Penn State Students Involved in Water Trail
Development Project
TOWANDA PA - "It's wonderful to see a Bald Eagle and to follow Great Blue
Herons that fly out in front of you, over and over, as you go down the river,"
Professor Tom Yahner of Penn State University said. "I also really enjoyed
canoeing along high sandstone cliffs, especially in those places where the rocks
come right down to the river."
Yahner, a group of his Landscape Architecture students
and colleague Professor Kenneth Tamminga participated in a fall canoe trip with
Endless Mountains Heritage Region Executive Director Bob Veleker and others
involved in creating a "water trail" following the Susquehanna River's
North Branch.
Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) received a
grant $45,000 from the National Park Service through the Chesapeake Bay Program
to develop a water trail extending from Luzerne County to the New York State
border. EMHR is a state Heritage Park encompassing Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna
and Wyoming Counties.
The group took forays up some tributaries too, exploring
different eco-niches and gaining understanding of the river basin.
"We had a great time taking a break and canoeing up the crystal clear water
of Wyalusing Creek," Yahner said. "But I guess the best part of the
trip for me was just leaving the car behind and paddling down the river through
a completely different world from the one you see from the road."
That's what a river trail is all about, experiencing
the river close up and personal, watching ever-changing landscape glide by from
water level. Much of the North Branch meanders through idyllic rural countryside,
but even in the few places where factories loom above its banks, river otters
gambol about playing in their shadows undisturbed.
The recent canoe outing was arranged through Endless
Mountains Outfitters of Sugar Run. David Buck, experienced riverman and owner
of Endless Mountains Outfitters, acted as guide. Buck is an avid supporter of
the water trail project. The 14 students who went on the trip helped identify
river access points slated for possible inclusion in a water trail map encompassing
approximately 88 miles of the river's course through the Endless Mountains Region
of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Before setting paddle to water, these students and three
others had already spent a great deal of time driving along the river's winding
course, compiling and mapping river-based and landscape resources pertaining
to a water trail. They already knew the region pretty well through all of their
research, "but their perspective changed completely once they got on the
river," Professor Tom Yahner said. Since the canoe trip students developed
a set of goals and started working on some specific rivertrail-related projects
addressing those goals.
The river adventure gave students first hand experience
of the North Branch, allowing them to envision their project "informed
by reality and not just some abstract notion of the river and the rivertrail,"
Yahner explained. "This course is what we call the regional studio and
even though the specific project varies from year to year, our intent is for
the students to gain experience in understanding and working with landscape
systems (biophysical, cultural or historical)." He added, this is how students
begin to develop their ability to set goals and make planning recommendations
based on that understanding.
During a break at Homets Mill the group chanced upon
a township supervisor working on improvements to that river access point. "The
timing couldn't have been better. We had a great conversation about the Homets
Mill access point and the rivertrail in general," Yahner said.
The Susquehanna is within a day's drive for about three
quarters of the population of the entire nation. It is part of the largest river
system in the Eastern United States. The new water trail will become part of
the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network which provides access to scenic, cultural,
geological, historical points of interest, attractions, and activities along
the river. The water trail project includes developing a conservation strategy
by 2004.
EMHR Executive Director Bob Veleker is enthusiastic
about the project's positive regional impact as it meshes with the Susquehanna
Greenway Partnership, a statewide initiative focused on the entire river.
"This project will link towns and municipalities,
and tie in with other associations like Route 6 and the Susquehanna Greenway
Partnership, more fully utilizing the Susquehanna River for recreation and conservation
purposes," Veleker said.
The North Branch water trail will outline routes for
canoe, kayak and small, motorized watercraft. It encompasses a recreational
corridor adjacent to the river identifying access points, boat launches, day
use and overnight camping areas. Veleker sees it as an opportunity for regional
partners to come together and help plan the development of a "community
friendly" water trail along the Susquehanna. Penn State students participating
in the project will present their progress at selected advisory meetings as
the project develops.
Initial meetings were in Wysox and Tunkhannock. A third
meeting is scheduledNovember 25, at the Susquehanna Depot Borough Building.
