May—June 2019 Vol. MMXIX No. 3 Vol. MMXIX No. 3 Happening in May Saving Our Bees & What You Can Do to Help Sat., May 11 10 am to 12 pm FREE Happening in June Civil War Event The American Civil War was a Sat., June 1 10 am to 5 pm defining time in American history. Sun., June 2 10 am to 4 pm It separated states, families and FREE points of view on what this country should be. In 2019, it is Exhibit: “War Comes to the Mills” still important for Americans to June 15 to Oct. 10 understand why we fought, but Included on all tours - FREE also how the war impacted everyone from soldiers to those Exhibit: “Family Roots” waiting at home. Come to Thru Jan. 31, 2020 Above: Confederate artillery firing Pennypacker Mills on Sat., June 1 Included on all tours—FREE and Sun., June 2 to experience the during the battle. Civil War both from military and Vintage Base Ball at its Best! civilian perspectives. See the smoke and hear the blast Sun., June 23 1 to 3 pm FREE of artillery firing, Continued on Pg. 2 Page 2 Continued from Pg. 1. dress as they cook, the smoke rings demonstrate the use of drifting in the air, and herbs for medicine and the voices of cooking, sew and show commanders shouting fashions of the 1860’s. orders to the troops. Watch as each side Visit the Sutlers where maneuvers to win the Civil War era clothing, battle each day. books, furniture, and souvenirs are available for Besides the battle, sale. The Pennypacker there will be field Mills Museum Shop artillery (located on the mansion demonstrations, Above: Confederate troops take the field. porch) will also offer a Civilian Street great selection of toys, candies, demonstrations of everyday life, See soldiers in their military and books. Of special interest is, speakers will offer special encampments and walk through to “Six Weeks in Uniform,” written presentations, and especially for ask questions and explore camp life. by Samuel Pennypacker children, the “Be a Soldier” kid describing his time in the war as enlistment activity. Music Stop by and see ladies in period a young twenty year old soldier performances will be held on each who volunteered. day, from a brass band (Saturday) to a musician playing a variety of instruments (Sunday). Above: Participants in the “Be a Above: Civilian demonstrating Soldier” kid enlistment. baking at her tent. Above: Ladies’ fashions. Walk through the Pennypacker mansion and discover how Samuel Pennypacker joined an Emergency Militia at age 20 and became part of the Civil War. See family memorabilia about the War including military accoutrements of his cousin, Breveted Major General Galusha Pennypacker. The story of this family’s involvement in the Civil War is significant and will give visitors an up-close look at how Americans were involved in the War, both as soldiers and civilians. The mansion will be open throughout the weekend and will close just prior to the battle each day and will reopen afterwards. Free, suggested donation $2 per person. Page 3 Lucy Cadwallader Herb Kaufman Hair Jewelry Presentation Civil War Medicine Sat., June 1 & Sun., June 2 Sat., June 1 Time: 12 pm Time: 1 pm Location: Mansion Porch Location: Classroom Bldg. See a demonstration of hair Herb Kaufman has been a jewelry by reenactor Lucy teacher, lecturer and living Cadwallader. Using human hair, historian of the Civil War for more than 20 years. He Cadwallader creates intricate is a founding member of the faculty of the Civil War pieces of jewelry, such as Institute at Manor College, and an Adjunct Instructor bracelets, earrings, necklaces and brooches. She first of Civil War history at Camden County College. made hair jewelry 17 years ago, when she discovered The doctors and nurses who treated sick and wound- an interest in Civil War reenacting. At the time of the ed soldiers faced a daunting task: antibiotics and the American Civil War, hair jewelry became popular as science of bacteriology didn’t exist; crude sanitation women wore the hair of husbands and sons in brooches and polluted water were deadly. More soldiers died of and lockets, while soldiers may have a watch chain disease than of battle wounds. Military doctors had to made from the hair of a loved one back at home. become medical explorers. And why were there so many amputations? Find out more at this fascinating presentation. Actual Civil War surgical instruments, 28th Pennsylvania Regimental Band medicines and photographs will be used to provide a Civil War Era Music first-hand look at medicine during this time period. Sat., June 1 Time: 3:30 pm Location: Mansion Porch With a long history of serving during the Civil War, the Matthew Dodd 28th PA Regimental Band reconstituted in 2005 with a Songs & Stories of