Seasons Greetings from the Bradford County Historical Society

The BCHS Research Center will be closed this Wednesday, December 25th, and next Wednesday, January 1st, for the holidays. It will be open during regular hours on Thursday and Friday each week. If you are looking for a last minute Christmas gift, stop by the Ben Franklin store in Towanda and choose from a large selection of our local history books. The sales from these books benefit the Bradford County Historical Society. The board and staff of the Historical Society wish you a blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

BCHS Annual Appeal Now Only $3,300 from Goal - Will You Help?

Thanks to those who have been giving to our annual appeal campaign to help us reach our $13,500 goal by December 25th. We made another giant step forward and we are down to about $3,300 remaining to hit that goal. Once we meet that challenge, a generous member will contribute the final amount to get us to our overall goal of $15,000 for the year. Every dollar helps us get there. Thank you so much for supporting us as we preserve Bradford County history.

Help BCHS Raise $4,335 to Meet Our Annual Appeal Goal

Our Annual Appeal Campaign goal for 2013 is $15,000 to help support the Bradford County Historical Society over the coming months. A member has given the challenge that if we make it to $13,500 by December 25, they will donate the final amount to bring us to our goal. We are currently $4,335 away from hitting that challenge amount. If you have not given a contribution to the annual appeal campaign this year, visit our website at www.bradfordhistory.com and find the "Donate to the Annual Appeal" box where you can make a donation by credit card. BCHS is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and your donation is tax-deductible. A letter of receipt for tax purposes is available upon request. Thank you for helping us reach our goal this year!

BCHS Closed for Thanksgiving; Book Sale December 1

The Bradford County Historical Society will be closed Thursday and Friday in observance of Thanksgiving. Our annual holiday book sale will be Sunday, December 1, 11 am - 3 pm at BCHS, 109 Pine Street, Towanda. Discounts on local history books during the event and free refreshments.

Add Local History Books to your Shopping List this Holiday Season!

Looking for a great gift for Christmas? Visit www.bradfordhistory.com, click on Book Store and choose from our selection of local history books. We will ship them Priority either to you or to the address of your choice. Check out the Book Store and find photos and descriptions of several different books.

If you want it there by Christmas, please submit your order by December 12. Remember, you can also purchase books in person at BCHS Wednesday-Friday, 10 am - 4 pm until December 20. We will be closed for Thanksgiving on November 28 & 29. Our books are also available at the Ben Franklin store in Towanda.

To get a discount on your local history book purchase, attend the Holiday Book Sale at BCHS on December 1, from 11 am to 3 pm.

Thank you for shopping at the Bradford County Historical Society this holiday season.

BCHS to host "Towanda On Fire", October 18

The Bradford County Historical Society will host a free program entitled "Towanda On Fire" scheduled for Friday, October 18, 2013 at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Although the event is free to attend, participants are asked to register by calling 570-265-2240 or by email at info@bradfordhistory.com.

During the years 1845 and 1879 the business section of Towanda experienced many fires. Because of those fires, Towanda grew from buildings of unpainted wood to the variety of brick buildings we have today. Learn about the devastation caused by fire before Towanda had the means to fight it.

The program will be illustrated by slides and is presented by Elaine Engisch, Bradford County Historical Society volunteer.

This program is part of the 2013 "Friday Night at the Museum" programming series that is held the third Friday of each month from May through October. Each event is held in the Great Room at the Bradford County Historical Society, located at 109 Pine Street, Towanda, PA. Free refreshments are provided at each program and the museum is open prior to the event.

This is the final Friday Night at the Museum program for 2013. Don’t miss it!

The Bradford County Historical Society is a recipient agency of the Bradford County United Way. For more information about the society and its programming schedule, museum or research center, visit www.bradfordhistory.com or check out the society Facebook page at facebook.com/BradfordCountyHistoricalSociety.

BCHS to host “Unusual News of Bradford County”, September 20

The Bradford County Historical Society will host a free program entitled "Unusual News of Bradford County" scheduled for Friday, September 20, 2013 at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Although the event is free to attend, participants are asked to register by calling 570-265-2240 or by email at info@bradfordhistory.com.