Expected to attend are representatives from municipalities
and coordinators of projects in the river corridor, Fish and Boat Commission,
National Park Service, outdoor columnists and the media.
"Interest is building in this project," Veleker
said.
EMHR's commitment to develop the Susquehanna North Branch
Water Trail underlines the organization's dedication to positively impacting
the quality of life in the Endless Mountains Region.
For more information contact Endless Mountains Heritage Region, 10 Park Street,
Towanda, 18848; emhr@epix.net; 570-265-1528, or explore EMHR on the web: www.endlessmountainsheritage.org.
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Endless
Mountains Heritage Region Awarded National Park Service Grant to Develop Watertrail
TOWANDA PA - The National Park Service has awarded
Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR ) a grant of $45,000 through the Chesapeake
Bay Program to develop a Gateway Water Trail for the North Branch of the Susquehanna
River from Luzerne County to the New York State border and the loop of the river
in Susquehanna County. The grant requires a mix of cash and some allowable in-kind
matching funds for services provided of $45,000, bringing the total project
value to $90,000. The water trail, which will
include production of a map and guide and a conservation strategy is slated
for completion in 2004. The new trail will become part of the Chesapeake Bay
Gateways Network providing access for people to experience scenic, cultural,
geological, historical and recreational aspects of the Susquehanna. EMHR Executive
Director Bob Veleker is enthusiastic about the project's regional impact, and
sees it dovetailing with EMHR's involvement with the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership,
a statewide initiative focused on the entire river.
"The North Branch Water Trail complements EMHR's
commitment to the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership," he said. Veleker currently
serves as interim director of that group. "'Meandering through the Endless Mountains,'"
a motto currently used for our portion of the North Branch of the Susquehanna
is very appropriate for this water trail project," Veleker said. Indeed,
the Susquehanna River winds lazily through approximately 88 miles of the Endless
Mountains Region of Northeastern Pennsylvania, part of the largest river system
in the Eastern United States. The Susquehanna is within a day's drive for about
three quarters of the population of the entire nation, making it an easily accessed
recreational destination.
"This project will call attention to an underutilized
and often unappreciated natural resource in the Endless Mountains. Those of
us who live here may take the river for granted because we see it every day.
But visitors to our region frequently comment on its long stretches of pristine
water, spectacular fishing, and abundant wildlife including Bald Eagles, Blue
Herons and other large birds," Veleker said. "This project will provide several
items currently lacking along the river in our region. We need more signs designating
river access points and updated guide maps. Paddlers, fishermen and visitors
currently have to rely on outdated materials."
The North Branch water trail will identify routes
suitable for canoe, kayak and small, motorized watercraft. It will encompass
a recreational corridor adjacent to the river identifying access points, boat
launches, day use and overnight camping areas. The trail will reflect the diverse
communities along its path, and showcase the Susquehanna's geology and ecology.
The trail experience will promote understanding of the river's relationship
to the Chesapeake Bay for residents and visitors. Creation of the trail will
require partnerships and commitments across the region among individuals, communities,
non-profits, municipal governments, and businesses.
"An important component of the water trail will
be an orientation on stewardship as part of a conservation strategy that will
provide the mechanism to ensure periodic clean-up of each section of the river
and the various access points," Veleker said. "This will provide an opportunity
for people to be involved with the project in a meaningful way."
The National Park Service will be available to
EMHR to provide technical assistance and consultation planning approaches to
presenting interpretive themes for the water trail. The map and guide will identify
river access points, recreational and camping opportunities, points of interest
and hazards. It will also highlight the importance of the Susquehanna to the
Endless Mountains Region. Students of Penn State University's Landscape Architecture
Department under the direction of professors Dan Jones, Kenneth Tamminga and
Tom Yahner will work with EMHR staff identifying access points and developing
interpretive signs.
