Letters to the Editor

Preservation Plaudit

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Brent D. Glass’s article “Presence from the Past: A Gift to the Future Through Historic Preservation” [fall 1996]. It is an excellent overview of the historic preservation movement in Pennsylvania, acknowledging the work and effort of many individuals and organizations, and stating challenges that face us all. I am encouraging all our staff members and docents to read your article.

Louise Sturgess
Pittsburgh, Pa.

Louise Sturgess is executive director of Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation.

East is East

Our family thoroughly enjoys reading your informative magazine. We learned about Pennsylvania Heritage through an uncle of mine, who was a resident of Bedminster in Bucks County until his death [see “Ben Solowey” by Peter Frengel and David Leopold in the summer 1990 issue]. His wife, Rae Landis Solowey’s family is from Harrisburg. Our family would appreciate more articles on fine arts or performance arts in Pennsylvania, especially eastern Pennsylvania. Another keen interest of ours is the settlement and development of Jewish communities in the Commonwealth. Thank you for the wonderful work your staff is doing both in the articles and the great collection of photos, maps, and other illustrations.

Dorothy E. (Solowey) Shanfield
Worthington Hills, Ohio

And West is West

I enjoy the magazine very much, read it cover to cover. I am a native Pennsylvanian, age 93, and I’d like to see more stories on western Pennsylvania. I’ve lived in Allegheny County all my life, from the days of oil lamps and outdoor privies. In the early days, even before my time, was the Whiskey Rebellion, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Frick, Henry Mancini and Honus Wagner, the greatest baseball player of all time – all from Allegheny County. The inclines, the Mexican War streets, the Cathedral of Learning-our history goes on and on.

Wilma Paul
Carnegie, Pa.

Discovered Treasures

Thank you for featuring the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies and “Hidden Treasures,” our twenty-fifth anniversary exhibition in the “Currents” section of the summer 1996 issue of Pennsylvania Heritage. Your support will assist our mission to actively promote understand­ing and respect for America’s ethnic, racial, and immigrant diversity.

Joshua E. Liss
Philadelphia, Pa.

Joshua E. Liss is development and public relations coordinator for the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies, Philadelphia.

Cool Cresson

As an expatriate Pennsylvanian I enjoy all of your magazine. Since my retirement in Colorado Springs, I have made a study of the founder of the city, Gen. William J. Palmer. Palmer was confidential secretary to J. Edgar Thomson on the Pennsylvania Railroad [see “The Great­est Highway to the West” by John C. Van Horne in the fall 1996 issue]. In 1857 he persuaded Thomson to come out and “they went up to cool Cresson” where they “partook of an excellent dinner, rolled a couple of ten-pins, drank from a spring of mountain water, as pure and cold as I have ever tasted.” So the Pennsylvania [Railroad) knew about the summer attraction of Cresson long before the hotel in your recent article. I was born in Carlisle, so I also enjoyed the Jim Thorpe article [see “A King Crowns the World’s Greatest Athlete” by William C. Kashatus in the fall 1996 issue]. Keep up the good work.

Colonel Robert O. Rupp
Colorado Springs, Colo.