital during much of the Revolutionary War and after. Following the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, it was the temporary national capital from 1790 to 1800 while Washington, DC was under construction.
History
Main article: History of Philadelphia "Penn's Treaty with the Indians" by Benjamin West.
Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Philadelphia area was the location of the Lenape (Delaware) Indian village Shackamaxon.
Europeans arrived in the Delaware Valley in the early 1600s, with the first settlements founded by the Dutch, British and Swedish. After Sweden's first expedition to North America embarked in late 1637, the Swedes took control of land on the west side of the Delaware River from just below the Schuylkill River: today's Philadelphia, southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. In 1644, New Sweden supported the Susquehannocks in their military defeat of the English province of Maryland. But 11 years later, the Dutch sent an army to the Delaware River, nominally taking control of the colony, though Swedish and Finnish settlers continued to have their own militia, religion, court, and lands. The English conquered the New Netherland colony in October 1663-1664, but the situation did not really change until 1682, when the area was included in William Penn's charter for Pennsylvania.
In 1681, in partial repayment of a debt, Charles II of England granted William Penn a charter for what would become the Pennsylvania colony. Despite the royal charter, Penn bought the land from the local Lenape to be on good terms with the Native Americans and ensure peace for his colony. According to legend Penn made a treaty of friendship with Lenape chief Tammany under an elm tree at Shackamaxon, in what is now the city's Fishtown section. As a Quaker, Penn had experienced religious persecution and wanted his colony to be a place where anyone could worship freely despite their religion. Penn named the city Philadelphia, which is Greek for brotherly love (philos, "love" or "friendship", and adelphos, "brother"). Penn planned a city on the Delaware River to serve as a port and place for government. Hoping that Philadelphia would become more like an English rural town instead of a city, Penn laid out roads on a grid plan to keep houses and businesses spread far apart, allowing them to be surrounded by gardens and orchards. The city's inhabitants didn't follow Penn's plans and crowded by the Delaware
River and subdivided and resold their lots. Before Penn left Philadelphia for the last time, he issued the Charter of 1701 establishing Philadelphia as a city. The city soon established itself as an important trading center, poor at first, but with tolerable living conditions by the 1750s. Benjamin Franklin, a leading citizen of the time, helped improve city services and founded new ones, such as the American Colonies' first hospital.
Philadelphia's importance and central location in the colonies made it a natural center for America's revolutionaries. The city hosted the First Continental Congress before the war; the Second Continental Congress, which signed the United States Declaration of Independence, during the war; and the Constitutional Convention after the war. Several battles were fought in and near Philadelphia as well. After the war, Philadelphia served as the new United States' capital in the 1790s. In 1793, the largest yellow fever epidemic in U.S. history killed as many as 5,000 people in Philadelphia, roughly 10% of the population.Benjamin Franklin 8th and Market Street, showing the Strawbridge and Clothier department store, 1910s.
The state government left Philadelphia in 1799 and the federal government left soon after in 1800, but the city remained the young nation's largest and a financial and cultural center. New York City soon surpassed Philadelphia in population, but construction of roads, canals, and railroads helped turn Philadelphia into the United States' first major industrial city. Throughout the 19th century, Philadelphia had a variety of industries and businesses, the largest being textiles. Major corporations in the 19th and early 20th centuries included the Baldwin Locomotive Works, William Cramp and Sons Ship and Engine Building Company, and the Pennsylvania Railroad. Industry, along with the U.S. Centennial, was celebrated in 1876 with the Centennial Exposition, the first official World's Fair in the United States. Immigrants, mostly German and Irish, settled in Philadelphia and the surrounding districts. The rise in population of the surrounding districts helped lead to the Act of Consolidation of 1854 which extended the city of Philadelphia to include all of Philadelphia County. In the later half of the century immigrants from Russia, Eastern Europe and Italy and African Americans from the southern U.S. settled in the city.
By the 20th century, Philadelphia had become known as "corrupt and contented," with a complacent population and entrenched Republican political machine. The first major reform came in 1917 when outrage over the election-year murder of a police officer led to the shrinking of the Philadelphia City Council from two houses to just one. In the 1920s, the public flouting of Prohibition laws, mob violence, and police involvement in illegal activities led to the appointment of Brigadier General Smedley Butler of the U.S. Marine Corps as director of public safety, but political pressure prevented any long-term success in fighting crime and corruption.
The population peaked at more than two million residents in 1950, then began to decline while its suburban counties grew. Revitalization and gentrification of neighborhoods began in the 1960s and continues into the 21st century, with much of the development in the Center City and University City areas of the city. After many of the old manufacturers and businesses had left Philadelphia or shut down, the city started attracting service businesses and began to more aggressively market itself as a tourist destination. Glass-and-granite skyscrapers were built in Center City. Historic areas such as Independence National Historical Park located in Old City and Society Hill were resuscitated during the reformist mayoral era of the 1950s through the 1980s and are now among the most desirable living areas of Center City. This has slowed the city's 40-year population decline after losing nearly one-quarter of its population.