Bradford County newspapers of a century ago feature stories of unusual events featuring descriptions that are often humorous and sometimes unbelievable. These stories include strange deaths, weird discoveries, crime, animals, and odd tales about the human body.

While not all of the stories describe events that occurred in Bradford County, they were all published in county newspapers, providing the audience a glimpse into the entertainment that our residents once enjoyed.

This program will be presented by Matt Carl, Curator/Manager at the Bradford County Historical Society.

This program is part of the 2013 "Friday Night at the Museum" programming series that is held the third Friday of each month from May through October. Each event is held in the Great Room at the Bradford County Historical Society, located at 109 Pine Street, Towanda, PA. Free refreshments are provided at each program and the museum is open prior to the event.

Other Friday Night at the Museum programs scheduled for 2013 include: Towanda On Fire, October 18.

The Bradford County Historical Society is a recipient agency of the Bradford County United Way. For more information about the society and its programming schedule, museum or research center, visit www.bradfordhistory.com or check out the society Facebook page at facebook.com/BradfordCountyHistoricalSociety.

BCHS to host "Tales from the Jail" with Wes Skillings, August 16

The Bradford County Historical Society will host a free program entitled "Tales from the Jail" scheduled for Friday, August 16, 2013 at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Although the event is free to attend, participants are asked to register by calling 570-265-2240 or by email at info@bradfordhistory.com.

"Tales from the Jail" is a multi-media two-act theatrical performance presented on the very grounds where these stories, spanning a century, took place.

Presented by Wes Skillings, who will play the roles of several historical characters, as well as the voices in audio segments, the audience will hear fascinating stories from the old Pine Street Jail, including infamous inmates and great and not-so-great escapes.

The second act will tell the tale of the last two men to be hanged at the jail a matter of feet from where the audience will be seated and the dramatic murder that led to their undoing.

This program is part of the 2013 "Friday Night at the Museum" programming series that is held the third Friday of each month from May through October. Each event is held in the Great Room at the Bradford County Historical Society, located at 109 Pine Street, Towanda, PA. Free refreshments are provided at each program and the museum is open prior to the event.

Other Friday Night at the Museum programs scheduled for 2013 include: Unusual News of Bradford County, September 20; Towanda On Fire, October 18.

The Bradford County Historical Society is a recipient agency of the Bradford County United Way. For more information about the society and its programming schedule, museum or research center, visit www.bradfordhistory.com or check out the society Facebook page at facebook.com/BradfordCountyHistoricalSociety.

BCHS to host "Something for Everyone: A Concert by Carrie Hooper," July 19

The Bradford County Historical Society will host a free program entitled "Something for Everyone: A Concert by Carrie Hooper " scheduled for Friday, July 19, 2013 at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Although the event is free to attend, participants are asked to register by calling 570-265-2240 or by email at info@bradfordhistory.com.

Enjoy a concert including selections that will include folk songs, show tunes, sing-a-long, classical, and gospel songs.

Carrie Hooper, a soprano, received a Bachelor’s degree in music performance from Mansfield University and Master’s degrees in German and vocal performance from the University of Buffalo. She studied one year at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm as a Fulbright Scholar.

This program is part of the 2013 "Friday Night at the Museum" programming series that is held the third Friday of each month from May through October. Each event is held in the Great Room at the Bradford County Historical Society, located at 109 Pine Street, Towanda, PA. Free refreshments are provided at each program and the museum is open prior to the event.

Other Friday Night at the Museum programs scheduled for 2013 include: Tales from the Jail, August 16; Unusual News of Bradford County, September 20; Towanda On Fire, October 18.

The Bradford County Historical Society is a recipient agency of the Bradford County United Way. For more information about the society and its programming schedule, museum or research center, visit www.bradfordhistory.com or check out the society Facebook page at facebook.com/BradfordCountyHistoricalSociety.

