Historical Society
May News
Quick Links Articles Last Updated: 9/6/10 |
Museum Hours:
Saturday and Sunday 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Special tours can be arranged by calling:
George Rutherford at 814.382.7761
Next Meeting Set for June 21st
Liberty the Second, Celebrating 25 years. Panel Discussion about the history of the boat and its future. Scheduled participants are: Brian Simpson and Bill Houghton, the two divers who brought the boat up from the bottom of the lake in 1985; Ted Watt, attorney who handled legal aspects with the state; Gary Worthington, mechanic who worked on the boat; and Alan Moss, society member to discuss its current and future plans.
Copies of the new book commemorating the 25th year anniversasry will be available for purchase. The 100-page booklet contains 60 pages of copy including many colored photographs and 40 pages of advertising. In addition to offset some of the printing costs, the boat also chronicles the history of the boat from 1922 to the present.
Cost is $10 plus 60 cents tax.
The meeting is open to the public, free of charge.
Following the program, light refreshments are served and then the society holds its monthly meeting - also open to all interested.
Linda Armstrong of the Pymatuning State Park staff spoke about the Torpedo Testing down at Pymatuning Lake during World War II at the May meeting. She presented a wonderful informative program about the "secret" mission done in nearby Pymatuning at Jamestown.
She said the "swamp" produced enough torpedos to ship millions of tons of battle ships.
If your group ever needs an interesting program, this is one to get. It's not only interesting, but Linda does a great job.
We have a special raffle being conducted only untul June 27. The prize - a pen made from wood of the original Liberty the Second boat - will be awarded at the closing day of the Classic Wooden Boat Show at Ice House Park, Conneaut Lake.
Check out the details by clicking here!
A crew of painters joined forces recently to paint the planter boxes in front of the museum. As you may remember, the planters were constructed by Richard Lucas of Conneaut Lake as an Eagle Scout project last year.
The painting was done to match the museum and we believe the painters did a great job.
Pictures are Bobbie Moyers and Betty Arbagost - who as you can see was "laying down on the job."
These are just small examples of all the work done at the museum over the years. The building has had a great transformation from when we took it over in 2003. Over the Memorial Day weekend, we heard many compliments on the changes and how well everything looks.
We have pictures in our files that show the condition of the building when we took over and anyone will see it was a "complete makeover." However, you can still see the historic parts of the building - the boundary lines for basketball and the basketball hoop as well as the bingo board mounted on the wall.
While we are beautifying the building, we are also preserving its history.
Come and check us out!
Our society held an open house recently to honor Jack Stover, who has sold his house and will be moving to Florida in the near future.
Our cake said our message- thanks for making a difference and best wishes for the future. He and Fred have purchased a home in Fort Myers and will be making the sunny south their new home.
Rep. John Evans sent a special House citation which was read and presented to Jack by President George Rutherford.
A plaque in his honor also was placed on the wall in the museum lobby. More than 100 people stopped to say hello, thank you and wish Jack the best for the future.
Jean Shanley and Carol Herchenroether were co-chairmen for the reception.
As you can see, they did a great job. Thanks to all who participated.
Dani Spain of Sewickly was winner of the recent raffle we held to raise money to purchase a replica of the state's largest fish ever caught.
As you may recall, we held a 50/50 raffle to have a replica of the fish - caught in 1924 by Lewis Walker of Meadville - in Conneaut Lake.
The fish has been ordered and we hope to have it mounted on display by fall.
Dani, granddaughter of Betty Arbagast of Vernon Township, will be a freshman at Washington and Jefferson College this fall. Her grandmother, a society member (check out pictures of her painting the planters on this Web site), accepted the $804 winnings from Dave Lynch, chairman who spearheaded the drive.
Thanks to all of you who sold tickets or purchased them to help this cause. We hope you will stop and see the fish once it is mounted!
Each year since the historical society opened we have held an open house following the Kiwanis Club's annual parade and program. This year was no exception.
We had tons of visitors who toured the musuem and had a hot dog and enjoyed sitting on the bench and visiting with friends. What a nice typical day in a small town.
Fred Cunningham, director of the Crawford County Office of Veterans Services, was speaker for the program. He and his wife stopped and toured the musuem as well.
Another special visitor was Phyllis Martin, widow of Dr. James Martin and mother of one of our members, Nancy Coleman, also was in attendance. She hasn't missed a Memorial Day program in Conneaut Lake since they started. I believe this was her 35th year!
Mark you calendar and plan to join us next year. Of course, you can stop at the museum any weekend as well.
Our historical society had a presence at this year's Memorial Day Parade sponsored by Conneaut Lake Kiwanis Club in Conneaut Lake.