Valley Forge -

http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, was the site of the camp of the American Continental
Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War. This was a
time of great suffering for George Washington's Army, but it was also a time of
retraining and rejuvenation.
History
National Memorial Arch inscription:
Naked and starving as they are
We cannot enough admire
The incomparable Patience and Fidelity
of the Soldiery
–George Washington
With the winter setting in the prospects for campaigning being greatly
diminished, General George Washington sought quarters for his men. Washington
and his troops had just fought what was to be the last major engagement of 1777
at the Battle of White Marsh (or Edge Hill). He devised to pull his troops from
their present encampment in the White Marsh area (now Fort Washington State
Park) and move to a more secure location for the coming winter. Though several
locations were proposed, he selected Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 18 miles
(29 km) northwest of Philadelphia. It proved to be an excellent choice. Named
for an iron forge on Valley Creek, the area was close enough to the British to
keep their raiding and foraging parties out of the interior of Pennsylvania, yet
far enough away to halt the threat of British surprise attacks. The high ground
of Mount Joy and the adjoining elevated ground of Mount Misery combined with the
Schuylkill River to the north, made the area easily defensible.
On December 19, 1777, when Washington's poorly fed, ill-equipped army, weary
from long marches, struggled into Valley Forge, winds blew as the
12,000 Continentals prepared for winter's fury. Grounds for brigade encampments
were selected, and defense lines were planned and begun. Though construction of
more than a thousand huts provided shelter, it did little to offset the critical
shortages that continually plagued the army.
The men were under cover within six weeks. The first properly constructed hut
appeared in three days. One other hut, which required 80 logs, and whose timber
had to be collected from miles away, went up in one week with the use of only
one axe. The men described their lodgings as "cozy and comfortable quarters" and
they were proud of the structures they had built. These huts provided sufficient
protection from the moderately cold, but mainly wet and damp conditions of the
mild, but typical Pennsylvania winter of 1777-78. Snow was limited, and small in
amounts. Alternating freezing and melting of snow and ice made it impossible to
keep dry and allowed for disease to fester.
Soldiers received irregular supplies of meat and bread, some getting their only
nourishment from "firecake," a tasteless mixture of flour and water. However,
due to the talents of Baker General Christopher Ludwig, the men at Valley Forge
more often than not received fresh baked soft bread, about one pound daily. So
severe were conditions at times that Washington despaired "that unless some
great and capital change suddenly takes place ... this Army must
inevitably ... Starve, dissolve, or disperse, in order to obtain subsistence in
the best manner they can." Animals fared no better. General Henry Knox,
Washington's Chief of Artillery wrote that hundreds of horses either starved to
death or died of exhaustion.
Clothing, too, was wholly inadequate. Long marches had destroyed shoes. Blankets
were scarce. Tattered garments were seldom replaced. At one point these
shortages caused nearly 4,000 men to be listed as unfit for duty.
Undernourished and poorly clothed, living in crowded, damp quarters, the army
was ravaged by sickness and disease. Typhoid, jaundice, dysentery, and pneumonia
were among the killers that felled as many as 2,000 men that winter. Although
Washington repeatedly petitioned for relief, the Congress was unable to provide
it, and the soldiers continued to suffer. Women, relatives of enlisted men,
alleviated some of the suffering by providing valuable services such as laundry
and nursing that the army desperately needed.
Upgrading military efficiency, morale, and discipline were as vital to the
army's well-being as was its source of supply. The army had been handicapped in
battle because unit training was administered from a variety of field manuals,
making coordinated battle movements awkward and difficult. The soldiers were
trained, but not uniformly. The task of developing and carrying out an effective
training program fell to Baron Friedrich von Steuben. This skilled Prussian
drill master, recently arrived from Europe, tirelessly drilled the soldiers.
A group of people called Regimental Camp Followers also help increase the morale
of the soldiers and provided necessary support to the men. Camp Followers at
Valley Forge consisted of the families, wives, children, mothers, and sisters of
the soldiers. These camp followers often served as laundresses, cleaning and
mending the uniforms of the soldiers. Washington understood a soldier would die
quickly from disease if his uniform was dirty and threadbare. These women and
children also provided the emotional support to a soldier, allowing them to
remain at camp and continue on training and soldiering during the winter months.
These women gained half the rations of soldiers, half the wages of a soldier as
well as a half pension after the war—if they had done enough work. Children
would receive quarter rations if enough work was done. Women were relegated to
the back of the column when marching and were forbidden to ride on wagons. Camp
followers faced the issues of disease along with the soldiers. While excellent
scavengers, some women lost their lives on the battlefield trying to obtain
goods from wounded or dead soldiers. At Valley Forge women averaged 1 to every
44 men, adding up to around 500 women.
Soon word of the British departure from Philadelphia brought a frenzied activity
to the ranks of the Continental Army. On June 19, 1778, six months after its
arrival, the army marched away from Valley Forge in pursuit of the British, who
were moving toward New York. The ordeal had ended. The war would last for
another five years, but for Washington, his men, and the nation to which they
sought to give birth, a decisive victory had been won — a victory not of weapons
but of will. No war took place here.
Valley Forge Park
Main article: Valley Forge National Historical Park
The site of the encampment became a Pennsylvania State Park in 1893 and, on the
4th of July, 1976, it became Valley Forge National Historical Park. The modern
park features historical and recreated buildings and structures; memorials; and
a newly renovated visitor center, which shows a short film and has several
exhibits. A chapel was built in 1903 as a memorial to George Washington. An
adjoining carillon of 58 bells represents all U.S. states and territories. It
resides in a tower built by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Other park
amenities include walking and bicycle trails. The park supports around 1000 deer
which can be seen grazing in the wide open fields.

Tours of days gone by:

Day 8 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-07-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful day in Pennsylvania 71', the sun is shining and the humidity is
low (right now). Is everyone ready to do some touring? I'm sorry if some of you
got wet yesterday as I did warn you to wear your rain gear (LOL).

4 Benjamin Franklin
14 Cornwall Iron Furnace
19 Drake Well Museum
33 Fort Mercer
55 Landis Valley Museum

Benjamin Franklin -

(January 17, 1706 [O.S. January 6, 1705[1]] – April 17, 1790) was one of the
Founding Fathers of the United States of America. A noted polymath, Franklin was
a leading author and printer, satirist, political theorist, politician,
scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. As a scientist, he
was a major figure in the Enlightenment and the history of physics for his
discoveries and theories regarding electricity. He invented the lightning rod,
bifocals, the Franklin stove, a carriage odometer, and the glass 'armonica'. He
formed both the first public lending library in America and first fire
department in Pennsylvania. He was an early proponent of colonial unity, and as
a political writer and activist he supported the idea of an American nation.[2]
As a diplomat during the American Revolution he secured the French alliance that
helped to make independence of the United States possible.
Franklin is credited as being foundational to the roots of American values and
character, a marriage of the practical and democratic Puritan values of thrift,
hard work, education, community spirit, self-governing institutions, and
opposition to authoritarianism both political and religious, with the scientific
and tolerant values of the Enlightenment. In the words of Henry Steele Commager,
"In Franklin could be merged the virtues of Puritanism without its defects, the
illumination of the Enlightenment without its heat."[3] To Walter Isaacson, this
makes Franklin, "the most accomplished American of his age and the most
influential in inventing the type of society America would become."[4]
Franklin became a newspaper editor, printer, and merchant in Philadelphia,
becoming very wealthy, writing and publishing Poor Richard's Almanack and The
Pennsylvania Gazette. Franklin was interested in science and technology, and
gained international renown for his famous experiments. He played a major role
in establishing the University of Pennsylvania and Franklin & Marshall College
and was elected the first president of the American Philosophical Society.
Franklin became a national hero in America when he spearheaded the effort to
have Parliament repeal the unpopular Stamp Act. An accomplished diplomat, he was
widely admired among the French as American minister to Paris and was a major
figure in the development of positive Franco-American relations. From 1775 to
1776, Franklin was Postmaster General under the Continental Congress and from
1785 to 1788 was President of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania.
Toward the end of his life, he became one of the most prominent abolitionists.
His colorful life and legacy of scientific and political achievement, and status
as one of America's most influential Founding Fathers, has seen Franklin honored
on coinage and money; warships; the names of many towns, counties, educational
institutions, namesakes, and companies; and more than two centuries after his
death, countless cultural references.

Cornwall Iron Furnace -

http://www.cornwallironfurnace.org/
Cornwall Iron Furnace is an extraordinary example of the furnaces that dotted
the Pennsylvania countryside in the 18th and 19th centuries. Around it developed
villages, artisans' shops, stores, schools, churches, and the home of a wealthy
ironmaster. All of the raw materials necessary for the smelting process — iron
ore, limestone and wood for charcoal — were found in this self contained iron
plantation. Cornwall Iron Furnace, the only surviving intact charcoal cold blast
furnace in the Western Hemisphere, attests to the once great iron industry that
flourished in south central Pennsylvania.
In the 1730s, Peter Grubb, a stone mason, began mining nearby. In 1742, he
established the furnace. He named the area Cornwall in honor of the area in
England from where his father had emigrated. This furnace remained in operation
until 1883.
Although the British Parliament attempted in 1750 to restrict production of iron
in the colonies, the output continued to rise. The American colonies, with
Pennsylvania being the top producer, smelted one-seventh of the world's iron.
When Peter died in 1754, the property passed to his sons, Curttis and Peter. By
1798, Robert Coleman had gained control of the furnace operation. Robert was
very successful and became one of Pennsylvania's first millionaires. Cornwall
Iron Furnace remained in operation until 1883, when newer furnace operations
fueled by anthracite coal made it obsolete. The furnace was abandoned, leaving
the building virtually untouched until it was given in 1932 to the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania by Margaret Coleman Freeman Buckingham, Robert's great
grand-daughter.
In the mid-nineteenth century, Cornwall's iron plantation contained industrial,
residential, and agricultural activities. Small villages were created for
furnace workers and miners. These stone and brick structures were simple in
style but sturdy in construction. Many other structures built during this time
period use a Gothic Revival architectural style.
The ore mine, which continued to operate until 1973, is located just south of
the furnace property. Bethlehem Steel acquired ownership of the mine between
1917 and 1922. Both strip mining and underground mining were used to extract ore
from the ground. The open pit mine began to flood in 1972, and today the open
pit is filled with water.
Here is another interesting site about the Iron industry:
http://explorepahistory.com/story.php?storyId=29

Drake Well Museum -

http://www.drakewell.org/
We invite you to enjoy a visit to the Drake Well Museum, where in 1859 Edwin L.
Drake drilled the oil well that launched the modern petroleum industry.
Drake Well Museum tells the story of the beginning of the modern oil industry
with orientation videos, exhibits, operating oil field machinery, and historic
buildings in a park setting. Visitors enjoy a variety of special events,
educational programs, membership, volunteer, and shopping experiences on site.
Recreational opportunities provide family adventure when combined with Oil Creek
State Park bike and hiking trails which begin at the museum. Picnic pavilions,
fishing, and canoeing on Oil Creek, and a ride on the Oil Creek & Titusville
Railroad are also available.
Plan to spend a day with us in the Pennsylvania Oil Heritage Region!

