PHOTOS PROVIDED Bobby Karichner is pictured with the Carnegie Hero Medal that Perry Courter, Sr., received after rescuing Karichner from drowning in 1965.

PHOTOS PROVIDED
The Carnegie Hero Medal that Perry Courter, Sr., received after rescuing Karichner from drowning in 1965 is seen.

July is a busy month for us! The Heisey will be open from 1-3 p.m. on July 6, 20, and 27. The program on the 27th will be a “Bricks That Made America” celebration, with refreshments and sign ups for the new commemorative bricks for the sidewalks.

July 13 is the “Fire Up the Furnace” in Farrandsville. Come learn about North America’s first Hot blast iron furnace and the Welshmen who designed and made it.

“Strawberries” painted by Annie Snyder in 1919 will return home from its cleaning this month! We’ll have a “Pop up” Happy Hour in the Fall to welcome it and honor the donors who made the cleaning possible. The next Annie Snyder paintings slated for cleaning will be introduced at that time. And of course, we’ll look for donors for those paintings’ cleaning/repair!

The City of Lock Haven has donated two vintage street lights which had been on Main Street and in Veteran’s Park and are the style of those seen in photos of early Lock Haven. Similar light poles are installed in Canal Park. We plan to refurbish one with parts of the other and convert it to solar power.

New to the Collection

We’ve received a large amount of reproduction Civil War uniforms, blankets and ladies’ dresses from the family of Ron Cryder. These were used by Battery “B” in reenactments and will be available for loan for events once we inventory and evaluate the collection.

A medallion dated Oct. 14, 1994 , the initial celebration of the completion of the levee, was donated to our collection. It was given out at the initial ceremony at the Castanea picnic grounds to all the Senators, Congressmen, State Representatives Authority members, City Council, Woodward Township and Castanea Supervisors, as well as the general public.

From the Collection

By Kathy Arndt

A few weeks ago, a man “on a mission” arrived at the museum. His name was Bobby Karichner and he had come to the Heisey first in 2023 to see a Carnegie Hero Medal that had been donated to the Historical Society several years ago. At that time, the medal could not be located but Elaine Miller, our collections master, was persistent in her search and later located it. This time, Bobby’s mission was completed successfully. He then shared with us the story behind his request to see the medal.

Bobby was 5 years old on Feb. 10, 1965, when he fell through the ice on the canal where it entered the New York and Pennsylvania paper mill basin. Perry Courter, Sr., age 22, happened to see Bobby fall as he drove from his job at the Maremont plant in Mill Hall to his home in Castanea. Despite being unable to swim, Perry did not hesitate to try to save the child who was about 50 feet from the bank of the canal. He was able to get within about 10 feet of the boy before he, himself, fell into the water. After several attempts, Perry was able to reach Bobby. Although they both went under the water several times, he managed to get within several feet of a pier where some workmen were able to throw him a rope. Both were pulled from the water. Perry was taken to the hospital in the back of a police car in which he was riding face down on the back floor while a police officer was performing artificial respiration to force water out of his lungs. He was treated for exposure. Bobby, on the other hand, was taken to the hospital later by his mother and was just held overnight for observation.

For his heroism, Perry was presented with a watch and a plaque from the Local Union #1502, a plaque from Mayor Doug Peddie and members of the city council, as well as the Carnegie Hero Bronze Medal and $750 from the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission of Pittsburgh.

Our collection box containing the medal also held a plaque, the watch, several news articles, and a cigar from the dinner when the medal was presented. Hedy Englert, Rose Smith and Peg Rickert (Bobby’s sisters) have also come to the museum to see the medal and the other items.

Bobby, who now lives in Florida, was talking to a neighbor named Dean a few years ago. After several conversations, Bobby asked Dean his last name. When Dean said “Courter,” Bobby then relayed the story of his 1965 rescue by a man named Perry Courter. It turned out that Dean and Perry were related and Bobby was able to obtain Perry’s address in Pleasant Gap. In 2023, while in Lock Haven visiting his family and others, Bobby drove to Perry’s home, introduced himself, and thanked Perry for saving his life.

It is interesting to hear the stories behind the stories of our donated items and of the coincidental decisions that can change lives. Bobby lived because Perry happened to change his mind about his route home that day and ended up at the right place at the right time and the two were reunited 58 years later because Bobby happened to ask his neighbor his last name. History is made up of the stories behind the stories.