The Journal of the Lycoming County Historical Society, Summer 1988
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THE &/JOURNAL OFTHE lycoming County Historical Society VOIUMEXXVll SUMMER NUMBERONE 1988 B ckwbeatand ciaads, Ku%c)}liits, 1920,D. Vincent Smith Collection. JOURNAL of the INCOMING COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIE'lY Published SemiannuaLL) in WiLLiamsport, Ferns)Luanda Museum Office - 858 West lburth Street Telephone (Area Code 717) 326-3326 BOARD OFTRUSTEES RALPH R. CRANMER WILLIAM E. NICHOL, JR. HARjiY H.KING beal CaunieLor JOHN L.BRUCH,JR. JOHN B. McMURTRIE BOARD OFGOVERNORS JOHN E. PERSON 111, Pref/de / DR. JOHN P]PER, JR., ]1/ Hzc;e Prplz'de#/ ROBERT ESPOSITO. 2 Z HazePfeizde / DR. GEORGE DURRWACHTER, 3fZ Haze Prelz'de r JAMES R. WEHR, 7hajzrref EMILY REED, .yec;fe/ao DR ALFRED KOHLER, JezxeJ Score Hair/on2;a/.foc;ze/] RePreie /a/zz'e 1986-89 1988-90 HORACEH. LOWELL DR. JOSEPH ENGLISH MARVIN H.STAIMAN JOHN BEST KARLEIY MARY WELCH THOMASSHIVE'lTS JACQUELINE MURRAY PAMELAL. SHIPMAN MICHAELS CALLAHAN EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS JUNIOR LEAGUE OF WILLIAMSPORT aaS. MEZ]7VDA }DIJ£T:H THE GREATERWILLIAMSPORT COMMUNITY ARTSCOUNCIL EUGENEE.LANDON VOLUMEXXVll SUMMER NUMBERONE 1988 l 'B MUSEUM STAFF CONTENTS Director Joseph J. Zebrowski President's Message Assistant to the Director Everett W Rubendall Educator Julia H. Sprinkle Editor's Letter MiriamS. Mix Gift Shop Manager and Receptionist What's New 7 Genealogists Albert J. lorsong NancyP. Inrsong PreservingYour Collection byJulia Sprinkle 8 Secretary Ricki L. Maietta GiHord Pinchot--Pioneer Conservationist.Part I RobertH. lbx Green Thumb Program Custodian by Stephanie Zebrowski 15 The Present Status of Wild Life in Central Pennsylvania c.1925 by Henry W. Shoemaker 23 Camping On a 'Bout Stream by Charles Inse MUSEUM VOLUNTEER STAFF 29 The Closed House Curatorial Departments by Henry W. Shoemaker 33 Archaeology James P. Bressler, Curator Richard P.Johnston Signs of French Contact on the West Branch of the Susquehanna Karen Rockey by Clark B. Kahler 38 Ricks Maietta Archives Dorothy Berndt, Curator Grace Fleming May Francis Firearms and Edged Weapons William W. Kennedy, Curator D. Vincent Smith Photograph Harry L. Rogers, Curator Collection Paul Bennett Textiles Jane Ingersoll, Curator Christine Brown Patricia Inckspeiser =oy Trains Pastor Robert logan, Curator Robert Paulhamus Ronald Paulhamus Thomas Paulhamus Historians Civil War A. George Lyon World Wars I and ll David Kristopher Angle /OZ]R.N,'If Editor Stephanie R. Zebrowski 2 LE'l'TERFROM THE EDITOR PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE As you might glean from perusing the pages of the/Ot/RNAZI, our theme is the Dear Fellow Members: environment. We have serious problems facing us as we move toward the next century. Since the last edition of the/O(/R/VHf, there have been both pleasing and some- Acid rain is destroyingforests throughout New England in the higher elevations.We what disappointing developments at the Museum. The pleasing developments are the have problems here in Pennsylvania, too. I can see a diHerence in some of the streams continued improvementof our collection and the excellentresults of the addition of I am familiar with suchas diminished number of native speciesof mish,and in some our Educator.On the other hand, our summeradmissions were well below last year caseslack of any fish at all. There are streams in the Susquehanna watershed so ejected due to a decreasein bus tours. by mine acid as to be completely devoid of any plant life, much lessHash. Many of The Museum collection is being continually upgraded by Director Joe Zebrowski our streamslost their capacity yearsago to handle the annual spring thaws and fall and the Museum staff. A new Little LeagueBaseball exhibit and the 1900 Street Scene rains. Even our annual rainfall has diminished to alarming levels while average tem- have been completed. Efforts are continuing to improve exhibits with new labels, and peratures are climbing. We have been told that there is a growing hole in the ozone work is continuing on the Greek Revival Room. As intended, more of the photographs layer about the earth with ever-increasing rates of skin cancer as a result. Some scien- from our extensiveVincent Smith collectionhave been included in our exhibits tists believe that we, or our children, may seethe ultimate demise of the human race as radioactive elements seep into our atmosphere, borne about our globe on the winds. I am pleasedto report that our new Educator,Julia Sprenkle,is working out quit! well. Her monthly programsfor both adults and children havebeen interesting and I do not believethat the situation is lost, though it is fair to say that things do well attended. Shehas also edited our new SocietyNewsletter which is not only informa- not look too good. The rain forestsof the Amazon are giving way to the lumbering tive but enlightening as