Fort Mercer -

Actually in New Jersey but very close to Philadelphia

In the fall of 1777, Col. Christopher Greene, the commander of the American
forces in Mercer set up headquarters in the Whitall House. He decided that the
family's apple orchard was the ideal location for a defensive fort, so the
orchard was razed, and Fort Mercer was built.
Fort Mercer was part of the system of the Delaware River forts. A triple row of
chevaux de frise extended between Fort Mifflin, Pennsylvania and Fort Mercer.
the fort was a large earthwork that had 14 cannon mounted in it. The fort was
protected on the land side by a ditch and abatis. Trenches were dug around the
perimeter of the fort. Greene, the fort commander, had a garrison of 400 Rhode
Island troops.
After the capture of Philadelphia on September 26, 1777, and of the failure of
the American surprise attack against the British camp at the Battle of
Germantown on October 4, the Americans tried to deny the British use of the city
by blockading the Delaware River. To that end, two forts were constructed
commanding the river. One was Fort Mercer on the New Jersey side at Red Bank
(now National Park, New Jersey). The other was Fort Mifflin on Mud Island, in
the Delaware River just south of the confluence of the Schuylkill River, on the
Pennsylvania side opposite Fort Mercer. So long as the Americans held both
forts, the British army in Philadelphia could not communicate with the outside
world or be resupplied. In addition to the forts, the Americans possessed a
small flotilla of Continental Navy ships on the Delaware supplemented by the
Pennsylvania State Navy, all under the command of Commodore John Hazelwood.
On October 19, General Sir William Howe, the commander of the British army,
evacuated his camp at Germantown and pulled his forces inside the city of
Philadelphia. He sent a part of his force to capture the two American forts
denying him use of the Delaware River. Earlier, Howe had sent a group of men via
Webb's Ferry, at the mouth of the Schuylkill River, to marshy Providence Island
(actually on the Pennsylvania mainland by Mud Island) to construct artillery
batteries to bombard Fort Mifflin. The first bombardment of Fort Mifflin came on
October 11. This was merely a desultory attack which convinced the British to
expand and improve their batteries.
Meanwhile, 2,000 Hessian troops under the command of Colonel Karl von Donop
landed at Cooper's Ferry in Gloucester City, New Jersey, about four miles
upriver from Fort Mercer, and made preparations to attack the fort, located on
the high ground at Red Bank.
On October 21, Howe had detached Col. Carl E.K. von Donop from the main British
army. The force of von Donop comprised of a 2,000-man brigade The command was
made up of 4 companies of the Hessian jager Corps, 3 battalions of Hessian
grenadiers, the Regiment von Mirbach, and 2 guns. They decided to camp at
Haddonfield until the next morning.
On October 22, at 3:00 A.M., the British moved out of their camp and started
their march on Fort Mercer. Seeing the advancing British force, Jonas Cattell,
an apprentice blacksmith, alerted Greene that a surprise attack was imminent.
Around noon, the British approached the fort. Around 4:30 P.M., Von Donop sent
one of his officers to Greene and demanded the American garrison to surrender.
The threat of "no quarter" was also made. Greene declined the surrender offer
and prepared his men for an attack.
Around 9:00 P.M., the British began their attack. The ?? Von Lengerke's
Battalion and the jagers were assigned to protect von Donop's flank and rear,
while von Donop got the rest of the Hessians to attack the fort in 2 columns.
One column consisted of 2 grenadier battalions and the ?? Von Mirbach from the
north and the second column consisted of Von Donop and the remainder of the
Germans coming from the west. The northern column stormed the fort's breastworks
while shouting "Vittoria!". Quickly gaining the old northern section of the
fort, the Hessians faced another 10 foot wall and abatis of sharpened tree
trunks and branches. The disordered Hessians tried to move forward, but the
Americans gained the advantage and held the fort. The western column attacked
through the abitis and across the ditch. Once there, Von Donop find himself
stopped at the berm because his column did not have any scaling ladders to climb
assault the parapet. Up to this point, his plan had worked perfectly and the
Americans had not even fired a shot.
Greene ordered his men to open fire with both musketfire and cannon fire. They
fired on the Germans at point blank range, butchering them mercilessly. Von
Donop was struck with in the leg, a wound that would later prove to be fatal.
The Germans withdrew and reformed for a second attack on the south side of the
redoubt. They were again stopped by musketfire from the fort and also from the
American galley ships on the river.
Hessian casualties amounted to over 500, including the mortally wounded Von
Donop; while American counted 14 killed and 23 wounded out of 600. Many of the
wounded, including Von Donop, were taken to the Whitall house where they were
tended by American doctors and Ann Whitall, who had remained in her home. Von
Donop died in another house nearby and was interred with remains of his brigade
on the battlefield.
The Hessian army reported casualties of 377 killed and wounded with 20 missing
or captured, while the Americans reported their losses at 14 killed and 27
wounded. Frustrated by the failure to capture Fort Mercer, Howe ordered the
Hessian regiment withdrawn from New Jersey while he made plans to attack Fort
Mifflin by a massive artillery bombardment. By early November the British
artillery batteries on Providence Island were complete, and a number of warships
were available in support. On November 10, 1777, the British opened a full-scale
bombardment of Fort Mifflin which lasted for five days. Six British warships,
with two small floating batteries, the Vigilant and the Fury, also joined the
bombardment to rake Fort Mifflin at close range. After five days, on November
15, the commanding officer of Fort Mifflin, Major Thayer, with 250 reported
casualties among his 400 men and with ammunition running low, abandoned the fort
that evening, leaving the American flag flying, and evacuated his men to Fort
Mercer. The next morning a small party of British troops landed unopposed at
deserted Fort Mifflin, hauled down the American flag, and ran up the British
Union Jack atop the ruined fort. The bombardment of Fort Mifflin cost the
British only a reported 13 sailors and troops killed with 24 wounded, with some
damage done to some of their warships and land batteries.
Howe then sent Lord Cornwallis with 5,000 men to attack Fort Mercer, landing
them by ferry at Billingsport, three miles to the south. Rather than let the
garrison be captured in an overwhelming British assault, Colonel Christopher
Greene decided to abandon the fort on November 20, leaving the British to occupy
it the following day.
George Washington's scheme of starving the British out of Philadelphia had
failed with the loss of the two forts. His only hope now was to lure the British
out of Philadelphia into another major land battle at his camp at nearby White
Marsh. Although Howe did sortie from the city to launch a feint at the American
camp in early December, he felt the American position was too strong and retired
to Philadelphia for the rest of the winter. Washington then moved his army to
Valley Forge to overwinter.
http://www.sonofthesouth.net/revolutionary-war/battles/fort-mercer.htm

