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.