Journal of the Lycoming County Historical Society, Fall 1976
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/ .'1 ./ THE JOURNAL OFTHE Lycoming County Historical Society VOLUME Xll FALL NUMBER TWO 1976 JOURNAL of the LYCOMING COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Published SemiannuaLI) in WiLliamsl)ovt, Perms)luanda Museum Office - 858 West Fourth Street Telephone(Area Code 717)326-3326 BOARDOFTRUSTEES RALPH R.CRANMER A. F. BEIGHLEY WALTER J. HEIM WILLIAM E. NICHOLS, JR MICHAELLAGANA ROBERT D.SMINK JOHN R. SHARPLESS,JR. CURRENT SOCIETY PRESIDENT BOARDOFGOVERNORS ROBERT D. SMINK, Preszdenf EDWARD J. DURRWACHTER, ird rz'ce Pres JAMES P. BRESSLER,/sf }'zceFrei MRS. EDITH L. WRIGHT, Secretary LORING B. PRIEST, 2nd race Pres HAROLD B.TAYLOR,Treasurer 1975-1 977 TERM 1976-1978 TERM MRS.NORMANINGERSOLL MRS. JOHN W. BITNER MKS.JOHN LINDEMUTH SAMUEL J. DORNSIFE MRS. LEWIS M. SOARS WILLARD A. SCHELL EVERETT W. RUBENDALL CHARLESE.NOYES,SR EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS MRS. DONALD ALSTED, RE/)ROSEN'TH T/rE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF WILLIAMSPORT WILLIAM EALER - I)RES/DEN'T THE GREATER WILLIAMSPORT COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL DONALDM.CARSON HISTORICAL SOCIETY RETIRING PRESIDENT SOCIETYSTAFF fXECUT/}/E SECRETARY and EI)/TOR - MRS. KATHRYNJ. CLUTE VOLUMEXll FALL NUMBER TWO 1976 Extra Copies of The Journal Seventy-Five Cents Each l ] MUSEUM STAFF CONTENTS Dive ctor Andrew K. Grugan 4 Patricia Kahle Society Program for 1976-1977 Assistant to D{TectoT Greetingsfrom the President 5 The PennsylvaniaIndian's Broad Horizons ,4dm£nzsfratzue ,aide Jean Laylon by William A. Turnbaugh 6 A Gift Remembered by Mrs. Abraham H. Lopez 1 2 Apple Butter Boiling by BlancheShafer and Illustration by Walter Hartman 1 3 Letter from William Hepburn to Mr. John Painter 1 5 Early Trails and Roads in Pennslrlvaniaby Gladys Tozier 1 6 MUSEUM VOLUNTEER STAFF Ninety-five Yearsof Beth Ha-Sholom by Benjamin Hirsh 2 1 The Squire Hays Homestead 2 9 View of Restored Interior Genealogist ,Mrs . Donald M . Carson Colonial Landmark Preservedin Lycoming County 3 0 The Centennial Observedin Williamsport 3 2 Registration Committee Miss June Foresman Chairman Mrs. Stanley Bassett Miss Ethel Ertel COVER PICTURE: a, b, blades or points; c, cache blade; d e, bladelets: Mrs. FrederickSnell f, platformpipe; g, wolf effigypipe; h, i, two viewsof incised ef6lgy (PLATEXX of Man, Land and Time by WilliamA Turnbaugh). Operation Museum Andrew K. Grugan Pubticit) and Public Relations Andrew K. Grugan GeneTat Restoration Philip N. Gould 6:CX.(D...233 6:XC)...z}3 6:CS.MM 6 Cuvatoviat Departments Ge7teTa! CuTatov Andrew K. Grugan ,4rchaeo/ogy James P. Bressler, Chairman Willard Schell William Turnbaugh Avchiues and Records Miss Gladys Tozier, Chief Mrs. Richard P. Foresman RECENT LIFE MEMBERS Miss Jean Little During the past year the Historical Societyhas added twelvenames to its Miss Phyllis Briel list of Life Members: MissMargaret C. Brown Miss Elsie Harding Education Mrs. Frances T. Davis Andrew K. Grugan Mrs. Lucille P. Metzger Dr. and Mrs. (;eorge A. Durrwachter Miss Grace Irene Pealer Dr. June E. Baskin Miss Helen Foucart Miss Gladys Tozier Mr. and Mrs. A. William Gehron Mrs. George Walters Industv) Francis Maneval Life. Membership payments of $150 are placed in the Lycoming County Historical Society Trust Fund. The income f;om each member's contribution M£nera/s Lewis Harper returns to the Societyevery year the equivalent of the annual dues. Textiles Mrs. Norman Ingersoll Mrs. Edith Wright Mrs. Leslie Painton l ''1 4 5 SOCIETY PROGRAM FOR 1976-]977 September16, 1976,8 p.m Presentation to the Society of the flag of the local chapter of the Spanish November1 , 1976 American War Veteransand a PennsylvaniaState flag which was flown at the Dear Members: South Pole. Mr. Andrew Grugan will relate the history of the flags on display from the permanent collection of the museum It is with regret that we announce the resignation of Mrs. Kathryn J. Clute as Executive Secretary of the Society and Editor of the Journal, effective August, 1976. October 16. 1976. 9 a.m Kathryn has been a very loyal, dedicated, and efficient officer for the past six years Organizational and group interest meetings of the North Central Pennsylvania and has contributed much to the program and work of our organization during her Historical Association to be held at the Genetti Lycoming Hotel. Mr. James tenure in office. We deeply appreciate her fine work and wish her well. C. Humps will be the luncheon speaker We were fortunate to find a very capable person, Miss Dorothy E. Shultz. to replace Mrs. flute. Many of you already know Dorothy, and I am sure all of you November18, 1976,8 p.m will soon recognizeher as a valuable addition to our staff. Lycoming PresbyterianChurch Choir will present 'A Bicentennial Tribute You have already received announcement of the programs for the 1976-1977 featuring music of periods of American history season. Please plan to attend as many of our meetings as possible. On October 16 our Society was host for a meeting of over ninety interested November20. 