"Bradford County Soldiers at the Battle of Gettysburg" Civil War Commemoration this Saturday

Don't miss our special 150th anniversary commemoration of Bradford County's involvement in the Battle of Gettysburg, this Saturday, July 13, 1 p.m. at the Keystone Theatre, Towanda. Doors open at 12:30 p.m. Speaker will be local Civil War historian, Kurt Lafy. Proceeds benefit BCHS. Civil War books, including Lafy's newly released book, will be on sale in the lobby.

Event tickets are on sale now. $10 in advance and $15 at the door. A $2 shipping and processing fee applies to online or phone orders. If you would like to receive your tickets by mail, today is the last day to order. You can still purchase them at a discount in person at BCHS Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Visit the historical society website at www.bradfordhistory.com to order tickets now.

BCHS Members to Receive Semi-Annual Society Journal

If you are a member of the Bradford County Historical Society, you will soon be receiving another benefit as part of your membership dues. We have greatly improved and expanded our newsletter, and will begin to publish it again as an 8-page, full color mailing. This newsletter, known as the Society Journal, provides details about what is going on at the Bradford County Historical Society behind the scenes, including news about upcoming events, photos from past events, columns from historical society staff, recent additions to our collection, new exhibits, and much more. This publication will be printed in the spring and in the fall. The current issue is about to go to the press.

BCHS to host "The Rifled Musket in the Civil War," June 21

The Bradford County Historical Society will host a free program entitled "The Rifled Musket in the Civil War" scheduled for Friday, June 21, 2013 at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Although the event is free to attend, participants are asked to register by calling 570-265-2240 or by email at info@bradfordhistory.com.

Join the Private Silas Gore Camp for a program detailing the Civil War rifled musket. Learn how the soldiers cared for their weapons, how they were taught the School of the Soldier and how they learned to handle their weapons in concert with each other.

The program will include demonstrations that will appeal to all ages. Come and enjoy this fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the Civil War.

This program will be presented by members of Private Silas Gore Camp #141 of the Sons of Union Veterans. More information about this group can be found at www.silasgorecamp.org.

This program is part of the 2013 "Friday Night at the Museum" programming series that is held the third Friday of each month from May through October. Each event is held in the Great Room at the Bradford County Historical Society, located at 109 Pine Street, Towanda, PA. Free refreshments are provided at each program and the museum is open prior to the event.

Other Friday Night at the Museum programs scheduled for 2013 include: Something for Everyone: A Concert by Carrie Hooper, July 19; Tales from the Jail, August 16; Unusual News of Bradford County, September 20; Towanda On Fire, October 18.

The Bradford County Historical Society is a recipient agency of the Bradford County United Way. For more information about the society and its programming schedule, museum or research center, visit www.bradfordhistory.com or check out the society Facebook page at facebook.com/BradfordCountyHistoricalSociety.

141st PA Volunteer Infantry to Hold Ceremony July 2 at Gettysburg

Bradford County Civil War re-enactors will hold a ceremony in the Peach Orchard at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 2, 2013, at 6 PM. The observance is to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the battle where 200 men, who were in the 141st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, fought against overwhelming odds. Local re-enactors, in full uniform, will be on hand to form an honor guard for this solemn occasion. Appropriate remarks will be voiced as well as several Civil War era poems. A wreath will be laid at the base of the 141st's monument prior to calling the roll of all the 141st soldiers who fought on that bloody day. The event is open to all. Further information can be gleaned by following these re-enactors online at 141PVI.us or by calling 1st Lieutenant Kurt D. Lafy, (570) 637-5103.

‘Bradford County Soldiers at the Battle of Gettysburg’ to be presented July 13

The Bradford County Historical Society will host a special 150^th anniversary commemoration of the county’s involvement in the Battle of Gettysburg on July 13, 2013, 1 p.m. at the Keystone Theatre in Towanda. Doors open at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.

 

The program, titled “Bradford County Soldiers at the Battle of Gettysburg,” will be presented by Kurt D. Lafy, the 2011 recipient of the historical society’s Leo E. Wilt Historian of the Year award and a well-known local author, reenactor and speaker on the Civil War.

 

Mr. Lafy will chronicle all three days of the battle. After a grand review of the entire three days, he will concentrate on where men from Bradford County fought on the battlefield.