Landis Valley Museum -

http://www.landisvalleymuseum.org/index.php
Landis Valley Museum, a living history village and farm, collects, preserves and
interprets the history and material culture of the Pennsylvania German rural
community from 1740 to 1940 and enhances understanding of their successful
practices, interactions with others, and the impact on the state and nation for
citizens of and visitors to the Commonwealth.
Landis Valley Museum's richly layered story is the history of an early
Pennsylvania German settlement, an unusual farm family, and the ongoing creation
and exploration of a wonderfully diverse collection of artifacts. When brothers
Henry Kinzer Landis (1865-1955) and George Diller Landis (1867 - 1954) opened
the museum in 1925 at their Landis Valley residence, the area had been a small
Pennsylvania German settlement since the mid 1800s. Expanded to its current
size, we now invite visitors to experience 18th and 19th century village and
farm life in Lancaster County, Pa, all in one visit. With over 100 acres and
many historic buildings to explore throughout the four seasons, there's always
something to see at Landis Valley Museum.
Site History
In the 1700s shipload after shipload of German immigrants landed in the colonial
port of Philadelphia. Pennsylvania Germans made up 40% of the southeastern
Pennsylvania population by 1790.
These immigrants and their descendants created a distinct culture with folk
traditions, decorative arts, and a language (Pennsylvania German) based upon
their Germanic heritage. As Americans they continued to use patterns from the
homeland in erecting their buildings, in decorating their furniture, pottery,
and family documents, and in practicing their folkways and religion.
Like the other American settlers, over 90% of the German immigrants became
farmers. They toiled in Southeastern Pennsylvania, a region known as the
"breadbasket of America". Here, and especially in Lancaster County, farmers
employed many of the most advanced agricultural techniques tilling some of
America's most fertile land.
Pennsylvania Germans labored in a variety of crafts and businesses, as
clockmakers and clergymen, tavern keepers and tinsmiths, storekeepers and
weavers. Farmers and craftspeople marketed their products with an interdependent
economic system of farmsteads and craft shops, villages, cities, and overseas
trade. Because if this interdependency, by the late 1800s most Pennsylvania
Germans spoke English as well as their German dialect.
George and Henry Landis came from such a heritage and were the founders of the
Landis Valley Museum. Their German ancestors had settled in Lancaster county
during the early 1700s. Recognizing the significance of their culture and its
traditions, the brothers began to collect Pennsylvania German objects from the
1700s and 1800s. They built a collection of over 75,000 objects and established
a small museum in the 1920s on the grounds of their Landis Valley homestead.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania acquired the Landis brothers' museum in 1953.
Over the years the museum has grown from a handful of buildings to a assemblage
of many exhibit areas including structures original to Landis Valley, relocated
early buildings, and new facilities. The museum includes exhibit buildings, a
crossroads village, and adjoining farmsteads with historical breeds of animals
and heirloom plants. The collections of buildings and artifacts, together with
demonstrations of traditional crafts and skills, serve to interpret and preserve
the past of Pennsylvania German rural life.
Purpose
Landis Valley Museum is a nationally significant living history museum that
collects, conserves, exhibits and interprets Pennsylvania German material
culture and heritage between 1750-1940. This is accomplished through
preservation and interpretation of the largest collection of Pennsylvania German
artifacts in the country, and through the presentation of authentic traditional
farming, village and industrial life, skilled craft demonstrations, and
historical animals and plants. The museum promotes education, research, programs
and events for the benefit and enjoyment of its visitors and the community.
What is the Landis Valley Museum and Who Are We?
A visit to Landis Valley Museum, the largest Pennsylvania German museum in the
country, provides the visitor with a wonderful overview of two brothers' passion
for collecting "things of the past." In 1925, George and Henry Landis opened a
Barn Museum - filled with thousands of everyday farm and household objects of
their 18th and 19th century Pennsylvania German heritage. With the rapid
advancement of 20th century technology in all walks of life, these two brothers
sought to preserve not only the tools and farm equipment of yesteryear, but a
way of life. George and Henry Landis were proud of their Pennsylvania German
heritage and culture and did not want to see it disappear. In 1939, they
expanded their crowded museum to serve their ever-growing collection. In 1941
the brothers received much needed financial assistance from the Oberlander
Trust, which formerly incorporated the museum. The Trust's monetary help led to
the construction of an early 19th century Tavern which served as the earliest
visitor center and library. Soon afterwards, a gunshop and two sheds were
included behind the tavern to form a courtyard which housed the brothers'
growing collection. In 1953, their financial resources dwindling, George and
Henry arranged for their museum to be administered and supported by the
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), an agency of state
government.
Over the next 45 years, the state began purchasing and building structures which
are now part of the historic village. The property includes an 1856 hotel and
two brick buildings built between 1815 and 1840. Also, two log buildings, an
1890's school house and an old blacksmith shop were purchased and moved to the
site. The museum constructed a firehouse, a 19th century Swiss bank barn, an
18th century log home with a bake house and smokehouse, a pig sty and spring
house to add to the general interpretation of the museum. In 1970, a new visitor
center and textile building completed the museum's existing layout.

Tours of days gone by:

Day 7 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-07-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

Today it was cloudy most of the day and this afternoon it started to rain. It is
a nice gentle rain at 70'. So get your yellow slickers out with your rubber
goulashes topped off with your yellow rain cap.
I'd like to draw all museums so we don't get wet, but we will go where chance
would have us go today:

16 Daniel Boone Homestead
21 Eisenhower National Historic Site
22 Eli Slifer House
92 Underground Railroads
99 William Penn

Daniel Boone Homestead -

http://www.danielboonehomestead.org/
The Daniel Boone Homestead, located near Reading, Pennsylvania, is a state
historic site which preserves a number of historic structures. The Homestead
offers many historic programs and exhibits, preserves 579 acres of open space,
and provides passive recreational areas.
Daniel Boone's parents first settled the site in 1730 and the region was
populated by many diverse people-- English, Welsh, Scots-Irish, Germans, Swedes,
Huguenots and Lenape Indians. Daniel was born here in 1734 and spent his first
16 years here before his family migrated to North Carolina.
Today the site tells the story of Daniel's youth and the saga of the region's
18th century settlers by contrasting their lives and cultures. This region left
a lasting impact on Daniel Boone's life, and on the history of Pennsylvania.

