Native American Artifact Display Set For August 19th!
It was a wet and rainy day on July 22nd when this display was originally scheduled for. Therefore the decision was made to cancel the event. However, we have rescheduled for August 19th and we hope to see you there! It is always a lot of fun!
American House Owners Host Tuscarora Academy Fund-Raiser
Tom and Jeanne Cleck Reese, owners of the historic American House in East Waterford, hosted a Spring Fling, April 28, to benefit the Tuscarora Academy. The American House was built in 1790, and later served as a hotel to stage coach travelers and passengers on the Tuscarora Valley Railroad. The hotel hosted guests and served as many as 500 Sunday meals, under the ownership of Miss Grace Pannebaker, who passed away in 1960. The Reese’s gave a history of the building and talked of the restoration of the rooms and furnishings. Jeanne also told stories of local characters like the eccentric Doc Greenwood, and World War II veteran and cook Lehman Hampton. The couple have such a passion for this building that they bought it not just once, but twice. You’ll have to visit to hear that story!
More than 45 attended the fund-raising event. Docents in beautiful period-dresses from Jeanne’s vintage clothing collection guided visitors through the house. Attendees enjoyed tours, history and light refreshments at the event, which raised nearly $500 for the Tuscarora Academy. (Story and photos by Susanne Shearer)
Sue Eargle (left) and Shirley Covert visited the American House to attend the Spring Fling April 28.
American House owners Tom and Jeanne Reese hosted a fund-raiser benefiting the Tuscarora Academy.
Gwen Cleck, wearing a vintage dress, explained this was Miss Grace Pannebaker’s bedroom, the only room in the house that was never rented out.
Open By Appointment Only The Week of Memorial Day
The Juniata County Historical Society Archives Room will open by appointment only May 29 and 30, 2018, if a volunteer is available. Normal hours, Tuesdays 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and Wednesdays,10 a.m. – 1 p.m., will resume June 5. You may contact the Society at jchs1931@juniatacountyhistoricalsociety.org or 717-436-5152.
Archives Room Closed 3/21/2018
The Archives Room will be closed today 3/21/2018 due to the snow storm. Sorry for any inconvenience. If you need anything please call us at 717-436-5152 and leave a message or email us at jchs1931@juniatacountyhistoricalsociety.org. Stay home, stay warm, and stay safe!!
Spring Banquet set for April 11th. Reserve Your Tickets While You Can!!
The Juniata County Historical Society Annual Meeting and the Spring Dinner Program, will be held at 6:30 p.m., Apr 11, 2018 at Walker Grange, Mexico, PA. The menu for the program will be roast beef, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, California blend with cheese sauce and assorted cakes and ice cream. The price is $20 and any profit benefits the General Operating Fund. There will also be a 50/50 drawing. The deadline for dinner reservations and payment
is Apr 4, 2018. The Archives is in the lower level of the Juniata County Library building, Mifflintown. Effective Mar 6, 2018, volunteers work Tuesdays, 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Tickets will be given out for this dinner so if you are able, please stop by to pay for and pick up your ticket(s). If you mail your payment, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to have your ticket(s) sent to you. Call 717-436-5152 to make sure tickets are available before sending a check. Make checks payable to The Juniata County Historical Society and send to: 498 Jefferson Street, Suite B, Mifflintown, PA 17059.
The Juniata County Historical Society Annual Meeting and the Spring Dinner Program, will be held at 6:30 p.m., Apr 11, 2018 at Walker Grange, Mexico, PA. The guest speaker will be historian and author Cooper H. Wingert who will explore the history of the anti-slavery movement in South Central Pennsylvania.
Close to the Mason-Dixon line, that part of the Keystone State was a magnet for slave catchers and abolitionists alike. Influenced by religion and empathy, local abolitionists risked their reputations, fortunes and lives in the pursuit of what they believed was right. Women, alongside men, wrote protests, petitioned Congress and pioneered the Underground Railroad.
The sister of Benjamin Lundy, one of America’s most famous abolitionists, married into an Adams County family, and spent decades helping runaway slaves on the Underground Railroad. National figures such as Frederick Douglass toured the region, delivering anti-slavery orations to mixed receptions.
In 1859, John Brown planned his Harper’s Ferry raid from Chambersburg, where his identity was concealed by local abolitionists.
Wingert has authored 11 books including: Slavery and the Underground Railroad in South Central Pennsylvania; Abolitionists of South Central Pennsylvania; The Confederate Approach to Harrisburg: The Gettysburg Campaign’s Northernmost Reaches; and Harrisburg and the Civil War: Defending the Keystone of the Union. He received the 2012 Dr. James I. Robertson, Jr. Literary Award for Confederate History, has appeared on C-SPAN Book TV and Pennsylvania Cable Network, and is a student at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA.
Book image courtesy of Cooper H. Wingert.