1976 members of historical societies in North Central Pennsylvania which resulted in the A fifty-milebus tour of sitesof local historicinterest will be conductedby organization of the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Historical Association. Mr. Andrew Grugan. Objectivesof this new organization include promotion of wider awarenessof historical treasures in the area, the enlistment of financial aid for their preservation, December2, 1976, 8 p.m and gaining support from legislatorsand public officials for zoning and sustaining Annual Christmas program featuring ''Religious Freedom in America and properties of historical significance. The following officers were elected: Thomas R. the opening of a month-long exhibit on the samesubject Deans, president; Thomas T. Taber, 3rd, George L. Fisher, Everett R. Mclaughlin, and Charles M. Snyder, vice presidents; Craig N. Newton, January 20, 1977,8 p.m. corresponding secretary and newsletter editor; Miss Linda Mensch, recording Mr. James P. Bressler will speak on the subject 'Recent Archaeological secretary and Robert D. Smink, treasurer. Speaker for the noon luncheon was Findings in Lycoming County. James C. Humes, author, historian, lecturer, and speechwriter, and a former presidentof our Society.You will be kept informedof the progressand plans February 17, 1977, 8. p.m of the new Association To be announced later The Director of our Museum, Mr. Andrew K. Gnigan, continues to receive accoladeson the quality, educational value and significance of the exhibits he March 23, 1977,6:30 p.m prepares. During the summer vacation months of June, July, and August, more Dinner meeting at Eldred Township Fire Hall, Warrensville. Dr. Homer T. than 3,500persons toured the Museum.Many of thesewere "on the road'' Rosenberger will speak on ''Highlights in the History of the Philadelphia becauseof the Bicentennialand came from all over the United Statesand beyond. and Erie Railroad The concensusof thesefolks was that our Museumis superiorto many,if not most, museumsof larger size. April 21, 1977, 8 p.m The problem of a balanced budget remains with us. While our efforts Annual meeting; program to be announced during the past year have helped to increase all classesof our membership, our costsof operationand maintenancestill far exceedour incomein membershipfees and grants from various sources. At present we are seeking to make up this deficit by contributions to a prize drawing. Please support this effort which was explained to you in our recent letter to the membership. We hopeto haveyour continuedinterest and supportfor our effortsto maintain the Museum as a valuable educational and cultural assetof our area. Sincerely yours, Robert D. Smink. Ppeszdenf Lycoming County Historical Society '1 6 7 vania's physical landscapealone was however. now about a half mile THE PENNSYLVANIA INDIAN'S BROAD HORIZONS enoughto offer the white settler a in width, and the streamflowed By William A. Tumbaugh psychological and physical deterrent to now against this and then against Westward expansion. the other mountain,among the (An addresspresented at the Lycoming County Historical Society rocks. There was considdtable meeting, January 15, 1976.) In 1737. for instance. the famous danger of freezing our feet, as ambassadorto the Indian nations. Con we were often obliged to cross Introduction the (waist-deep) stream, and had Upon their arrival, however,most rad Weiner, somewhat reluctantly became of the newlanders were content to occupy no space to keep our feet warm the first whiteman to travelup the by exercise.... We had to suffer What can be known of Penn- the fringes of the continent. Their settle- Lycoming Creek valley. He was on his from excessivecold. because the sylvania's Indians comes to us largely ments hugged the coast and bays from way from present-day Shamokin to New hard frozen snow was still from the writings of the early settlers, the rocky shores of New England to York's Finger Lakes region to attend a eighteen inches deed in the missionaries and traders who had contact the sandy margins of the Carolinas. great council, and his accountof the vanJey, and. .prevented us from with them, or perhapsthrough the Villages and towns were invariably small trip suggestsa less-than-enthusiastic first walking rapidly.... The woodwas findings of anthropologistsand archaeo- in area, though the housesmight be so thick. that for a mile at a impression of the backwoods: time we could not find a place logists who have studied the first closely clustered behind the protective the sizeof a hand. wherethe Pennsylvaniansduring the past nifty stockadewalls. Activity was confined