Eisenhower National Historical Site -

http://www.nps.gov/eise/
Ike, Gettysburg, and the Cold War
Eisenhower National Historic Site is the home and farm of President Dwight D.
Eisenhower. Located adjacent to the Gettysburg Battlefield, the farm served the
President as a weekend retreat and a meeting place for world leaders. With its
peaceful setting and view of South Mountain, it was a much needed respite from
Washington and a backdrop for efforts to reduce Cold War tensions.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower's association with the town and battlefield of
Gettysburg began in the spring of 1915 when, as a cadet at the US Military
Academy at West Point, he visited with his class to study the battle. Three
years later during the First World War, Capt. Eisenhower found himself back in
Gettysburg with his wife Mamie and their first son. Despite his hope for duty
overseas, he had been appointed commander of Camp Colt, the US Army Tank Corps
Training Center located on the fields of Pickett's Charge. Eisenhower's orders
were, "To take in volunteers, equip, organize, and instruct them and have them
ready for overseas shipment when called upon."
At war's end Eisenhower left Gettysburg for a new assignment, one of many in a
31 year career in which he rose to the rank of five star general. After World
War II, while president of Columbia University, the General and his wife
returned to Gettysburg to search for a retirement home. In 1950, fondly
recalling Camp Colt days, they bought a 189 acre farm adjoining the Gettysburg
Battlefield. Their retirement was delayed, however, when Eisenhower left for
Europe to assume command of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Eisenhower returned home to run for the Presidency in 1952. To kick off his
Pennsylvania campaign, he welcomed state Republican leaders to a picnic at the
farm.
During his first term as President, he and Mamie renovated their Gettysburg
home. Much of the original house was not sound and had to be torn down. The
construction was complete by March of 1955 and the Eisenhowers began to visit on
weekends and holidays.
On weekends, the Eisenhowers entertained family and friends at the farm. The
President enjoyed playing golf at the Gettysburg Country Club, shooting skeet at
his skeet range, and inspecting his herd of Angus show cattle.
Though Eisenhower used his weekends at Gettysburg to escape the pressures of the
Presidency, work was never far away. He began each morning with a briefing on
world events. Meetings with staff were common especially during his heart attack
recuperation in 1955 when the Gettysburg Farm became the "Temporary White
House."
Back in Washington, the President received a steady stream of dignitaries, many
of whom he invited to Camp David for meetings, then on to his farm. After a tour
of his Angus herd and cattle barns, Eisenhower brought these world leaders back
to the house to sit on the porch. Eisenhower said the informal atmosphere of the
porch allowed him, "to get the other man's equation."
In 1961, after 45 years service to their country, General and Mrs. Eisenhower
retired to their Gettysburg Farm. For the next eight years the Eisenhowers led
an active life. The General worked weekdays at his Gettysburg College office,
meeting political and business associates and writing his memoirs. He continued
to serve as elder statesman advising Presidents and meeting world leaders. But
the Eisenhowers' greatest joy was to simply spend time on their farm with family
and friends.
General and Mrs. Eisenhower donated their home and farm to the National Park
Service in 1967. Two years later, General Eisenhower died at the age of 78. Mrs.
Eisenhower rejected the idea of moving to Washington to be closer to family and
friends and continued to live on the farm until her death in 1979. The National
Park Service opened the site in 1980.

Eli Slifer House -

http://www.albrightcare.org/slifer-house/
Eli Slifer was born in Chester County in 1818. He was the third son of Abram and
Mary Coulter Slifer. The family moved to Union County, during which time Mrs.
Slifer died and Abram remarried. In 1831, Eli lost his father and stepmother,
and was sent back to Chester County.
He returned to Lewisburg at age 16 and was an apprentice to a hat maker, but
soon turned to the canal boats of the Susquehanna River. While working this
trade he became acquainted with the Frick family, including Catherine who later
became his wife, and William, who became his business partner in a canal boat
building venture. Ultimately, he formed a successful company that manufactured
farm equipment and machinery.
As his businesses prospered, Eli's political interests grew. He served as a
member of the Pennsylvania Assembly from 1850 to 1851 and as a state senator
from 1852 to 1854. In 1855, he was elected Treasurer of the Commonwealth; a
second term beginning in 1860 was interrupted when Governor Andrew Curtin asked
him to serve as Secretary of the Commonwealth for the duration of the Civil War.
During the early days of the war, a country home was completed on a property
known as Delta Place, on the outskirts of Lewisburg. This remarkable
Tuscan-style mansion was designed by eminent Philadelphia architect Samuel
Sloan, and was featured in Godey's Lady's Book, a popular magazine of the day.
Eli lived in the house until his death in 1888, and his family continued to live
there until 1908. The house was purchased by Dr. and Mrs. Lamont Ross, who in
turn sold it to the Evangelical Association in 1916. The Evangelicals regarded
the house as a perfect location for a home for the aged. Dormitory wings were
added to the building, and in 1926, the Evangelical Hospital was founded within
the confines of the structure. An orphanage was constructed on the property in
1921, and in time, residential and nursing care apartments were constructed, as
well as a skilled care facility. Thus the complex now known as RiverWoods was
begun.
Today, the museum is owned by Albright Care Services, and is overseen by a
voluntary Advisory Board. It is staffed in part by residents of the retirement
home community.
http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=342

Underground Railroads -

http://explorepahistory.com/show_results.php
Civil War and Underground Railroad Museum of Philadelphia The Civil War and
Underground Railroad Museum of Philadelphia, the nation's oldest chartered Civil
War museum, offers three floors of permanent displays and changing exhibits
relating to the Civil War and its legacy. Upcoming changing exhibits include
"Raiders of the Lost Archives: Treasures from the Collection" (March-April
2005), "Three Sundays: From Joy to Mourning in Philadelphia, April 1865"
(April-May 2005), "Just Before, During, and After the Battle, Mother:
Philadelphia Women in the Civil War" (May-June 2005), "Flags of Freedom"
(June-July 2005), and "Gettysburg Remembered" (July-August 2005). A children's
discovery dresser features wearable clothing and reproduction Civil War-era
artifacts for families to share. The museum's historical archives and its
6,000-volume collection of books and periodicals relating to the Civil War are
available for research use by appointment. Housed in an 1858 row house two
blocks south of Rittenhouse Square, the museum is convenient to parking, public
transportation, shops, hotels, and restaurants. Hours are Thursday-Saturday, 11
a.m.-4:30 p.m. and other days by appointment. $5 adults; $4 seniors; $3 students
and children 3-12; free to children under 3.
The story of the Underground Railroad in Lycoming County contains many heroic
and courageous persons but none towers over the story so literally and
figuratively, as does Daniel Hughes. The Underground Railroad ran from the
American South through the northeastern states to Canada from the 1790s until
the Civil War. Lycoming County, because of its strategic location, was one of
the most important stops on the road to freedom for escaping slaves. The family
of Daniel Hughes not only helped runaway slaves but sheltered them along Freedom
Road. To learn more about the Underground Railroad and Daniel Hughes and and his
descendant historian Mamie Sweeting Diggs, visit this Lycoming College web site:
Freedom Bound

