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Happy New Year! We're starting 2025 with our annual membership meeting on Jan. 22 at the Poorman Gallery from 12-1 p.m. We'll give the annual reports, state of the CCHS, dedication of our new informational sign, offer a light lunch and elect members of the Board of Directors. All five outgoing board members have agreed to remain on. They are Jim Berkebile, Carol Hanna, Janine Bruno, Kathy Arndt and Lou Widmann. Larry Ferree has agreed to serve the remaining year of Lynda Carey's term.
We will also introduce Annie Snyder's "Strawberries," which is on track for cleaning this year.
Commissioned by a local farmer who was proud of his crop in 1919, it was featured in an article in the Lock Haven Express at the time. Hallman Conservators' preliminary estimate is $650. Bring your checkbook and be one of the first to give a donation!
An RSVP for the annual meeting will be required. Email or phone us at 570-748-7254 or info@clintonpahistory.org
Welcome new members Paul and Sue Welch!
A reminder: the Clinton Central Model Railroad Club has Open House dates to view their extensive 3-level, 12 track model train layout at the Castanea Railroad Station. Hope you can go see them on Jan. 7 (5-8 p.m.), Jan 11 or Jan. 25 (10 a.m.-4 p.m.).
From the Collection
By Kathy Arndt
Our collection contains several sections of genealogical files. The family genealogies which have been donated to the society are often the result of extensive research tracing some local families back to their European roots.
Another book, "My Friend, Grandpa Akeley," was the result of a 1973 class project by Nancy Akeley and her classmates at Akeley School on the Lock Haven State College campus. Archibald Paul Akeley was a superintendent of the Potter County public schools and a trustee of the Lock Haven State Teachers College. The Akeley School was built in 1929 and served as a training facility for Elementary Education majors until 1977.
The cemetery registry books serve as a second source of genealogical information and a third source are the local history books written by Linn, Maynard and Meginness published in the late 1800s.
Our family files provide the fourth source. These file folders contain news articles; birth, baptism, wedding and death announcements; diaries; receipts, correspondence, etc., for local families. The interesting finds in these files have included a diary written by a local lumberman, the Eisenwine calendars, descriptions of canal and stagecoach rides to Williamsport, Helen Kintzing's travelogue about her trip through Europe and the Fredericks' family baby book.
An interesting item was recently discovered in the "D" general family file. It was a small booklet of newspaper article summaries of a tour by a little person named Charles Decker. P.T. Barnum had asked Decker to join his show but Decker had refused, preferring instead to travel the country in the 1870s giving away his photo, selling his biography and presenting lectures.
The 31-inch tall and 45 pound young man was doing this to support his mother who was being described in newspaper articles as elderly. She was 53. No indication that Mr. Decker ever appeared in this area but somebody from Clinton County must have seen him elsewhere.
The Heisey House Museum is full of many physical items from our past but also contains stories of the families who lived in Clinton County. Stop by the museum in the coming year to learn about the roots of our county.
Have a happy, healthy 2025.