 

Soldiers who served in the 5th & 6th Reserve, the 57th, 106th, 107th, 132nd, 141st Infantry and the 16th and 17th Cavalry all fought at Gettysburg. Bradford County men were in each of these regiments.

 

Learn of their devotion to duty. Learn of their heroics. Learn of their sacrifices as many served up “the last full measure of devotion.”

 

During the event, copies of the book, “Our Boys in Blue,” will be available for sale in the theatre lobby at a new lower price in celebration of the 150^th anniversary of the Civil War. The book tells the fascinating stories of Bradford County soldiers and their experiences during the Civil War. Lafy’s book, “George – A Civil Warrior,” will also be available.

 

Tickets for the event are $10 each when purchased in advance and $15 when purchased at the door. They may be mailed for an additional fee. Tickets are available for purchase during regular business hours at the Bradford County Historical Society, Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets may also be purchased by calling 570-265-2240 during regular business hours or online any time at www.bradfordhistory.com. Tickets are non-refundable and cannot be held at the door.

 

All proceeds from the event benefit the Bradford County Historical Society, a nonprofit organization, as it works to preserve the history of the county through its museum, research library and historical programming.

 

Additional information about Mr. Lafy may be found at www.lafybooks.com or he may be contacted at Author141stPVI@yahoo.com.

 

More information about the Bradford County Historical Society is available online at www.bradfordhistory.com. Stay notified about upcoming events by subscribing to the BCHS email list or “liking” the BCHS Facebook page. Bradford County Historical Society is a recipient of the Bradford County United Way.

Welcome to the New Email List Members

Welcome to those who have transferred over from our old email list in the past week. If you are reading this email, then you have successfully subscribed to the new list. Thank you for your ongoing interest in the Bradford County Historical Society.

BCHS Museum and Research Library Hours Now the Same

The Bradford County Historical Society has streamlined its hours for the museum and research library. The hours for both are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  and the first Saturday of the month, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The research library is open all year and the museum is open Memorial Day through Labor Day. Group tours may be scheduled April through December. Call 570-265-2240 for information on group tours. Admission to the museum is a donation. The research fee when visiting the research library is $5 per visit for non-members, free for members.

BCHS to host "The Rifled Musket in the Civil War," June 21

The Bradford County Historical Society will host a free program entitled "The Rifled Musket in the Civil War" scheduled for Friday, June 21, 2013 at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Although the event is free to attend, participants are asked to register by calling 570-265-2240 or by email at info@bradfordhistory.com.  

Join the Private Silas Gore Camp for a program detailing the Civil War rifled musket. Learn how the soldiers cared for their weapons, how they were taught the School of the Soldier and how they learned to handle their weapons in concert with each other.

The program will include demonstrations that will appeal to all ages. Come and enjoy this fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the Civil War.

This program will be presented by members of Private Silas Gore Camp #141 of the Sons of Union Veterans. More information about this group can be found at www.silasgorecamp.org.

This program is part of the 2013 "Friday Night at the Museum" programming series that is held the third Friday of each month from May through October. Each event is held in the Great Room at the Bradford County Historical Society, located at 109 Pine Street, Towanda, PA. Free refreshments are provided at each program and the museum is open prior to the event.

Other Friday Night at the Museum programs scheduled for 2013 include: Something for Everyone: A Concert by Carrie Hooper, July 19; Tales from the Jail, August 16; Unusual News of Bradford County, September 20; Towanda On Fire, October 18.

The Bradford County Historical Society is a recipient agency of the Bradford County United Way. For more information about the society and its programming schedule, museum or research center, visit www.bradfordhistory.com or check out the society Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BradfordCountyHistoricalSociety.

BCHS Announces New Tour Guide, New Exhibits and New Hours

The Bradford County Historical Society announces the opening of its 2013 museum season.

The Society’s summer tour guide is Heather Palmer of Canton. Heather is a History and Religious Studies major at Albright College. She is available to give tours of the museum during regular business hours. Heather will also work on various projects for the historical society during the summer.