An advisory committee will be established to
move the project forward. Initial meetings will take place throughout the Endless
Mountains Region this month. The first is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., Nov. 19 in
the conference room of the Stoll Building on the Lake Road in Wysox, Bradford
County. The second meeting is scheduled for 2:00 p.m., Nov. 21, in the Tunkhannock
Public Library, Tunkhannock, in Wyoming County. The third meeting will begin
at 2:00 p.m., Nov. 25, at the Susquehanna Depot Borough Building.
"The meetings are expected to last about 90 minutes
and will address what a water trail is and what EMHR hopes to accomplish in
terms of end products," said Veleker. "Input from attendees will also be sought."
Penn State students participating in the project
will present their progress at selected meetings following a data gathering
canoe field trip on the Susquehanna. A second round of meetings is planned for
spring 2004.
EMHR, a State Heritage Park organized around
an agricultural theme, is now in its sixth year. The non-profit organization
is increasingly important to the economy of the four counties it encompasses:
Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming. The State Heritage Park Program
administered by DCNR has funneled $1,455,000 to regional organizations through
EMHR's grant program since the organization was created in 1998. Operating funds,
matching funds and administration fees bring EMHR's total regional monetary
impact to approximately three million dollars.
Not as concrete but perhaps more important than
EMHR's monetary contribution to the region are long-lasting effects of its project
partners' programs and projects on their communities. EMHR's commitment to fostering
historic preservation; recognizing, celebrating and supporting cultural activities
and contributions; conserving and showcasing significant scenic and natural
resources; encouraging economic health; and maximizing recreational opportunities
generates community and regional pride.
EMHR's commitment to develop the Susquehanna
North Branch Water Trail underlines the organization's dedication to positively
impacting the quality of life in the Endless Mountains Region. For more information
contact Endless Mountains Heritage Region, 10 Park Street, Towanda, 18848; emhr@epix.net;
570-265-1528, or explore EMHR on the web: www.endlessmountainsheritage.org.
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Heritage Park Funnels More Than A Million Dollars
into Region
Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) is responsible for more than one million
taxpayer dollars returning to the Endless Mountains Region between 1998 and 2003.
EMHR, a State Heritage Park now in its sixth year
is increasingly important to the economy of the four counties it serves: Bradford,
Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming. The State Heritage Park Program administered
by DCNR funneled $1,455,000 into the region through EMHR's grant program.
Special purpose studies for organizational planning
and development require a 25 percent match, while implementation projects require
a 50 percent match from project partners. Many implementation projects funded
are based on previous special purpose studies completed by partner organizations.
Partners in the grant program also pay a six-percent administration fee to EMHR
bringing the organization's total impact on the region to approximately three
million dollars.
Funds dispersed through EMHR's granting program
between 1998 and 2003 amounted to $10.55 for each of the region's 138,000 residents.
But residents benefit from EMHR's presence in ways that don't calculate easily.
The true value of preserving a historic school or grange building as a community
center or museum goes beyond mere dollars and cents.
The cost of labyrinth gardens created throughout
the region by volunteers collaborating with an artist is immaterial to those enjoying
a restful walk or meditation. High school students collecting and recording oral
history and folklore from senior citizens throughout the region don't place a
dollar value on their project.
Residents who volunteer endless hours to preserve,
interpret and share various aspects of the region's heritage have a hard time
seeing their work in spreadsheet terms; to them it's a labor of love. But they
are banking on their efforts having even more meaning to future generations. For
them EMHR's vision statement "The Possibilities Are Endless…" is
both a current reality and a goal.
EMHR projects are spread out among all four counties and have a variety of goals
from creating walking tours through a historic district and preserving historic
buildings to training museum volunteers and creating better exhibits to better
interpret and present historical information. Since the first seven projects were
funded in 1998, forty-seven others have been awarded funds.
These projects help residents of the Endless Mountains
interpret their agricultural roots and culture, understand their contributions
to Pennsylvania's history, preserve their heritage, and protect the region's quality
of life and natural beauty. Implementation projects like historic building preservation
or renovation create work for local contractors. New and expanded facilities create
employment opportunities and attract visitors to the region generating new revenue
for local businesses.
The Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock, which received
two different EMHR grants as part of its overall funding, is a prime example.
When Wyoming County Cultural Center (WCCC) purchased the building in 1998 it had
been vacant for nearly two decades. The roof was riddled with gaping holes and
the interior filled with junk.
What was once a derelict building is now the keystone
of downtown revitalization in Tunkhannock and a prime example of restored Art
Deco Architecture. New businesses and restaurants have sprung up nearby to serve
the new downtown trade.
The organization provides full and part-time employment for 24 people, making
it one of the largest downtown employers in Tunkhannock, according to Hildy Morgan,
WCCC executive director.
Other projects throughout the region in various
stages of completion are expected to have equally positive results. More information
is available by writing or visiting the Endless Mountains Heritage Region, 10
Park Street, Towanda, 18848; emailing emhr@epix.net; or calling 570-265-1528.
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Regional Agricultural Conference Being Planned
for 2004
TOWANDA -Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) recently awarded a grant of
$11,000 to Northern Tier Cultural Alliance of Mansfield to develop a two-day regional
conference entitled "Changing Agricultural Landscapes: A Gathering to Talk
About the Future of Farming in North Central Pennsylvania".
The conference is planned for September 30-October
1, 2004 at the Bradford County Heritage Society (Farm) Museum in Troy, PA. Matching
fund requirements bring the project total to $16,000.
The event is geared to both those directly involved
in agriculture as a livelihood and people interested in making sure agriculture
remains a strong part of the regional economy and scenic beauty. A central theme
will address retaining the region's rural character of farms and forests, showcasing
agricultural heritage and values, and positively impacting regional economy.
A steering committee is meeting regularly to guide
conference development and secure presenters. The process is well under way, according
to Northern Tier Cultural Alliance's Patricia Macneal, project facilitator.
"We want to make this an opportunity for people
to regain a sense of excitement and hope about agriculture opportunities in the
region," Macneal said.
The conference concept sprang from growing concern
about the loss of family farms and rural heritage, and a desire to retain the
rural beauty of the region, she explained. She noted that Northern Tier Cultural
Alliance serves seven counties and Endless Mountains Heritage Region, a State
Heritage Park, has four member counties. The conference will include ten counties:
Bradford, Cameron, Clinton, Elk, Lycoming, Potter, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga,
and Wyoming.
"The goal is to bring people together to increase
their awareness and appreciation of the economic, aesthetic, and cultural importance
of agriculture as a viable industry. Participants will be encouraged to use the
ideas and information gather from this event in finding ways to help preserve
our agricultural community," Macneal said. A publication based on information
developed at the conference will be prepared and made available to the public.
Many regional organizations and agencies are helping
Northern Tier Cultural Alliance and EMHR develop the conference. Macneal indicated
three county commissioners are on the steering committee, as are representatives
of Bradford County Heritage Society, Bradford/Sullivan Forest Landowners, Pennsylvania
Association of Sustainable Agriculture, Bradford County Penn State Extension and
Northern Tier Economic Development Commission.
The conference is primary to EMHR goals. EMHR has
funded a wide variety of large and small projects throughout the Endless Mountains
Region since its formation in 1998. The Heritage Park, which includes Bradford,
Sullivan, Wyoming and Susquehanna Counties, is strongly invested in regional community
goals and maintaining a high quality of life in the Endless Mountains Region.
Projects promoting historic preservation and development, tourism, recreation,
economic development, cultural development, agriculture, community planning and
implementation are considered for funding.
Organizers of the Agricultural Conference hope
to bring together a diverse group including farmers, foresters, real estate developers,
academics, ecologists, educators, folklorists, architects, business owners, tourist
bureau staff, elected officials from local municipal to state and federal levels,
zoning board members, county tax assessors and rural planners.
The first day will center on current agricultural
planning and the activities of groups represented at the conference. Their focus
will be creating a better understanding of the economic, demographic and ecological
factors affecting the agricultural community and the region.
