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We have a new exhibit in the Poorman Gallery: Paul Mack's Trunk. Mr. Mack was a well-known and influential businessman in Lock Haven following WWII. His Army trunk is on display, with a short biography. You can explore his army equipment and learn why he has a "boulevard" named after him!
The LHU wrestling team members helped us set up for our indoor yard sale last month. We really appreciated their bringing boxes, beds, buggies and more from the Heisey attic to the Poorman Gallery! Thanks, Nick Stampoulus, Chase Burke, Anthony Noto, Wyatt Henson, Brock Mauller and Coaches Rob Weikel and Scott Moore!
We'll have an America250 window in the Give Back Shop on Main Street, reflecting an early American kitchen.
Thanks to all who patronized our successful sale. We enjoyed meeting you!
There are two events scheduled for July:
-- July 12: The Sally Ann Jarrett Story, Heroine of Gettysburg, 2-4 p.m., at the Poorman Gallery.
-- July 26: Light Up the Furnace with Van Wagner Story and Song, 2-4 p.m., at the Farrandsville Furnace site.
After learning about Lock Haven's history as they toured the levee, Woodward fourth graders toured the Heisey and its Ice House/Carriage House. They now know who Sally Ann Jarrett is, the subject of our July 12 program!
Kathy's description of the levee tour follows:
From the Collection
By Kathy Arndt
For the past few years, I have been privileged to share our city's history with many elementary school students. We met on the levee -- at the pavilion above the city beach -- and walked to the Heisey House Museum. At the pavilion, I have the students look toward the IC School while I describe what was located there in the past: the North American Refractories brickyard that had its own railroad spur and produced thousands of bricks per day. They are shown news article photos of the factory as well as of the original Catholic Church named St. Mary's on the site of the present church.
At the pavilion, the students also heard of the connection of Reverend Dr. Joseph Nesbit of the Great Island Presbyterian Church and of Maria Molson to the Underground Railroad in the city. Turning to view the current Church of Christ at the SE corner of Vesper and E. Water streets, the students heard of the city's Central Park, owned by the Lock Haven Band, that featured dances, cake walks and occasionally lions, tigers and bears when the circus came to town.
From the pavilion, we walked to the Fallon Hotel and the YMCA. There they heard the story of Queen Maria Christina of Spain. They guessed that the Queen received her fortune by selling land to the United States but were surprised to learn that the land was Florida. And they found it hard to believe that the YMCA, when it was located in the building that now houses Leo's Italian and Specialty Foods on E. Main St., featured a pool, a bowling alley and an auditorium.
The students are encouraged to ask questions and, luckily for me, I have known most of the answers. On the tour this year, one of the questions was about wooden structures the student had seen on the river bottom. That question, wonderfully timed, led into the importance of lumbering to the growth of Lock Haven in the mid to late 1800s. Those wooden pens were booms used to hold logs bound for local sawmills. Photos were shown of the river full of logs in booms and on rafts on the Lock Haven side and the Lockport side of the river full of free floating logs bound for mills in Williamsport and downstream. In the background of one of the pictures was a photo of the Lockport Hotel owned by the Hanna family. The kids' curiosity was captured by the photo of the hotel's 3-story outhouse.
Attention then focused on the pictures of the Jay St. covered bridge and the toll house. They learned the stories about the 1919 fire and the 1862 fire which burned from Fallon Alley down to Jay Street. At the steps down to Veteran Park, I had to convince many of the students that they could not roll down the hill. Normally, I would have continued my history stories to cover the canal, the church and the Native Americans but we ran out of time. Perhaps, if the fifth graders of Woodward Elementary come back for a tour, we can start at the amphitheater and walk to the dam while hearing all new stories.
The Historical Society has sponsored walking tours of the dike-levee, the 3000 block of First Ward from E. Water to E. Church streets and the downtown in the past. If any are interested in taking such a walk (for a fee), please contact the museum staff at 570-748-7254.
Enjoy your summer!