Two members, Kathy Lynch and Jean Beauchat, and our intern, Wes Goodman, marched with our banner to pay tribute to the veterans in our area.
Another member, Wilma Dennis, was selling candy bars. Profits from the candy bars are used to help maintain the Barber Cemetery. In the past 10 years, Lee Dennis (Wilma's husband) and his crew have sold in excess of 16,000 candy bars - many during the parades and other events in downtown Conneaut Lake.
We also pay tribute to our veterans with a display in the musuem, featuring pictures of veterans in their uniforms. If you or a family member is from Conneaut Lake and would like your picture or your family member's picture displayed, please give us a copy of the veteran in his or her uniform. We appreciate a 4 by 6 picture. We also would like any biographical information to include in our files.
While this may not seem important now, it is valuable for family research as well as for others who may be doing research for papers or other presentations on vetarans who served, where and when, etc.
You may leave the pictures and information at the museum or call Jean Shanley at 337-6377.
Thanks so much.
Do you know what a stanchion is?
Do you know its use?
-any visitors to the museum who aren't familiar with country living and farm life didn't recognize it nor did they know how it worked, so we decided to try to demonstrate it .
The problem is we didn't have a cow! A real one of course was out of the question. After checking for possible donations of a model cow, we kept coming up empty. We could buy one, but they are very expensive and not in our budget!
After learning about our dilemma, C. Sherman Allen came to our resuce! He purchased a model of a calf, noting that a cow would be too big for our display area. He then gave it to us on loan so we could continue our efforts to educate the public about our agricultural history.
A stanchion - for those unfamiliar with the term or the apparatus - is used to "hold" if you will a cow in the barn. The cows head is put through the stanchion and a lever locks the cow in place. This allows the farmer to milk the cow. It also is used to house the cow during the times the cow cannot be outdoors because of inclement weather.
By locking the cow in place, it prevents the cow from roaming around the barn and perhaps getting injured.
Once the cow learns his "place," in the barn, the cow will automatically go to that same place every time it comes into the barn. That leads more credence to the believe that animals are not dumb.
The stanchion also includes a water cup to allow the cow to drink water without the need for a person to be there at all times.
So, if you or your children don't know how a stanchion works or want to see an example of one (to explain to your child or grandchild), stop by the museum.
It saves you trying to explain it in pictures and saves you a trip to a farm.
And, you get to see other displays as well.
Thanks Sherman for loaning us the calf!
New Liberty Book Now Available
In commemoration of the 25th year anniversary of the raising of the Liberty the Second boat from the depths of Conneaut Lake, we have published a new book.
It chronicles the history of the boat - from 1922 when it sank to 1985 when it was raised. It then tells about what happened to the boat in the past 25 years since it was raised.
The cover of the 100-page book shows three pictures of the Liberty when it was on the lake - in 1922, 1987 (when it was returned to Conneaut Lake after restoration) and in 2003 - the last time the boat was started.
The book contains 60 pages of copy and 40 pages of ads. It also includes dozens of colored pictures. The ads not only helped offset the printing cost, but allows future generations to learn what businesses were in operation in 2010.
The publication is a limited edition of 500 copies. Once these books are sold, there will be no more printed.
The book is available at the museum on weekends, at the June 21 meeting or on-line by visiting our gift shop on this Web site.
More information: Call 337-6377.
We have a few of our gifts that we have been selling for several years and there are only a limited number of these items available.
We are announcing these only to be certain that our long-time supporters are aware of the items and can purchase them before it's too late.
The first is book, A Lovely Spot. We have only five of these copies left. It is a reproduction of an early 1900 copy of a book given by the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad gave to all passengers when they rode the train to Exposition Park - now Conneaut Lake Park. It includes numerous photographs of park sites from that era. Cost is only $10, plus 60 cents tax.
The second is our specially created deck of cards. Each card has a different picture of a Conneaut Lake scene. All the hearts are Conneaut Lake Park sights. The diamonds are various boats; the clubs, buildings and historical events (such as the state champion boys and girls basketball team); and spades, the many hotels. We have only 28 decks left. We have already sold close to 2,500 decks. They have been very popular for gifts and for personal use.
Cost is only $10, plus 60 cents tax.
The third is our 2008 Conneaut Lake Sesquicentennial Book, tracing the history of Conneaut Lake from 1858 to 2008. It is a neat book as well and highlights our town's history. This book is only $5 and 30 cents tax.
All are available at the museum or from our gift shop on-line.
© 2009 Conneaut Lake Area Historical Society
150 North Third St., Conneaut Lake, PA 16316