William Penn -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Penn
Founding of Pennsylvania
Seeing conditions deteriorating, Penn decided to appeal directly to the King and
the Duke. Penn proposed a solution which would solve the dilemma—a mass
emigration of English Quakers. Some Quakers had already moved to North America,
but the New England Puritans, especially, were as hostile towards Quakers as
Anglicans in England were, and some of the Quakers had been banished to the
Caribbean. In 1677, a group of prominent Quakers that included Penn purchased
the colonial province of West New Jersey (half of the current state of New
Jersey). That same year, two hundred settlers from the towns of Chorleywood and
Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire and other towns in nearby Buckinghamshire
arrived, and founded the town of Burlington. George Fox himself had made a
journey to America to verify the potential of further expansion of the early
Quaker settlements. In 1682, East New Jersey was also purchased by Quakers.
With the New Jersey foothold in place, Penn pressed his case to extend the
Quaker region. Whether from personal sympathy or political expediency, to Penn's
surprise, the King granted an extraordinarily generous charter which made Penn
the world's largest private landowner, with over 45,000 square miles
(120,000 km2). Penn became the sole proprietor of a huge tract of land south of
New Jersey and New York, and north of Maryland (which belonged to Lord
Baltimore), and gained sovereign rule of the territory with all rights and
privileges (except the power to declare war). The land of Pennsylvania had
belonged to the Duke of York, who acquiesced, but he retained New York and the
area around New Castle and the Eastern portion of the Delaware peninsula. In
return, one-fifth of all gold and silver mined in the province (which had
virtually none) was to be remitted to the King and the Crown was freed of a debt
to the Admiral of £16,000.
Penn first called the area "New Wales", then "Sylvania" (Latin for "forests or
woods'"), which Charles changed to "Pennsylvania" in honor of the elder Penn. On
March 4, 1681, the King signed the charter and the following day Penn jubilantly
wrote, "It is a clear and just thing, and my God who has given it me through
many difficulties, will, I believe, bless and make it the seed of a nation."
1682 in England, he drew up a Frame of Government for the Pennsylvania colony.
Freedom of worship in the colony was to be absolute, and all the traditional
rights of Englishmen were carefully safeguarded. Penn drafted a charter of
liberties for the settlement creating a political utopia guaranteeing free and
fair trial by jury, freedom of religion, freedom from unjust imprisonment and
free elections.
Having proved himself an influential scholar and theoretician, Penn now had to
demonstrate the practical skills of a real estate promoter, city planner, and
governor for his "Holy Experiment", the province of Pennsylvania.
Besides achieving his religious goals, Penn had hoped that Pennsylvania would be
a profitable venture for himself and his family. But he proclaimed that he would
not exploit either the natives or the immigrants, "I would not abuse His love,
nor act unworthy of His providence, and so defile what came to me clean." Though
thoroughly oppressed, getting Quakers to leave England and make the dangerous
journey to the New World was his first commercial challenge. Some Quaker
families had already arrived in Maryland and New Jersey but the numbers were
small. To attract settlers in large numbers, he wrote a glowing prospectus,
considered honest and well-researched for the time, promising religious freedom
as well as material advantage, which he marketed throughout Europe in various
languages. Within six months he had parceled out 300,000 acres (1,200 km2) to
over 250 prospective settlers, mostly rich London Quakers. Eventually he
attracted other persecuted minorities including Huguenots, Mennonites, Amish,
Catholics, Lutherans, and Jews from England, France, Holland, Germany, Sweden,
Finland, Ireland, and Wales.
Next, he set out to lay the legal framework for an ethical society where power
was derived from the people, from "open discourse", in much the same way as a
Quaker Meeting was run. Notably, as the sovereign, Penn thought it important to
limit his own power as well. The new government would have two houses, safeguard
the rights of private property and free enterprise, and impose taxes fairly. It
would call for death for only two crimes, treason and murder, rather than the
two hundred crimes under English law, and all cases were to be tried before a
jury. Prisons would be progressive, attempting to correct through "workshops"
rather than through hellish confinement. The laws of behavior he laid out were
rather Puritanical: swearing, lying, and drunkenness were forbidden as well as
"idle amusements" such as stage plays, gambling, revels, masques, cock-fighting,
and bear-baiting.
All this was a radical departure from the laws and the lawmaking of European
monarchs and elites. Over twenty drafts, Penn labored to create his "Framework
of Government." He borrowed liberally from John Locke who later had a similar
influence on Thomas Jefferson, but added his own revolutionary idea—the use of
amendments—to enable a written framework that could evolve with the changing
times. He stated, "Governments, like clocks, go from the motion men give them."
Penn hoped that an amendable constitution would accommodate dissent and new
ideas and also allow meaningful societal change without resorting to violent
uprisings or revolution. Remarkably, though the Crown reserved the right to
override any law it wished, Penn's skillful stewardship did not provoke any
government reaction while Penn remained in his province. Despite criticism by
some Quaker friends that Penn was setting himself above them by taking on this
powerful position, and by his enemies who thought he was a fraud and "falsest
villain upon earth", Penn was ready to begin the "Holy Experiment". Bidding
goodbye to his wife and children, he reminded them to "avoid pride, avarice, and
luxury".

Tours of days gone by:

Day 6 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-07-16T15:25:00.000-07:00

It's a hot and a little humid today 89'. We have some scattered showers. So be
sure to carry your umbrella just in case.

8 Brandywine
15 Dale-Walker -Engle House
54 Kutztown Festival
76 Pidcock Creek
79 Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm

Brandywine -

http://www.thebrandywine.com/ http://www.ushistory.org/Brandywine/
On the eve of the Battle of Brandywine Washington established his headquarters
in the farmhouse of Benjamin Ring, a Quaker farmer and miller. The house stood
within easy access of Chadds Ford where the British were expected to cross the
river. Washington held a council of war with his generals in the Ring house on
September 9th to plan his strategy. During the 20th century, the house fell into
disrepair, and it was extensively damaged by fire on September 16, 1931. Today,
visitors tour the reconstructed house, seeing it much as it was on that late
summer day in 1777.

Dale-Walker-Engle House -

http://www.unioncountyhistoricalsociety.org/EVENTS.html
The limestone farm house, on a 137-acre active farm, is at the site of the
Dale's Ridge Trail off Rte 192. From Rte 15 take Rte 192 west 1.7 miles to
Strawbridge Rd and turn right onto it, traveling 1.5 miles, turning left into
the farm lane beside the trail parking lot. Tours are about an hour, with the
last tour starting at 3:30.

The 1793 house features architecture, area slavery and the underground
railroad both associated with the house, the immigrant experience, and has three
interactive stations that are part of one's experience.

Kutztown Festival -

http://www.kutztownfestival.com/
Folklore at the Festival
Folklore and culture of the festival
Every year since 1950 an unbelievable swarm of people from all over the world
descends upon the little PA Dutch town of Kutztown, Pennsylvania. They come to
be a part of the folklife festivals that have been celebrated here annually.
The primary purpose of the festival then, as it is now, is twofold. Aside from
providing a funfilled family event, we also undertake a serious effort to
introduce you to the Pennsylvania Dutch culture found in Berks County,
Pennsylvania. We work closely with the Kutztown University Pennsylvania German
Heritage Center, as well as with many educators from the university and the
surrounding area to offer a high quality folklife program that is fun for the
entire family.
Behind every event is a presentation to be learned from, behind every fun filled
children's activity is a lesson about farmlife, being a child on the farm,
quaint games of the PA Dutch, or singalongs, haywagon rides, hay mazes, puppets,
marbles or good honest fun. No video games or TV's here, I'm afraid...
Our seminar stage, run by Dr. Bill Donner, Cultural Director of the Folk
Festival, is non-stop education at its most enjoyable. Talk to demonstrating
craftsmen about the secrets of their trade, learn about the herbs that cure, and
the food that you'll "eat 'til you ouch!" Sing along the old American songs in
PA Dutch dialect, and hear PA Dutch humor, customs and traditions told to you by
the best there is. Learn about hex signs, and what they mean. Find out who the
Belshnickel is, and why children love him and are scared of him at the same
time. Find out who the Amish are, and how they are different from the
Mennonites. Who are the "gay Dutch?" Find out about covered bridges, bank barns,
farming methods, cooking secrets, burial customs, and anything else you can
think of concerning the PA Germans, or the "PA Dutch," as they are commonly
referred to.
History unfolds before your eyes. Folklife, farming and gardening, churches and
weddings, PA-Dutch dialect and folklore, spinning and weaving, country cooks,
blacksmiths, furniture, candles, and more...
Mouthwatering PA-Dutch Food! Tantalizing family style feasts, ox roasts, sausage
sandwiches, pies, pastries and lots more! Non-stop entertainment. Live music and
dancing, comedy, country auctions, parades and bands. Fiddling, storytelling and
historical seminars and traditions.Witness a 19th century hanging or take part
in an old-fashioned cake walk.
The best examples of Pennsylvania Dutch and early American folk art and crafts
are found in the outstanding works of 200 of the nation's most skilled artisans.
Included in this year's festival will be fine furniture, miniatures,
pottery,clothing, musical instruments, hand-painted art, iron ornaments,
weavings, brooms, baskets, florals, hex painting, jewelry, leather, cut paper
art known as "scherenschnitte," Pennsylvania German calligraphic writing called
"fraktur", beeswax candles and more.