the focus on re-creating the field aspects and public experi- ences of their Civil War musical ancestors through living Civil War history re-enactments of GAR parades, visiting veterans’ Sun., June 2 hospitals, and participating in field events in the Greater Time: 10 am to 4 pm Delaware Valley area. The band consists of fourteen Location: Mansion Porch saxhorns and one percussionist using mainly Civil War era instruments. Dressed in period soldier's clothing, Matthew Dodd takes listeners back in time to feel what it was like to be a soldier, civilian, loved-one-at-home or escaped slave in the Civil War Era. Through period songs, excerpts from actual letters, and anecdotes (humorous and poignant) Matthew evokes the feelings and passions of that pivotal era of American history. Matthew sings, and plays acoustic guitar, harmonica, banjo and mandolin in an informal campfire or story circle setting. Page 4 Honey bees are absolutely fascinat- There are many ways people can ing insects. Few of us understand, help bees survive and thrive. One and more importantly, appreciate way is to learn about them and how all they do. they impact our quality of life. Most bees are pollinators, which Scott Famous, the Pennypacker means they help plants reproduce. Mills bee keeper, will be offering an Without bees, no new plants would interactive program on May 11 grow. Plants that require pollina- where he’ll share his knowledge on tion include the fruit and the vege- saving honey bees. This is a won- tables we eat every day. From ap- There are many reasons why bees derful way to educate children too ples to strawberries, from coffee to are disappearing. Insecticides, pol- so consider bringing them along. chocolate, from almonds to toma- lution of rivers and water sources, Weather permitting, Scott will toes, all these plants need pollina- pollution of the soil which contami- have a fully-enclosed live hive so tors or bees. It is estimated that nates plants, extreme climates, lack everyone can get up close. 30% of the world crops (and 90% of open space, less wild prairies, of the wild plants!) need an insect and the expansion of lawns, which Plan to attend this informative and like a bee to thrive. Without them, lack diversity. Bees are becoming fun program in the Classroom crops would die and the world weaker and die off faster. The re- Building. Bee there! would starve. sult? 40% of bee colonies died last year! Sat, June 15 thru Thurs., Oct. 10 Stop by to see a new exhibit George Washington ton and many of the hu- that will explore the en- brought his army onto the man interest stories that campment that took place property at Pennypacker took place. The exhibit at Pennypacker Mills during Mills. will be in the second floor the Revolutionary War. On bedroom where the own- September 26th, 1777, Phila- The exhibit will show arti- er of the property delphia fell to the British facts found on the proper- brought Washington a Army. Losing the capital ty, including an actual or- bowl of water each morn- usually meant losing the der from General Washing- ing to wash with. war. On that same day Page 5 Above: Map of the United States showing the route of the Transcontinental Railroad from Omaha to San Francisco. Source—Union Pacific Railroad Museum It’s hard for us today to imagine had only a vague idea of what lay not being able to easily travel from ahead. one coast to the other in a day. Un- til the transcontinental railroad The building of the transcontinen- was completed in 1869, bringing tal railroad became America’s goods, services, and people from greatest achievement of the 19th one coast to another meant going century. No one person or business around South America by boat or could have built it. It took the feder- making a hazardous trip over the al government to provide the finan- Isthmus at Panama and it took cial assistance, two Presidents months! More locally, it was at this (Lincoln and Grant), Big Business, time that local train travel also oc- Civil War engineers, and thousands curred and led to the establish- Above: Workers lay track for the of Irish and Chinese immigrants to ment of local communities such as transcontinental railroad. Source: build what would bind the country Schwenksville. Science Photography.com together. Today, we can see the obvious to 12 inches a day using round- Work was back-breaking. “There benefits of such a transportation the-clock shifts. Weather was a was not a fat man among them. system, however, in the mid-19th huge challenge. During the win- Their hands were tough enough for century there were numerous ter of 1866-7 there were forty- any job...no gloves!” “They were men roadblocks to be overcome and four snow storms.