The second day participants will examine concerns
for the future, developing a regional vision for twenty years hence based on wise
land use management. Organizers hope specific steps will be identified for attending
groups to follow in order to make a positive vision begin to unfold over the next
five years. The interactive nature of the conference has attracted a great deal
of interest.
Promoters believe holding the conference at the
Farm Museum will highlight the agricultural past of the region and heighten awareness
of the need for increased and ongoing cultural and artifact preservation.
In conjunction with the conference an exhibit of
over 20 traditional and contemporary folk art from throughout the Endless Mountains
Region is planned augmented by musical performances featuring local performers.
More information is available by contacting Endless
Mountains Heritage Region via email at emhr@epix.net; or calling 570-265-1528.
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Endless Mountains Heritage Region Funding and Expertise
Benefits Wyalusing Museum
WYALUSING - Wyalusing Valley Museum Association's tiny museum, tucked into cramped
quarters in the basement of Wyalusing's library for over a decade, now has room
to sprawl out and expand its services to the region.
The Wyalusing Valley Museum Association intends
to create a quality museum surrounded by a large recreational area that will attract
new visitors to the region for a variety of experiences. This project is pivotal
to preserving the heritage of the Wyalusing area, and is expected to become an
important piece of the regional presentation of the Endless Mountain Heritage
Region's agricultural past and present.
The organization opened its first museum in 1976 in Town Hall, later moving to
the library location. Now it has a 50-year lease with the Welles family for use
of a farm complex just off Route 6, across from Wyalusing High School. Buildings
include the historic Bixby House, built for a married daughter of the Welles family
in the 1800's, an accompanying carriage house, barn and a corncrib. The group
moved into its new quarters over the winter and unofficially reopened the first
weekend in May.
Last fall the organization was awarded a $15,000
grant from the Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) to hire a consultant and
create a master plan to guide organizational growth, plan new exhibits, and inventory
and catalogue articles and papers gifted to the group by the Welles family. Matching
funds bring the project's total to $20,000. The Welles family also dedicated $16,000
toward re-roofing the barn to make it useable.
Wyalusing Valley Museum Association Board President
Mary Skillings credited the organization's recent good fortune to the generosity
of Kay Homer, a member of the Welles family, for sharing her family history and
that of the town.
Skillings said the Bixby House, a local historic landmark, is in the final stages
of inclusion on the National Historic Register. The complex barn is already included.
Board members expect relocating the museum will focus regional attention on the
farming heritage and culture of their rural community.
Skillings said the museum is currently open limited
hours on weekends, but there is a great deal of work to accomplish before an official
public grand opening planned for the near future. The group is currently conducting
a capital campaign and membership drive to raise needed funds and regional awareness
of the project. The community is already rallying to the cause.
Volunteers helped with a recent work-bee, including
two local Eagle Scouts, Wyalusing High School students Troy Cobb and Michael Lynch.
Cobb helped move items stored in the barn, and assisted in cleaning and power
washing the structure. He plans to replace windows making it secure enough to
display larger farm related items, Skillings said. Lynch constructed and painted
a handicapped access ramp at the Bixby house.
Skillings brings to this project experience gained
several years ago when she helped guide a renovation project transforming the
derelict vacant former Bradford County Jail into a state of the art museum facility.
That building in Towanda now houses Bradford County Historical Society's (BCHS)
collection of artifacts and genealogical research library once crammed into a
small house museum. EMHR Executive Director Bob Veleker was curator of BCHS during
the renovation project and masterminded that museum's complex move. Skillings
praised Veleker's expertise and support of Wyalusing Valley Museum Association's
current project.
"Bob has been very instrumental in advising
us," she said. Veleker offers frequent guidance, pointing out significant
details. Skillings said he has been very helpful overall when called for advice
and referrals on specific questions. She is looking forward to implementing the
organization's EMHR grant.
"I'm hoping it (EMHR) will be an even bigger
help as we get into the grant," she said.
The project is daunting in scope. The Welles family
preserved a huge collection of historic material that will eventually be interpreted
and made available for public education. The organization has also entered into
a partnership with another local group planning a park and walkway along Wyalusing
Creek. Together they will create a recreation area extending across Museum grounds
to the banks of the nearby Susquehanna River.