Pidcock Creek -

http://www.heritageconservancy.org/projects/pidcock_creek.php
Pidcock Creek is a small tributary of the Delaware River, which serves as an
important drinking water source for both Camden and Philadelphia. The creek is
over 6.5 miles long and drains an area of approximately 12.7 square miles in the
Bucks County townships of Buckingham, Upper Makefield, Solebury and Wrightstown.
PIDCOCKS Creek rises in Buckingham Township southeast of Buckingham Mountain
near Buckingham Valley and flowing northeastwardly enters Solebury Township near
Highlon and makes a short loop into Upper Makefield Township. It soon reenters
Solebury and, after winding along the northwestern base of Bowman Hill, empties
into Delaware Division Canal at the Thompson/Neely House. (center of house built
by John PIDCOCK ca. 1701 and still stands in Washington Crossing State Park) It
was formerly spanned by two covered wooden bridges. The Neelys Mill Bridge on
Delaware River Road (Route 326) was removed entire in 1937 when a new concrete
structure was built on its site. It was proposed to relocate this bridge near
its old site and preserve it as a model and relic of bygone days, but for some
reason this was not done. It was built of hemlock lumber and was 106 feet in
length. The second covered bridge, known as VanSandts Bridge, spans the stream
on a country road in Solebury about a mile and a half from its stream. It has a
length of 86 feet. PIDCOCK CREEK was named for John PIDCOCK, the first settler
at the mouth of the creek. He located there prior to 1698, but it was not until
May 31, 1701, that he purchased from Gilbert Wheeler the 400-acre tract upon
which he resided, known later as the Thompson/Neely tract. The tract included
the site of an old Lenni Lenape Indian field and village called
Win-na-haw-caw-chuck in the Wheeler and PIDCOCK deeds of 1690 and 1701.
page 321 3
...May not the quest of these adventurous young English bloods have been the
menials of John PIDCOCK who, before the township (Solebury) had its being,
settled around the mouth of the creek that bears his name and whose deed gave
him the right "to dig ore in" the land he bought. Here may be the oldest extant
evidence of the hand of white man in Pennsylvania, yet the people of the County
and State, even though it is within the bounds of a State Park, look upon it
with little more than cold, cursory curiosity.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~buckscounty/buckingham.html
Here is an interesting article written by one of my ancestors
http://www.pidcock-family.org/Reunions/Coming-to-America-in-Colonial-Times.pdf

Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm -

http://www.quietvalley.org/
Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm is on the National Register of Historic
Places with a number of historic buildings that provide visitors with an
understanding of life on a small, Pennsylvania farm in the 1800's. Some of our
buildings date to the last quarter of the 1700's.
Like many small family farms throughout Pennsylvania, the history of Quiet
Valley's buildings has been principally passed down orally from one generation
to the next.
The Farm House was built in stages throughout its 200 year history. The first
part of the house was built by Quiet Valley's original settlers, the Zepper
family. Upon their arrival in Quiet Valley in the late 1760s, the family carved
out a "bank-house" from the side of a small hill. This stone-walled structure
served as their residence through much of the late 1700s. The addition of a log
structure on top of the bank house sometime in the late 1700s or early 1800s led
to the original room to be used as a Cellar Kitchen.
Large families inhabitated Quiet Valley throughout its history and this led to
further additions to the house. The marriage of one resident to a "city girl"
mandated changes that made the home more "modern". The addition of a Parlor and
New Kitchen in the late 1800s gave the house the form one sees today.

Tours of days gone by:

Day 5 Pennsylvania Historical Tour

2009-07-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

It is 82' outside and the sun is shining. Another beautiful day for strolling
down
memory lane. Today our tour will take us to the following places:

6 Blacksmith's
12 Conrad Weiser Homestead
30 Fort Brady
48 Hower-Slote House
68 Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum

Blacksmith's -

My great grandfather on my mothers side was a blacksmith and they had a chestnut
tree. I love the poem "Underneath the spreading chestnut tree the village
blacksmith …."

A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from iron or steel by forging the
metal; i.e., by using tools to hammer, bend, cut, . . Blacksmiths produce things
like wrought iron gates, grills, railings, light fixtures, furniture, sculpture,
tools, agricultural implements, decorative and religious items, cooking
utensils, horse shoes and weapons.
Oldest surviving complexes: Built circa 1864 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the
blacksmith shop is the heart of the Cambria Iron National Historic Landmark, one
of the oldest surviving complexes from the 19th century steel industry.
Here is the URL: http://www.jaha.org/BlacksmithShop/history.html

Conrad Weiser Homestead -

http://www.conradweiserhomestead.org/
Conrad Weiser's historical contributions to Pennsylvania simply cannot be
overlooked. Weiser was predominantly responsible for negotiating every major
treaty between the colonial settlers in Pennsylvania and the Iroquois Nations
from 1731 until 1758. In addition to serving as one of the most knowledgeable
and successful liaisons between the Indian and the colonist, Weiser was chiefly
responsible for both the settlement of the town of Reading and the establishment
of Berks County. Finally, in 1755, Weiser organized a local militia to quell
Indian uprisings during the American phase of the Seven Years War, and was
appointed Colonel of the First Battalion of the Pennsylvania Regiment a year
later. Exempting some Berks County locals and various individuals with
genealogical ties to this man, few are conscious about the relevance, let alone
the existence, of Conrad Weiser.
Conrad Weiser was born in Astaat Germany in 1696. His family migrated to America
in 1710, settling in New York State. It was in this vicinity where Conrad
initially gained contact with the Iroquois Nations. At the age of fifteen he
voluntarily decided to live amidst the Mohawk tribe of the Iroquois. Conrad
attained significant knowledge of the not only the language but also the customs
and traditions of the Mohawk tribe, which proved invaluable later in his career.
For example, Weiser was one of the few Indian/Colonial interpreters who
comprehended the overwhelming significance of the use of Wampum in conducting
matters of diplomacy with the Iroquois.
Weiser moved to the Tulpehocken area in Pennsylvania in 1729, erecting a house
upon a farmstead that would eventually contain 890 acres of land. Weiser's
knowledge of the Iroquois was immediately employed, as an Oneida Iroquois,
Shikellamy, enlisted Weiser's abilities as a diplomat to negotiate a series of
land ownership treaties between the Pennsylvania colonists and the Indians.
Weiser was able to maintain fairly stable relations between the Pennsylvania
government and the Iroquois Nation during the 1730's and 1740's.

