The Paoli Local and the Birth of Pennsylvania’s Main Line

Posted by on Mar 11, 2022 in | Comments Off on The Paoli Local and the Birth of Pennsylvania’s Main Line “In the year 1857, when the Columbia Railroad passed into the possession of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company . . . the local travel was very light, very few of the business men of the city having residences out of town,” wrote William Hasell Wilson (1811–1902) in his memoir of life as a railroad engineer. During the rest of the 19th and 20th centuries, Wilson, his family and the Pennsylvania...
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Trailheads

Posted by on Dec 1, 2021 in | Comments Off on Trailheads When we rang in 2021, Pennsylvania’s Trails of History sites had been closed to the public for nine months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Maintenance and security staff had continued to report to sites to perform their duties, while others of us had adapted to telework. The new year dawned with hope of spring reopenings, and on April 30 sites implemented new public schedules designed to ease...
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Trailheads

Posted by on Aug 23, 2021 in | Comments Off on Trailheads After a long year of closure due to COVID-19, Pennsylvania Trails of History sites reopened to the public late this spring. Most sites operated on reduced schedules to allow staff extra time for cleaning and to help everyone get back into a routine. Visitors seemed eager to return, and they adapted to online reservations, timed tickets and mask requirements. By late June, the Wolf administration...
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The Health of the Commonwealth by James E. Higgins

Posted by on Jun 7, 2021 in | Comments Off on The Health of the Commonwealth by James E. Higgins The Health of the Commonwealth A Brief History of Medicine, Public Health, and Disease in Pennsylvania by James E. Higgins Temple University Press/The Pennsylvania Historical Association, 138 pp., paperback $19.95 The history of public health and medicine is more important now than ever. As Pennsylvania weathers global pandemics and health crises, it is essential to understand how our current...
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Community Initiative Awards Honor Historic Preservation Successes

Posted by on Mar 25, 2021 in | Comments Off on Community Initiative Awards Honor Historic Preservation Successes The Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO) has announced its Community Initiative Awards for 2020. These awards recognize individuals, organizations, municipalities, agencies and others for their hard work and dedication in achieving preservation successes throughout the commonwealth. The awards are a program of PA SHPO’s innovative statewide historic preservation plan,...
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Trailheads

Posted by on Mar 25, 2021 in | Comments Off on Trailheads As 2021 comes into focus, PHMC’s Trails of History sites are providing exceptional service to the public through online offerings. The annual celebration of Charter Day, Pennsylvania’s birthday, will take place online. Our sites and museums continue to build their portfolios of virtual programs and tours, from lectures to trivia nights to online exhibits. Follow PHMC or your favorite site’s...
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Trailheads

Posted by on Feb 10, 2021 in | Comments Off on Trailheads What is there left to say about 2020? In previous issues, we’ve chronicled the response of PHMC’s Trails of History sites to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of early October, it looked unlikely that sites would reopen by the end of the year. The uncertainty surrounding reopening sites and welcoming visitors in person has caused a great deal of frustration on all fronts. Nevertheless, our staff and...
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Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation Newsletter

Posted by on Dec 30, 2020 in | Comments Off on Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation Newsletter Topics in the Fall 2020 Newsletter: PHF Broadens Range of Programs to Support Pennsylvania History PHF Welcomes New Board Members America250PA to Select Advisory Committee Members  ...
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Trailheads

Posted by on Dec 30, 2020 in | Comments Off on Trailheads Here we are again. As of mid-July, PHMC’s Trails of History sites and museums remain closed to the public amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Special events and programs, including Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum’s Herb & Garden Faire, the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum’s Bark Peelers’ Festival, and Somerset Historical Center’s Mountain Craft Days, have been canceled. Grounds reopened with...
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From the Executive Director

Posted by on Dec 23, 2020 in | Comments Off on From the Executive Director Our country is experiencing significant growing pains right now. The challenge we thought we had been facing solely with the COVID-19 pandemic has been compounded by an economic downturn, civil unrest, and an overdue conversation about race. History, which had taken a back seat to a STEM-focused world, now finds itself at the center of these conversations. History offers lessons about the past...
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