NEWS AND COMMENT BY HARRY E. WHIPKEY Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission On January 26, 1970, at 1:30 A.M. in Harrisburg Hospital, Airs. Gregory Gibson, known to the readers of "News and Com- inent" as Gail M. Gibson, introduced Mr. Geoffrey Glenn Gibson as a 7 lb. 1 ounce future historian. HISTORICAL SOCIETIES "The Influence of Geological Features on the Campaign and Battle -of Gettysburg" was the topic treated by Dr. Arthur Socolow, Geologist of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Frederick Tilberg at the December 2 meeting of the Adams County Historical Society. At the dictation of the weather, a January "recognition night" meeting and a February talk by Ralph J. Hoffacker on "Early Banking in Adams County" had to be cancelled. A lecture on "Allegheny Valley, the Indian Period" was pre- sented to the members of the Allegheny-Kiski Valley Historical Society on February 25 by Robert I. Lucas. On March 25, Lucas discussed "Kiskiminietas Valley, the Indian Period." Daniel Lardin is scheduled to speak on "The Pennsylvania Canal in WNIestern Pennsylvania" at the Jefferson Day Dinner on April 15. A program entitled "Antique Buttons" is planned for May 27. On January 25, members of the American Catholic Historical Society -of Philadelphia heard Paul Jones lecture on "The Irish Brigade in the Civil War," the subject of his book by the same ame. Included in the final lecture program of Berks County Historical Society's centennial year on December 7 was the awarding of two appreciation citations. The Reading Eagle Company, publisher of the Reading Times, Reading Eagle, and Sunday Eagle, was cited for its service in reporting the history of Berks County for 169 170 PENNSYLVANIA HISTORY more than a century and for its efforts to preserve the heritage of the county. Dr. John E. German, the society's director, re- ceived a citation for rendering outstanding service to the or- ganization. At their meeting on January 24, members of the Berwick His- torical Society elected the following officers: Dr. C. A. Newton, president; Dr. Hobart Heller, first vice-president; Ben E. Crispin, second vice-president; Mrs. Edna Powell, secretary; William 0. Crispin, treasurer; and J. J. Welliver, curator. Dr. James R. Sperry and Dr. Newton discussed the "Jaimison City Boom" in a luncheon talk. In action taken on November 25, the board of managers of the Blair County Historical Society voted to make a gift to the Lancaster County Historical Society of an 1880 picture of a Lancaster volunteer fire company. Terry A. McNealy, who is completing his graduate work in Library Science at Drexel Institute of Technology, has 'been designated library trainee for the Bucks County Historical Society. McNealy is writing "A History of Bucks County to the End of the Revolutionary War," to be published by the Bucks County Historical-Tourist Commission. During January and February, Rider College students, engaged in inter-session studies for which they received three academic credits, gained practical experience and provided a valuable -service by cataloguing and preserving the artifacts of the Marine Collection. A field trip to the Salem His- torical Society and the Hancock House will take place on April 22. An information sheet relating to Cambria County Historical Society's 'historical writing contest was issued on February 1. Thle purpose of the contest is to interest public and parochial senior high school students and college students in writing original papers about the noted persons or the important objects and events 'of the county's history. The winning papers in the two divisions, high school and college, will be read by the authors at the annual meeting in May. Mrs. Orange L. Mulhollen has been named curator. She -succeeds Miss Edna Lehman, who resigned in December after serving eighteen years. NEWS AND COMMENT 171 Bart Anderson, director of the Chester County Historical So- ciety for the past thirty-two years, submitted his resignation, for reasons of health, at the monthly meeting of the board of man- agers on November 4. Travis Coxe was named to succeed Ander- son, who will continue as assistant director. Meeting with the History Department of West Chester State College on March 17, members heard Donald Crownover, a graduate student at the college, read a paper on "The Stoves of Hopewell Furnace." Mrs. Ada Griffiths, a senior history major, presented a paper entitled "Eagle Forgotten-The N.R.A. in West Chester." Mrs. Elbert R. Moses, Jr., of Clarion, explained "Pittsburgh's Part in the Oregon Trail" at the February 10 meeting of the Clarion County Historical Society. Dr. Paul S. Schantz, president of the Historical Society of Cocalico Valley, recently explained that a program of awarding citations has been initiated in the hope of creating "a greater appreciation of the valley's rich architectural and cultural heritage." The society intends to