Fort Brady -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muncy,_Pennsylvania
About 1787, four brothers Silas, William, Benjamin, and Isaac McCarty, came here
from Bucks County. They were of Quaker extraction. William and Benjamin bought
300 acres known as the "John Brady farm."
John Brady was one of the earliest settlers in the area. He received a land
grant which was awarded to the officers who served in the Bouquet Expedition. He
chose land west of present day Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. He built a private
stockade on this land in the Spring of 1776, close to present day Muncy,
Pennsylvania, which he called "Fort Brady." John Brady's Muncy house was large
for its day. He dug a four foot deep trench around it and emplaced upright logs
in that trench side by side all the way around. He filled the trench with dirt
and packed the dirt against the logs to hold the log wall solidly in place. This
log wall ran about twelve feet high from the ground. He then held this wall in
place upright by pinning smaller logs across its top, to keep the wall face
steady and solid. The John Brady homestead was perilously close to the leading
edge of the frontier of that time, the Susquehanna River. The other side of the
Susquehanna was fiercely dominated by the Indians. The Indians resisted settler
encroachment on their territory by routinely crossing the Susquehanna to raid
the settlers. The settlers just as routinely crossed the Susquehanna to pursue
the raiding war parties to retaliate and sometimes to rescue captives taken by
the Indians during these raids. In this ongoing skirmishing, both sides
committed unspeakable atrocities on the other, which drove a long lasting cycle
of revenge for revenge brutalities between the settlers and Indians. It was in
the midst of this extreme danger and violence that Major John Brady chose to
settle his family, which set the stage for what happened to him and for what so
greatly impacted and influenced his family—especially, his sons, Continental
Army Captain Samuel Brady of Brady's Leap fame and Hugh Brady, who became a
Major General in the United States Army.
The McCarty brothers divided up the former Brady land, with William taking the
portion between what is now West Water Street and Muncy Creek, and Benjamin that
portion between West Water Street and the southern boundary. Main Street now
represents what was then the boundary between the Brady farm and Isaac Walton's.
In 1797, ten years after coming to Muncy, Benjamin McCarty conceived the idea of
starting a town, and began laying out lots on what is now Main Street, and sold
them to different parties. His example was followed by his brother William,
north of Water street, and by Isaac Walton. The town was named Pennsborough in
honor of the William Penn.
The town grew slowly and was nothing but a village for many years. More than a
quarter of a century passed before an act of incorporation was applied for.
Finally, by act approved March 15, 1826, it was incorporated as a borough.
On January 19, 1827, with a population of less than 600, the name was changed
from Pennsborough to Muncy. This was done because many persons thought it was
"too flat and long," and the new name would be more in accordance with the
historical associations of the place, and serve to perpetuate the name of the
tribe that first dwelt there, a tribe of Delaware Indians, named Monseys.
Abolition Riot of 1842
Main article: Muncy Abolition Riot of 1842
One of the common misconceptions about United States history prior to the Civil
War is that all the citizens of the northern states were against slavery. In
fact many of the "Yankees", were all for slavery, especially in states closer to
the Confederacy like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Delaware. There were more than a few
abolitionists in Pennsylvania, and Enos Hawley, a Quaker citizen of Muncy was
one of the most prominent abolitionists in Lycoming County. Hawley, a tanner by
trade, was like most Quakers a strong supporter of the abolition of slavery.
Hawley invited, a now unknown, speaker to come to Muncy to speak against
slavery. This speaker arrived in April 1842. His arrival and coinciding speech
set off a tremendous riot that lead to the near destruction of a local
schoolhouse and the controversial pardoning of the rioters by Pennsylvania
Governor David R. Porter.
The anti-slavery speaker gave his speech at a one room school in Muncy in April
1842. During the course of the speech eighteen men gathered outside the
schoolhouse. They began throwing rocks and other debris at the school, breaking
all of the windows. Enos Hawley and the guest speaker were both injured in the
assault. Upon fleeing the school the abolitionists were pelted with eggs. The
rioters followed Hawley and his guest to Hawley's home at the corner of High and
Main Streets. They continued the assault on Hawley's home until after midnight
when the local law enforcement officers were able to quell the riot and arrest
the rioters. The rioters were indicted in September and went to trial in October
when thirteen of the eighteen rioters were found guilty as charged. The jury's
deliberation was quite a long process.
Abraham Updegraff was a member of the jury who was the driving force that led to
the conviction of the rioters. Updegraff, an ardent abolitionist who was a vital
member of the Underground Railroad in Lycoming County, was able to convince his
peers that the rioters deserved to be punished. The first jury vote was 11 to 1
in favor of acquittal, with Upedgraff being the lone dissenter. Updegraff argued
that "we have been sworn to try this case according to the law and the evidence
presented and that if no contradictory evidence offered by the defendants than
we could do nothing more than to convict them." He was able to make his argument
in German which was the native tongue of three other jurors. The second voted
was 9 to 3 in favor of acquittal. A third vote brought about the conviction of
13 of the 18 men charged in the Muncy Abolition Riot of 1842. This conviction
was essentially overturned by Governor David R. Porter when he pardoned the
rioters several days later. Governor Porter's statement of pardon said, "It is
represented to me by highly respected citizens of Lycoming County, that this
prosecution was instituted more with a view to the accomplishment of political
ends than to serve the cause of law and order."
Porter's pardon message placed the blame for the riot on the abolitionist
speaker. Porter stated that the speech was "notoriously offensive to the minds
of those to whom they were addressed and were calculated to bring about a breach
of the peace." This pardon led to Governor Porter being given the less than
flattering nickname of the "Previous Pardonin Porter." Historians believe that
Porter pardoned the rioters under political pressure that was rampant, in the
years prior to the Civil War, regarding the issue of slavery.
Today, Muncy PA has nearly 2700 residents. The friendly citizens are proud of
its rich heritage and look forward to its dynamic future.

Hower-Slote House -

http://www.freelandfarm.org/
http://www.footnote.com/page/1757_hower_slote_house_and_fort_freeland/
http://www.thecpps.com/hower_slote.html
The Hower-Slote House was built in 1829 by James Slote on land formerly owned by
John Hower. Built in the Federal style, it was the center of a working farm for
more than 125 years. Reflecting a typical farmhouse of the times, the building
occupies the site of Fort Freeland, a Revolutionary War defense. In 1779, Tories
and Indians attacked the post, where frontier families had taken refuge.
Pennsylvania troops were unable to repel the attack, and the fall of Fort
Freeland prompted settlers to flee. The house is located north of McEwensville
on land owned by the Warrior Run School District. The Hower-Slote property was
officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 22,
1979.
In 1979, the Warrior Run Fort Freeland Heritage Society entered into an
agreement with the Warrior Run School District to restore and manage the
Hower-Slote House and Farm. In 1980, the society entered into a management
agreement with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to manage and
maintain the buildings and grounds of the Warrior Run Church.
Each year, hundreds of volunteers participate in the Annual Warrior Run-Fort
Freeland Heritage Days recreating the past and interpreting the daily activities
of the colonial-era pioneers who settled Central Pennsylvania. Held early in
October, on the grounds of the Warrior Run High School including the Hower Slote
House , expert and apprentice trades people demonstrate more than 80 skills of
the 18th and 19th centuries, using authentic period tools to recreate
traditional trades and pastimes. Heritage Days, has been recognized by the
Pennsylvania Federation of Museums and Historical Organizations with their
prestigious Award of Merit. National Geographic also has honored the event by
selecting the festival for inclusion in its special edition "Geotourism Map
Guide to Appalachia," as an event that sustains and enhances the geographical
character of the area, the environment, culture, and heritage.
Members and friends of the society dress in authentic costumes of the period.
Staged at the site of an historic military engagement, visitors may watch a
re-enactment of the Battle of Fort Freeland as American Revolution patriots are
challenged by the British and their allies. (some dress in authentic clothing
as my husband and I do)

Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum -

http://www.anthracitemuseum.org/
The Anthracite Heritage Museum is located in McDade Park in Scranton,
Pennsylvania. The Museum tells the story of the people who came from Europe to
work in the anthracite mining and textiles industries.
On a tour of the facility visitors will experience the lives of proud people
who endured harsh working conditions yet carved out communities filled with
tradition. The diverse collection highlights life in the mines, mills and
factories. Visitors are welcomed into the family's homes and neighborhoods with
a moment of reflection in the kitchen, a visit to the pub, or a seat in a local
Church.
The Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum's diverse regional collections
represent all facets of work, life and values of the region's ethnic
communities.
http://explorepahistory.com/story.php?storyId=11

Tours of days gone by: