Juniata County Historical Society’s

2012 Educational Calendar

 These programs are presented in cooperation with the Juniata County Library and will be held in the Library’s lower level conference room unless otherwise noted.

 January 16, 2012   1-3pm  by Steve Runkle

Native American Life in the Susquehanna River Basin Region – (45 minutes)

This presentation gives an overview of Native Americans and their life in the Susquehanna River Basin Region during the 17^th and 18^th Centuries.  The various tribes that inhabited the Region are discussed.  The presentation reviews Native American physical appearance, dress, dwellings, travel, occupations, hunting and fishing techniques, warfare, government, religion, medicine, and amusements.  (Note: An audio recording of Iroquois songs is played as an introduction to this presentation.  Upon request, this presentation can include a hands-on display of wildlife furs, trade goods, and war clubs used by the region’s Eastern Woodland Native Americans.)  A question and answer period follows the presentation. 

Register by Jan 11th; seating limited to 40; call Archives Room 436-5152 on Tuesday or Wednesday 9-3 pm to register, admission free; donations accepted.  

Steve Runkle is a volunteer speaker with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission’s Public Information and Outreach Program. He is a retired Hydraulic Engineer and Engineering Supervisor with the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection.  He also served as an independent contractor with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission in the field of water resources engineering. 

 January 23, 2012   1-3 pm by Steve Runkle

Native American History of the Susquehanna River Basin Region during First Contact with Europeans – (1 hour)

This presentation describes the chronology of events that occurred during the exploration and early settlement of the Susquehanna River Basin Region by Europeans.  Seventeenth and early 18^th Century competition between the various European colonial powers in the Region is reviewed.  The physical appearance and dress of area Native Americans is discussed.  Personalities described include Giovanni de Verrazano, Captain John Smith, Pocahontas, Samuel de Champlain, Etienne Brule, Thomas West, William Penn, Thomas Penn, Conrad Weiser, and Shickellamy.  (Note: An audio recording of Iroquois songs is played as an introduction to this presentation.  Upon request, this presentation can include a hands-on display of wildlife furs and war clubs used by the region’s Eastern Woodland Native Americans.)

A question and answer period follows the presentation.  Register by Jan 18th; seating limited to 40; call Archives Room 436-5152 on Tuesday or Wednesday 9-3 pm to register, admission free; donations accepted.  

Steve Runkle is a volunteer speaker with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission’s Public Information and Outreach Program. He is a retired Hydraulic Engineer and Engineering Supervisor with the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection.  He also served as an independent contractor with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission in the field of water resources engineering. 

 Saturday, February 25, 2012   9 am - 3pm

Genealogy 101 – Beginner’s Genealogy by Donna Zinn

A beginners Genealogy Workshop will be held in the Archives Room of the Historical Society, located in the lower level of the Library.  Morning hours [9 am – noon] will focus on  beginning research using the resources in the Archives Room which include: family/surname files, published family genealogies, census and tax records, cemetery, obituary and marriage records, Civil War Veterans files, and estate records.  Afternoon hours, 1 – 3 pm will be devoted to research; volunteers will be available to assist participants.  Participants are responsible for their own lunch, from noon – 1 p.m. A list of local restaurants and directions will be provided if necessary.  Cost of workshop is $10 for non members and $5 for JCHS members.  Non-member participants will have the option of converting their workshop fee into an Individual Membership for an additional $10 or will be given a voucher for a free day of research in the Archives Room worth $5.  Registration and payment is required by Feb.22^nd. Class size is limited to 16.  The snow date for the class will be March 31, 2012.  Checks will be held, and if a person is unable to attend on the snow date, it will be returned to them.

Donna Heller Zinn, has been a family researcher for more than 20 years, she is a board member of the Perry Historians, a member of their research committee, editor of their newsletter and organizes their speaker’s program “Perry Historians Special Presentations”.        

 March – Date and topic to be determined

 April 18, 2012, 6:30pm Walker Grange, Mexico, PA  JCHS Spring Banquet, Election of Officers and Educational Program.    Bruce Teeple will present his program about moonshiners in Central Pennsylvania.  “Images of the moonshiner and bootleggers have captured the popular imagination for over 300years.  Many myths have grown up about one family in particular, the Farringtons of central PA, who operated during the first half of the 20^th century.  Their illicit liquor traffic satisfied markets stretching from Williamsport and Lock Haven to Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Washington DC.  Countless stories have come down through the years attesting to the Farrington’s widespread, home grown philanthropy at a time when social and financial safety nets did not exist.  Mr. Teeple is preparing a book for publication entitled

“As Good as a Handshake, the Farringtons and the Political Culture of Moonshine in Central Pennsylvania”.

 Reservation deadling will be posted closer to the time of the program.