BCHS MUSEUM NOW OPEN FOR 2016 SEASON

The Bradford County Historical Society museum has opened for the 2016 season. Hours are Wednesday through Friday, 10 am to 4 pm, and the first Saturday of the month, 10 am to 2 pm. Group tours are available by appointment. The museum is closed on national holidays. The research center also has the same hours and is open all year.

This year, the summer tour guide is Abby Shenot, of Sayre, who recently completed her sophomore year at Mansfield University, majoring in History Education. As an intern, she will be conducting tours of the museum, operating the gift shop, and working on other research projects.

This year’s featured exhibit is “Civil Defense in Bradford County” and includes displays of Civil Defense survival supplies, radiation detection equipment, a child size gas mask, Red Cross material, World War II Civilian Defense brochures, Cold War era posters, and a Civil Defense Auxiliary Police outfit.

Foundry patterns from the Cayuta Wheel Company of Sayre are also on display.

Several changes have been made to the exhibits in the jail cells such as a new labeling system that allows new items to be added to these displays. This ongoing project has made it possible to make changes and additions to many of the permanent exhibits. Many new items from the museum collection are on display this year. Work will continue on updating the labeling system throughout the year.

For more information about the Bradford County Historical Society, museum or research services or programming, call the museum during regular business hours at 570-265-2240 or email info@bradfordhistory.com.

The Bradford County Historical Society is a member agency of the United Way of Bradford County.

Friday Night at the Museum begins THIS WEEK!!

The Bradford County Historical Society will begin its "Friday Night at the Museum" season by hosting a program titled, "David Wilmot", scheduled for Friday, May 20, 2016 at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. There is no admission charge for this event but donations are appreciated. To reserve a seat, participants are asked to register by calling 570-265-2240 or by email at info@bradfordhistory.com.

Our exhibit opening for the season will be held at the same time with explanation about the new exhibits and changes made this year. Refreshments will be provided.

See you this Friday!

Friday Night at the Museum begins with David Wilmot program; New museum exhibits to open

The Bradford County Historical Society will host a program titled, David Wilmot, scheduled for Friday, May 20, 2016 at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. There is no admission charge for this event but donations are appreciated. To reserve a seat, participants are asked to register by calling 570-265-2240 or by email at info@bradfordhistory.com.

Every day, Towanda citizens pass a historical marker on York Avenue highlighting David Wilmot. David Wilmot was instrumental in helping start the Republican Party in Pennsylvania and was a close friend of Abraham Lincoln. He wrote the Wilmot Proviso, which started the country on a path to outlawing slavery. Come and learn about the influence that Wilmot had in national politics on the 170th anniversary year of the Wilmot Proviso.

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

The museum’s new and updated exhibits will also open this evening to begin the 2016 season. The curator will describe the various changes made in the museum for this season. This year’s newly featured exhibit is “Civil Defense in Bradford County” and covers the history of Civil Defense from World War I through the Cold War era. A number of brochures are on display from World War II but most of the exhibit contains Cold War items such as civilian survival supplies, air raid equipment, Civil Defense Geiger counter, and other items used in Bradford County. Items from the local Red Cross are also included in the exhibit.

A number of the “permanent exhibits” in the jail cells have been substantially changed, a process that will continue through the summer and in coming years with updates to the exhibit labeling system. These changes will allow new items to be added to permanent exhibits more often.

This program is part of the 2016 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. Refreshments are provided at each program and the museum is open a half-hour prior to the event.

Other programs scheduled for this season are: June 17 – Conrad Weiser – A Walk through Oscoluwa; July 15 – Towanda Water System – “The Between Years”; August 19 – John Mitchell: An American Hero; September 16 – Sayre – 100+ Years Ago; and October 21 – A Glimpse from the Past: John Philip Sousa and Towanda (musical program).

The Bradford County Historical Society is a recipient agency of the Bradford County United Way and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. 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.