The Welles family, which operated the Welles Mill
Company, owned an early Bradford County granary and feed grinding mill. Records
of this family business have been preserved since the 1800's documenting business
activities with farmers and other businesses in the region. Records of the family's
farm were also preserved, giving a rare continuous perspective of the development
of agriculture here.
EMHR is strongly invested in regional community
goals and maintaining a high quality of life in the Endless Mountains Region through
promoting historic preservation and development, tourism, recreation, economic
development, cultural development, agriculture, community planning and implementation.
The Heritage Park includes Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming and Susquehanna Counties.
EMHR has been instrumental in funding large and
small projects throughout the Endless Mountains Region since 1998. Individuals,
businesses, non-profit organizations and industries can support this important
regional effort through memberships.
More information is available by contacting Endless Mountains Heritage Region
via email at emhr@epix.net; or calling 570-265-1528. The Wyalusing Valley Museum
Association can be contacted at P.O. Box 301, Wyalusing PA 18853 for more information.
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Center for Anti Slavery Studies Grows With EMHR
Help
MONTROSE - A strong partnership with Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR)
is helping the Center for Anti Slavery Studies, Inc, (C.A.S.S.) achieve its mission.
C.A.S.S. is a non-profit organization formed by a local group in 1996 to research,
preserve, interpret and present Susquehanna County's rich history of abolition
activities.
"There is so much history here and places
to discover in this region that families and friends could spend a vacation just
traveling through this pristine wonderland," said Sherman Wooden, C.A.S.S
President about the Endless Mountains Heritage Region's four member counties:
Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming.
Recently C.A.S.S. was awarded $80,000 by EMHR to
make renovations to its headquarters, the historic Silver Lake Bank built in 1816
by Dr. Robert Hutchinson Rose. It is the oldest building in Montrose and housed
the first bank in northeastern Pennsylvania. The grant requires a match of $80,000,
and administration costs of $4,800, which bring the project total to $164,800.
"EMHR staff has provided excellent guidance
and encouragement in our
efforts to research the rich history that is in this region pertaining to the
Abolition Movement and the Underground Railroad System through this region,"
Wooden said.
Wooden credited EMHR as instrumental in presenting
workshops, seminars and encouraging State Representatives and State Officials
to share, knowledge, expertise and discuss similar programs as C.A.S.S. grows.
"This technical assistance has helped motivate
us to try harder and work to finish our dreams of bringing this region alive with
individuals searching for answers that cannot be found in textbooks," Wooden
said.
C.A.S.S. received $50,000 from the Interior Department
as a Save America's Treasures Program and donations from Proctor & Gamble
and Taylor Meat Packing Companies for $22,000 dollars for the current renovation
project. The renovation project grew out of a 1998 Endless Mountains Heritage
Region grant of $25,000 to help C.A.S.S. develop long-range plans. Those funds
were used to discover, collect artifacts and preserve history relating to the
Abolition Movement and Underground Railroad in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Wooden
explained initial EMHR funding and additional funds expected to be received are
extremely important to C.A.S.S.
"It has enabled C.A.S.S. to research and discover
a wealth of history and
knowledge in this region and the important role that this region and persons played
in the early development of this nation," Wooden explained.
Montrose was discovered to have been a major center
of Abolition and Underground Railroad activity. The town's founding fathers were
an intricate part of the Anti-Slavery Society formed in 1836. C.A.S.S. has identified
18 sites in Montrose that served as stops on the Underground Railroad.
"It has added a new and positive importance
to Montrose as a main place for escaping slaves," Wooden said. "But
a very special place for those who settled here to preserve the "Rights of
Human Beings" no matter what their religion, race or creed. Montrose stands
for other communities throughout the N.E. part of Pennsylvania that served as
havens or homes for lots of groups of individuals seeking freedom and a chance
to succeed in this new country."
Between 1793 and 1866, Abolition activities were
against federal law in the United States. Secret activities throughout the Endless
Mountains Region between 1836 and 1866, such as the Underground Railroad, are
now of great interest and importance to both historians and visitors from local,
national and international levels.
