The Union League of Philadelphia and the Civil War
Posted by Barbara Mitnick on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on The Union League of Philadelphia and the Civil War Share...read more
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Cyclorama Building
Posted by PA Heritage Staff on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on Cyclorama Building A landmark among the approximately 1,328 monuments, memorials, and markers at Gettysburg National Military Park (GNMP) since its dedication on November 19, 1962, the ninety-ninth anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, the Cyclorama Building was designed by architects Richard Neutra (1892–1970) and Robert E. Alexander (1907–1992). Neutra moved to the United States in 1923...read more
John White Geary’s White Star Identity Badge
Posted by PA Heritage Staff on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on John White Geary’s White Star Identity Badge John White Geary (1819–1873) was a courageous individual who gallantly served his country, fighting in both the Mexican War of 1846–1848 and the American Civil War, and dutifully led his Commonwealth as governor for two consecutive terms, from 1867 to 1873. Born near Mt. Pleasant, Westmoreland County, he attended Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Washington County, from which he graduated in...read more
Woo Hong Neok: A Chinese American Soldier in the Civil War
Posted by Willis Shirk on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on Woo Hong Neok: A Chinese American Soldier in the Civil War In the popular imagination, the American Civil War is an extraordinary drama portraying the denouement of the exceptionally serious struggle to preserve the Union and end the institution of slavery. In the unfolding drama the actors on the battlefield, as well as on the home fronts in both the North and the South alike, are nearly always white or black Americans with a smattering of Native...read more
Harnessing the Power of the Wind: A Contemporary Use for a Historic Energy Source
Posted by Donald Giles on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on Harnessing the Power of the Wind: A Contemporary Use for a Historic Energy Source Much like the oil farms of the last century were for drillers and riggers, Pennsylvania’s wind farms are proving grounds for engineers and technicians as they harness wind power. The long-standing use of wind power that for centuries propelled sailing vessels has been transformed throughout the world to produce electricity. Farmers used wind power in the late nineteenth and early twentieth...read more
A Trio of Philadelphia Maritime Painters
Posted by Jim McClelland on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on A Trio of Philadelphia Maritime Painters Oceans and seas have long challenged civilization’s adventurous spirit. Sailors and their ships have struggled against billowing winds and sweeping tides, as well as fires, piracy, collisions, and warfare. All of this has been celebrated in story and song — and in works of art. Artists of the day captured both the beauty and the rigors of those wonderful ships in their coveted canvases. Three of...read more
African Americans and Civil Rights in Pennsylvania
Posted by Leslie Patrick on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on African Americans and Civil Rights in Pennsylvania Summer and swimming go hand in hand – or so thought the Creative Steps Day Care Camp. The camp’s leaders had signed a contract to use the pool at a private swim club, but when the children – 46 African Americans and ten Hispanics ranging from kindergarten through seventh grade – arrived for their summer swim, they were subjected to harsh criticism by some club members....read more
Mr. Peanut’s Hometown: Wilkes-Barre and the Founding of Planters Peanuts
Posted by William Kashatus on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on Mr. Peanut’s Hometown: Wilkes-Barre and the Founding of Planters Peanuts Few may realize it, but for nearly a half-century, the Luzerne County seat of Wilkes-Barre, in northeastern Pennsylvania, was the peanut capital of the world. Founded in 1906, the Planters Peanut Company operated its national headquarters at 632 South Main Street in an impressive two-story Federal-style building. A handsome balustrade encircled the roof of the elegant concrete edifice and was...read more
Marking Pennsylvania’s African American History
Posted by Michael O'Malley on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on Marking Pennsylvania’s African American History Charged with collecting, preserving, and interpreting more than three centuries of the Keystone State’s history and culture — as well as millions of years of its prehistory — the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) has launched a number of widely acclaimed, innovative, and popular public history programs over the years. One of its most popular is the state historical marker...read more
The Rise and Fall of “Young Napoleon”
Posted by William Kashatus on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on The Rise and Fall of “Young Napoleon” On Wednesday evening, November 13, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln paid a visit to the residence of George Brinton McClellan (1826–1885), who he had recently appointed general in chief of the Union Army. Located on Lafayette Square, near the White House, McClellan’s luxurious dwelling also served as his Washington, D.C., headquarters. Accompanied by Secretary of State William H. Seward...read more