Look at what's to see and do at Beaver County History Celebration Weekend
Beaver County's rich tapestry of history gets the spotlight May 6-7 at History Celebration Weekend, with special activities happening at about 20 historical sites countywide.
This year's theme: "How We Made a Living."
Brenda Applegate, executive director of the Beaver County Historical Research & Landmarks Foundation, said "This is our 15th year for the sites working together to have a weekend promoting the history of Beaver County."
Things to see and know for Beaver County History Celebration Weekend:
Air Heritage, Inc. Museum and Aircraft Restoration Facility
35 Pipe St., Chippewa Township.
Commercial aviation pilots or certified Airframe and Power Plant mechanics who volunteer will give first-hand information on repairing and flying vintage airplanes such as the two certified Warbirds kept in air-worthy condition at the site. Career information will be available.
History Weekend Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
More info: 724-843-2820 and airheritage.org
B. F. Jones Memorial Library
663 Franklin Ave., Aliquippa.
Seventy-five years of history is archived in the library that showcases the diversity of Aliquippa millworkers and their contributions to community growth. Photographic displays of the various churches, civic clubs, events, parades conveyed the lives of the workers and their families. Tours of this National Register of Historic Places will showcase the architectural features such as plaster casts, stained glass windows, carvings and the statue of B.F. Jones.
History Weekend Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
More information: 724-375-2900 or beaverlibraries.org/aliquippa.asp
Beaver Area Heritage Museum
1 River Road Ext., Beaver.
Located in the repurposed P&LE Freight station, the museum highlights the occupations of a physician, chief justice of the Supreme Court, opera singer and one notable and debatable citizen that were once residents of the Beaver area.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; 1-4 p.m. Sunday.
More info: 724-775-7174 and beaverheritage.org
Beaver County Genealogy and History Center
Beaver Station, 250 East End Ave., Beaver
Over the years, hospitals were built, expanded, closed and merged leading to both loss of local community hospitals and great pride in modern new facilities. Tracing the history of our Beaver County hospitals will be photos, pins, badges and related nursing and hospital materials. Featured will be the Providence Hospital School of Nursing Graduate index card collection from 1915 through 1957 and the new Aliquippa Hospital Scrapbook and photo collection.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; 1-4 p.m. Sunday.
More information: 724-775-1775 and beavercountyhistory.org
Beaver County Industrial Museum
801 Plumb St., Darlington.
Over 39,963 employees of Aliquippa and Southern Railroad (A&S), Crucible Steel Company, Harsco Metals, J & L Steel and Moltrup Steel Products, have been identified and cataloged. This information includes where they worked, what position they held, when they were hired and retired and if they are still living. Visitors will be able to search the database.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday; 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
More info: 724-312-0831.
Beaver County Model Railroad and Historical Society
416 Sixth Ave., Monaca.
The HO scale model railroad layout winds its way through Beaver County as it showcases steel mills, factories, mines, cities, farms and residential areas. It also highlights the occupations of everyday people such as home builders, municipal workers, shop keepers and iron workers. See if you can spot the 1909 double-track cantilever bridge that currently spans the Ohio River and has a fascinating history.
History Weekend Hours: Noon to 5 p.m.
More info: 724-544-0739.
Beaver Falls Historical Society and Museum
Will be temporarily located for History Weekend at the Rochester Area Heritage Society Museum, Model Railroad and Fry Glass Rooms, 350 Adams St., second floor, Rochester.
Items and information will be available from the largest cutlery production in the country located in Beaver Falls in the late-1800s when Chinese workers were brought in from California and Louisiana.
History Weekend Hours: Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday; 1-3 p.m. Sunday.
Information: 724-774-6229 or 724-777-5890.
Colonial Dames XVII Century, Beaver Town Chapter
Vicary Mansion 1235 Third Ave., Freedom, for History Weekend.
Membership information will be available to interested women ages 18 and over. To qualify for membership, your ancestors must have been residing in the colonies by 1701.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; 1-4 p.m. Sunday.
Information: 724-774-4537 and leave a message.
Enon Valley Community Historical Society
1084 Main St., Enon Valley.
Celebrates the community becoming a mecca for railfans to take photos or videos of the former Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway, now Norfolk and Southern. The influx of immigrants brought a variety of occupations and businesses that supported the residents and the railroad, which included three hotels. Learn about a local farmer's patent for carrying hay and led to the development of other designs.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; 1-4 p.m. Sunday.
More information: 724-336-5194.
Fort McIntosh Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution
At Vicary Mansion 1235 Third Ave., Freedom for History Weekend.
Membership information will be available to interested women ages 18 and over. To qualify for membership, the applicant’s ancestor must have served during the American Revolutionary War.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; 1-4 p.m. Sunday.
Information: 724-774-4537.
H.C. Fry Glass Society
At Rochester Area Heritage Society Museum, Model Railroad and Fry Glass Rooms, for History Weekend, 350 Adams St., second floor, Rochester.
See 1,000 pieces of Fry Glass that includes art glass, industrial and domestic products, plus an original production motion picture continually running showing the workers in the Fry Plant. Learn about the plant, built in 1901, where workers produced acclaimed glass products using secret recipes. Those products included cut glass, etched glass, Fry Pearl Ovenglass, FOVAL, colored glass, crackled glass, and also made industrial chemical beakers, spark plugs, electric insulators, oven doors, windshields for Ford Motor Co. and glass inserts for the Fry Visible Pump made by The Guaranteed Liquid Measure owned and operated by H. C. Fry, North Rochester.
History Weekend Hours: Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday; 1-3 p.m. Sunday.
Information: 724-987-0335 and leave a message.
Ladies Grand Army of the Republic
At Hookstown Fair Grounds, 1198 State Route 168, Greene Township.