stimulate preservation of historic sites regardless of whether or not the property is opened to the public. Recipients of the initial award are Mr. and Mrs. Morton Fry, who have restored their old (1764) Ephrata area farmhouse in a way that preserves "a historic landmark in accordance with the traditions of the original building." The annual dinner meeting of the Columbia County Historical Society on January 10 was highlighted 'by the signing of a contract under which the large collection ;of items owned by the society wXill in the future be displayed in a museum in the Bakeless Building of Bloomsburg State College. The meeting also featured an address by Dr. Eugene C. Bertin, president of the Muncy Historical Society. Bertin's topic was "Life in the Early Amer- ican Village." Philadelphia sculptor S. Joseph Winter has been commissioned bN the Conshohocken Historical Society to design a marker to commemorate General Lafayette's escape from the British at Barren Hill on May 20, 1778. Permanent copies of the design 172 PENNSYLVANIA HISTORY are to be erected along the route taken by Lafayette and his cony mand, from Barren Hill to West Conshohocken. The markers are to be dedicated and Lafayette's exploit commemorated on May 24. The Plymouth Meeting Historical Society will take part in the ceremonies. A lecture on "David Mead" was presented by Ken P. Williams, managing editor of the Meadville Tribune, at the November 20 meeting of the Crawford County Historical Society. The dis- course was the first of a series on "Our Pioneer Leaders." On January 28, Dr. Wayne Merrick, professor of political science at Allegheny College, discussed "Harm Jan Huidekoper, agent for the Holland Land Company." At a meeting on January 15, members of the Cumberland Count)- Historical Society heard Dr. Benjamin Nispel, of Shippensburg State College, talk on "Thomas Cresap and the Conejacular War." C. Richard Stover, a Carlisle banker, presented a paper on "Local Fractional Currency: Its History and Purpose" at the February 12 meeting. On March 19, Mrs. Martha C. Slotten explained "The McClintock Slave Riot of 1847." The Historical Society of Dauphin County met on November 17 to hear Dr. Morton Glise, minister of the Paxton Presby- terian Church, speak about "The Presbyterian Elder and Lawv and Order." In December, Dr. David H. Porter, Superintendent of the Harrisburg School District, arranged a program with guest speakers from the American Field Service. On January 19, Edwin Floyd, Jr., made use of the collection of Warren Harder, who was a writer, historian, and photographer in Harrisburg, to show slides of the Pennsylvania Canal. The Delaware County Historical Society announces that workc on the indexing of the Chester F. Baker Historical Note Books is progressing. Some 30,000 index cards have been typed. Mein- bers would like to see something done to improve the condition of the site where William Penn landed in the city of Chester. The sixth Open House Tour sponsored by Historic Delaware County, Inc., will take place on Saturday, May 9, from 10 to 5. The areas to be covered will be Aston and Concord Townships. NEWS AND COMMENT 173 The price is $3.50. It is expected that most of the proceeds will he used for the restoration of the 1785 country home of Thomas Leiper, a Scottish patriot of the American Revolution. The first eight-page issue of Elk Horn, official publication of the Elk County Historical Society, went to press in the middle of February. Former issues have consisted of four pages each. The paper, edited by Miss Alice L. Wessman, is widely read throughout the county, as well as in a number of states outside of Pennsylvania, and in several foreign countries. The Ephrata Cloister Associates report that twelve letters from the Sisters ABC Book of Letters have been retouched and printed by professionals and are available for purchase. The letters are: H, K, L, M, N, O, Q, R, T, U, W, Y. Appropriate for framing they are done in a rich brown ink on ivory card stock and are faithful reproductions of the ornate-bordered hand-drawn letters. Cost for letter is $1.75. Approval has been given for the re- touching and printing of the remaining letters. The annual meeting of the Erie County Historical Society was held on February 11 in the recently restored "Cashier's House." This structure, along with the "Old Customs House," is now a state property and will eventually be furnished as a state his- torical museum. Featured on the program were Robert Taft, Who outlined the history of the early banks for which the "Cashier's House" and the "Old Custom House" were erected, and Herbert Heidt, who described the architectural aspects of the two buildings. Members of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania heard Dr. Don Yoder, of the Department of Religious Thought at the University of Pennsylvania, discuss "Problems in Pennsylvania German Genealogy" at the January 27 meeting.