Museum hours have changed and are now the same as the research library. They are Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and the first Saturday of each month, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. The facility is closed during major holidays. Please call to confirm Saturday hours. While the research library is open all year, the museum is open Memorial Day through Labor Day. Group tours are available and may be scheduled by calling 570-265-2240. Admission to the museum is a donation.

The Bradford County Historical Society recently held an Exhibit Opening and Reception for members to highlight the various changes made in the museum this year.

The featured exhibit can be found in the gift shop display case. It is a wonderful collection of models such as airplanes, a ship, a stage coach, and many more items made entirely of Popsicle sticks. While the material used sounds unusual, the objects created are stunning and intricate. The exhibit has already become a favorite of visitors and children especially, who enjoy seeing large airplanes suspended from the ceiling above the display case. The models are on loan from the family of Robert Coats Sr. who passed away earlier this year. Robert was a carpenter in Towanda several years ago and also a veteran. Come and enjoy his works of art this season.

The historical society added two new lighted display cases to the second floor during the bicentennial year and are now offering a special exhibit in each one. The first exhibit is a large collection of canning jars dating back to the mid-1800’s. Several jar brands, sizes and colors are displayed with a history of the canning jars. A jar of unopened canned fruit from 1898 is also displayed. It was offered as a wedding gift that year and never opened. All of the jars were found in Bradford County and used by local families.

The second new display case features advertising products from towns all over Bradford County. These products include gift boxes from stores in Towanda and Sayre; souvenir china from Overton, Laquin, South Waverly; a hanger from Canton and much more. Each item has the name of the local town on it including Wyalusing, Wysox, Troy and many more.

A display of candy boxes from local stores can be found this year. The boxes include “Chicken Dinner Candy” and one of the first Butterfinger candy bar packing boxes. Several have already enjoyed seeing an A&W Root Beer cardboard funnel in which Root Beer could be purchased years ago. Visitors have remarked that this item brings back many memories.

On the first floor, a new exhibit about the Meredith Bottling Works in Towanda features Meredith wooden shipping boxes, and a variety of bottles and labels. A Blood Orange bottle, along with the accompanying Blood Orange cooler sign are in the display. Blood Orange soda pop was a local favorite.

The museum now offers some technological improvements including a digital screen in the gift shop that features hand colored postcards from around Bradford County. The screen also randomly scrolls through announcements for visitors, such as the upcoming program schedule.

The Historical Society is also excited to introduce the addition of QR codes throughout its museum. QR codes are similar to a bar code and can be scanned using a smartphone equipped with any QR scanner app. The app is free and smartphone users can download it from their favorite app store. There are currently five codes placed throughout the museum and all of them tell about life in the building when it was the county jail. When visitors scan each code, they can read first hand reports of executions, escapes, and prison violence from the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries in the very room where it happened. Those who don’t have access to a smartphone can also read the same stories from home by logging on to the museum website.

Matthew Carl, Curator and Manager of the Bradford County Historical Society, is pleased with the new additions made over the past winter. He also reminds patrons that the 2013 Friday Night at the Museum programming season has begun. A schedule of free programs can be found on the museum website.

For more information about the Bradford County Historical Society, visit the website at www.bradfordhistory.com or call 570-265-2240 during regular hours, Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Get the latest news and announcements by “Liking” the historical society Facebook page. The Bradford County Historical Society is a recipient agency of the Bradford County United Way.

Friday Night at the Museum Begins Friday, May 17

The Bradford County Historical Society will begin a new season of “Friday Night at the Museum” local history programs on Friday, May 17. The first program is entitled, “A Tour of Sayre’s Monuments, Markers and Memorials,” presented by Jim Nobles. The program, illustrated by slides, will be held in the Great Room at the historical society at 6 p.m. Programs are free and refreshments are provided. Register by calling 265-2240 or by email at info@bradfordhistory.com.