Information will be provided on how medical treatment has evolved since the Civil War.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Information: 724-407-8745.
Little Beaver Historical Society Complex
710 Market St., Darlington.
Special emphasis will deal with local farming operations both past and present. Miniature farm equipment and early farm literature will be on display, while a podcast of local farming will be available online.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday 1-4 p.m. Sunday.
Information: 724-843-4361 and littlebeaverhistorical.org
Logs Town Associates Historical Society
At Vicary Mansion 1235 Third Ave. Freedom, for History Weekend.
A variety of furs will be displayed from the Village of Logs Town, a prominent trading place that attracted both English and French traders. The native inhabitants would bring their furs to be exchanged for European goods such as lead, powder, sewing supplies, cloth, trade shirts, beads and objects made out of metal such as knives and hatchets. A “trader” will be available to explain these good and their importance.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; 1-4 p.m. Sunday.
McKinley School
McKinley Road and 37th Street Ext., Chippewa.
Learn about our early settlers and their day-to-day activities, when the township's first United Methodist Church was a log structure and the Trading Post sold eggs for 12 cents a dozen.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Information: 724-843-8177 and facebook.com/McKinleySchoolhouse.
Merrick Art Gallery and Museum
1100 Fifth Ave., New Brighton.
See how horses and the Merrick Art Gallery are related, with a look at how Dempster Merrick, the founder of the Merrick Art Gallery, was instrumental in the development of Standard Horsenail in New Brighton in the 1800s. Tools that were used to make horseshoe nails will be on display.
History Weekend Hours: Noon to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Info: 724-846-1130 and merrickartgallery.org
Monaca Hall of Fame
1098 Pennsylvania Ave., Monaca
Phoenix Glass Company artifacts, such as glass art, photos of the factory and workers, and items from 1880 to 1970 will be displayed, as well as glassware from the recent owners of Anchor Hocking and Stoelzle Glassware Group.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Information: 724-774-7320
New Brighton Historical Society
At New Brighton Public Library 1021 Third Ave., New Brighton for History Weekend.
Well-known collector Jeff Heasly will be at the library both days to display and share information about his extensive collection of New Brighton pottery, which will include ES&B, Sherwood and Enterprise. Also displayed will be bricks from New Brighton brickyards, items from Logan and Sturbridge Iron Co., and numerous artifacts and advertisements from New Brighton factories and companies.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and noon to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Information: 724-622-8877.
Ohio Valley Lines Model Railroad, Library & Museum
1225 Merchant St., Ambridge.
Count how many 1950s- and 1960s-type model train cars you see chugging past miniature landmarks.
History Weekend Hours: Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Info: 724-266-4787 and ohiovalleylines.org
Old Economy Village
270 16th St., Ambridge.
Learn about the Harmony Society, founders of the village, who were a very industrious group performing different trades in their town of Economy. Craftspeople will demonstrate historic 19th-century skills including blacksmithing, printing, textile making, woodworking and others. Visitors can try their hand at these trades to get a better understanding of how they worked.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Information: 724-266-4500 and oldeconomyvillage.org
Performing Arts Legends Museum
1426 Merchant St., Ambridge.
See artifacts from Beaver Valley/Pittsburgh musical greats like Jimmie Ross & The Jaggerz, The Skyliners, Vogues, Bobby Vinton, Perry Como, Granati Brothers, Lou Christie, B.E. Taylor, The Marcels, Henry Mancini, Norm Nardini, Etta Cox and Donnie Iris.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; 1-4 p.m. Sunday.
Info: PALMmuseum.org
Richmond Little Red School House
245 Park Road, Brighton Township.
It's "old-school," indeed, with a blackboard that is actually black, cursive writing, books instead of iPads, quaint desks, ink wells, a wood stove and other items that the teacher would have worked with while educating eight different grades in one room.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; 1-4 p.m. Sunday.
Information: 724-774-8292 and facebook.com/brightontownshiphistoricalsociety
Rochester Area Heritage Society Museum
350 Adams Street, second floor, Model Railroad and Fry Glass Rooms, Rochester.
Discover the legacy of the former Rochester General Hospital, and its role in the development of medicine and patient treatment over 80 years of service to the community.
History Weekend Hours: Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Information: 724-777-7697
Sons of the American Revolution, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
At Beaver Area Heritage Museum 1 River Road Ext., Beaver for history weekend.
Learn about life as a soldier of the 1st American Regiment at Fort McIntosh in 1784, when duties began at sunrise and with a cannon fire and roll call, continuing on with guard duty, work details, fort maintenance, chores and food preparation before any leisure.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; 1-4 p.m. Sunday.
Information: 724-775-7174 and beaverheritage.org
South Side Historical Village Association
Hookstown Fairgrounds 1198 State Route 168, Greene Township.
See a demonstration area with blacksmithing, woodworking, oil derrick pumping, plus a doctor, teacher, or shopkeeper earning their livelihoods.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; 1-4 p.m. Sunday.
Information: 724-573-4569 facebook.com/southsidehistoricvillage
Vicary Mansion
1235 Third Ave. Freedom.
The history of banking locally, with banking memorabilia and trinkets on display.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; 1-4 p.m. Sunday.
Information: 724-775-1848 and bchrlf.org
Geocache Series returns
This year's Beaver County History Weekend brings the return of the Geocache Series.
"This fun hunt is open to everyone, and you don't even have to know anything about geocaching," Jennifer Livingston, coordinator of the program, said.
Participants, joined by family or friends, will search for hidden boxes at 14 locations around Beaver County.
"Discover the fun trinkets inside the boxes, then explore the historical sites to answer questions for more entries into the grand prize drawing," Livingston said.
For more info visit bchrlf.org
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Lots to see and do at Beaver County History Celebration Weekend