well. I invite eachof you to take advantageofJulia's ''Satur- practices once pursued here in Pennsylvania and the great Amazon River is sick. lwonder day at the Museum '' programs. if most people even understand where the oxygen necessaryfor life comes from. How As noted. our bus tour businesswas lower than expectedthis summer which has many of us humans understand what the necessaryelements are for cooling the earth? resultedin a significantdecrease in our revenues.We hope to remedythis financial Instead we hear that chemicals are making our life easier. I remember what life was setback by a membership drive and various fundraisers. Our membership drive chaired like before polyester and PCB's. I remember what it was like to wait the two hours by volunteer KathyJohnson will be underway by de time this/Ot/RNAf is published. it took to roast a piece of meat. It seemswe are living in an instant world. I would askall existing membersto help recruit new members,not only.during the But is this an appropriatetopic for an historical journal? it is when you realizethat membership drive, but all year 'round. Without a growing, involved membership, our the conservation movements beginning to take shape throughout the country are not Society and'the Museum cannot survive. Our Museum is truly one of unsung and rela- new. They have old roots right here in Pennsylvania. Girard Pinchot was the founder tively unknown resourcesof Lycoming County. It is one of the finest Museumsin the of a world-wide conservation movement that has been steadily growing since he pro- stateand one of which we should be proud. As members,I ask eachof you to promote posedthat first congressunder reddy Roosevelt'sadministration. It is people like Henry the Museum and promote membership in the Society. Shoemakerwho wrote and spoke on the subject in the 1930's,and Chades Inge who We planned two fundraisers for the fall. ''A Taste of the Valley,'' involving the sam- helped to spreadthe word, ''take care or it will be gone tomorrow.' pling of food prepared by various area caterers and restaurants was held on November 6. 1988.A CollectiblesAuction will be held at a later dare. ''A Tasteof the Valley It is poignant to rememberthe likes of Gi#ord Pinchot, especiallyin the #terglow was a great successand the auction should be a fun event. More information on the of the devastationof westernforest fires and the damageto our atmosphere.If you auction will be forthcoming. Hopefully, all of you will plan to attend. will recall, our own skieswere a6ected by the smoke of Yellowstonethis summer. Pinchot believedthat conservationof natural resourceswas a world issuethat would bring about I ask each of you to make an extra eKort to become more involved with the Museum world cooperation and eventually peace. I hope that this will be so as my children enter and the Historical Society.We have a facility and a Societyof which we should be a world of chemicalpollution and AIDS, the threat of nuclear war and world starva- proud. Pleasebecome involved in recruiting new members and in supporting Museum tion looming closer,with cancer-causingcorn molds and governmentplants leaking activities such as our programs and fundraisers. It takes work to keep a local Museum radiation into water sources. We are warned that mercury pollution makes bay seafoods operating from generation to generation, but the results are well worth the eHort. With dangerous to eat while we are warned about cholesterol. I look at my husband and your help the Lycoming County Historical Museum will be enjoyedby generations to come. hope that I will never see any elects of Agent Orange in him or our children The example is here to follow. The Pinchots and Shoemakers, the Irises and many, many others have blazed a trail. All we have to do is follow it and preserveit. John E. Personlll I would alsolike to mention that like our environment, our HistoricalSociety needs President caretoo. We have a beautiful museum, but it must have funds to preserveit. True, there wi]] be no ''devastation'' should our organization fail. Who knows,within a decade or two. most folks wouldn't even know that we were ever here. But. that is not what we want to seehappen. We could be a force here projecting a heritage into the future. 4 5 Some say if only the lessons of history could be learned. It takes someone to point to thosevoices of experienceto shapethe future. We arethe voicesof experienceand WHAT'S NEW that someone.I remember an outing withjim Bresslerlast winter. Here was the guru of archaeology surrounded by his followers, as much interested in the present as in the past, an example to us all. I urge each of you to take that same kind of interest. Help support us with dona- tions, by soliciting new members and visitors, join the docent program. Become involved and help us to breathelife into the future. Stephanie Zebrowski Editor Sandy Rife, pictured above, has been busy sculpting the head of photographer D.