BCHS to host “A Tour of Sayre’s Monuments, Markers, and Memorials,” May 17

The Bradford County Historical Society announces the beginning the 2013 Friday Night at the Museum programming season. The Society will host a free program entitled “A Tour of Sayre’s Monuments, Markers, and Memorials” scheduled for Friday, May 17, 2013 at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Although the event is free to attend, participants are asked to register by calling 570-265-2240 or by email at info@bradfordhistory.com.

Sayre has a number of monuments and memorials located throughout the borough. The purpose of each is to honor and remember people because of their contribution to the community, including service to our country.

The program will highlight many of the memorials by way of photographs and a narrative.  While some of the memorials are easily accessible, others are a little out of the way and seldom seen. 

Included in the presentation are several memorials for Sayre’s military heroes from the time of the Spanish-American war to the present (Sayre did not exist at the time of the Civil War). All who gave their lives in defense of liberty are remembered by name on plaques in Howard Elmer Park which read, “Their deeds are immortal – their memory shall never die.” 

The story will be told of one of Sayre’s W.W.II serviceman lost at sea in 1945.  He and eighty-five additional seamen perished when their submarine disappeared in enemy territory.  That mystery ended just eight years ago when their sunken submarine was located off the coast of Thailand. 

Other memorials to be discussed include one to an assassinated president of the United States; a historical marker from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission commemorating an event dating to Native American days; the most recent memorial in Howard Elmer Park honoring volunteer fire fighters; a masonic plaque marking the border of Sayre and Waverly, thus the border of New York and Pennsylvania; a marker honoring Dr. Donald Guthrie, founder of Guthrie Healthcare; the monument remembering the Lehigh Valley Railroad in Sayre; and many others.

This program will be presented by Jim Nobles, a long-time historian with a special interest in the history of Sayre. Nobles has been a member of both the Sayre Historical Society and the Bradford County Historical Society for many years and is a past board member of both organizations.

This program is part of the 2013 Friday Night at the Museum programming series that is held the third Friday of each month from May through October. Each event is held in the Great Room at the Bradford County Historical Society, located at 109 Pine Street, Towanda, PA. Free refreshments are provided at each program and the museum is open prior to the event.

Other Friday Night at the Museum programs scheduled for 2013 include: The Rifled Musket in the Civil War, June 21; Something for Everyone: A Concert by Carrie Hooper, July 19; Tales from the Jail, August 16; Unusual News of Bradford County, September 20; Towanda On Fire, October 18.

The Bradford County Historical Society is a recipient agency of the Bradford County United Way. For more information about the society and its programming schedule, museum or research center, visit www.bradfordhistory.com or check out the society Facebook page at facebook.com/BradfordCountyHistoricalSociety.

BCHS to Host St. Patrick's Gala, March 14

The Bradford County Historical Society is pleased to announce the return of Saint Patrick’s Gala. The event will be held at the museum located at 109 Pine Street in Towanda on Thursday March 14, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

This popular event sponsored by the Historical Society each year will include the traditional menu of Potato Soup, Corned Beef Sandwiches, the Historical Societies famous horseradish and of course crème de menthe chocolate squares to top it all off. Irish libations will also be available.

This year local Bag Pipe Player Rory Sweeney will be on hand to entertain the crowd and the player piano in the great room of the museum is filled with Irish tunes that will play continually during the event.

The historical Society will be offering raffle tickets on a green lottery board that will have one hundred dollars in lottery tickets placed upon it. Tickets for the Gala are available from any board member and can also be purchased on the Historical Societies website www.bradfordhistory.com. Tickets are $15.00.

The Saint Patrick’s Gala is a great place to start off the Saint Patrick’s Day weekend. There will be story boards with lots of local Irish History on display along with the two Stations of the Cross that survived from Saint Patrick’s Church in Barclay.

For more information please call the museum (570) 265-2240. The Bradford County Historical Society is a recipient agency of the Bradford County United Way.

BCHS Website Now Features Online Book Store

We have started the new year with a significant change to our website. You can now purchase our local history books direct from our website rather than through eBay. Just click on "Book Store" on our website at www.bradfordhistory.com and you can add history books to your cart and checkout when you're ready. We now have all of our new books online as well as others that didn't make it online before. Thank you for supporting BCHS!