In 1840 the Silver Lake Bank building belonged
to Abolitionist Francis Blake Chandler, whose wife was the daughter of Judge Jessup,
a member of the Anti-Slavery Society. The Anti-Slavery Society spawned the Liberty
Party, which later evolved into the Republican Party.
The Silver Lake Bank Building serves as an educational
center and museum for historic artifacts from 19th century Abolitionist and Underground
Railroad activities. The structure was placed on the National Register of Historic
Places in 1975.
The resistance to slavery in Susquehanna County resulted in many escaped slaves
settling here and in the surrounding region rather than continuing on to Canada.
The African-American population in Susquehanna County grew from nine to 247 in
the century between 1800 and 1900 through support of local Abolitionists.
Local oral traditions indicate between 1840-65
the Silver Lake Bank building served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. The
building fits Endless Mountains Heritage Region's criteria of a historic site
worthy of preservation and capable of generating regional and national heritage
visitor interest.
"We have a story to tell and the people here
have the history and homes to share this history with others who are interested
in searching for answers about the early development of this region and the country,"
Wooden said.
Exterior renovation plans include painting, excavation
of foundation to resolve moisture problems, new roofs on the building and porches,
new porch flooring, replacement of front steps, deteriorated wood siding and gutters
and drains. Interior work will include a new furnace, appliances, bathroom fixtures,
energy efficient windows, wallpaper replacement and painting.
Endless Mountains Heritage Region became a State
Heritage Park organized around the theme of agricultural heritage in 1998. The
organization has provided funds since then for organizations like C.A.S.S. in
each of its member counties. EMHR strives to maintain and enhance the unique rural
character and high quality of life in the Endless Mountains Region by promoting
historic preservation and development, tourism, recreation, economic development,
cultural development, agriculture, community planning and implementation projects.
Members of C.A.S.S. are helping accomplish those
goals though inventorying or acquiring local historic sites connected with Abolitionist
history, interpreting and presenting this little-known portion of regional history.
The Silver Lake Bank Building is used to host a
variety of events such as community and regional meetings, and fundraising events
such as luncheons, teas, and receptions. Continuing education classes, exhibitions,
displays, shows, performances and multicultural studies are planned following
renovations.
C.A.S.S. was instrumental in gaining recognition
for the achievements of the Honorable Jonathan Jasper Wright, the first Black
admitted into the bar in Pennsylvania. Judge Wright's birthday has been celebrated
with special ceremonies at the Susquehanna County Courthouse for several years,
educating the public about this notable native son. Through C.A.S.S. efforts a
historic marker was dedicated in Springville in 2001 in honor of Judge Wright.
Endless Mountains Heritage Region maintains an
office at 10 Park Street, Towanda. Board members are drawn from all four member
counties and represent heritage organizations, local government, tourism, agriculture,
business and industry, and other groups. EMHR is strongly invested in regional
community goals and maintaining a high quality of life in the Endless Mountains
Region. Activities are focused on promoting historic preservation and development,
tourism, recreation, economic development, cultural development, agriculture,
community planning and implementation. Individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations
and industries can support this important regional effort through memberships.
Endless Mountains Heritage Region can be reached
via email at emhr@epix.net; or at 570-265-1528. The Center for Anti Slavery Studies
can be reached via email at C.A.S.S.@emcs.net or by calling 570-278-6837.
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Native Americans to Develop
Master Plan for Wyalusing Site
WYALUSING - Eastern Delaware Nations, Inc. was awarded a grant last fall by
State Heritage Park Endless Mountains Heritage Region totaling $15,000. The
funds will be used by Eastern Delaware Nations to develop a master plan to guide
growth, development and activities over the next decade, including a visitor
destination.
The group will provide matching funds for the
project, expected to total $20,900. A primary goal of the plan will be to evaluate
buildings currently used as a Council House, Museum, and outbuildings.
Eastern Delaware Nations purchased a parcel of
land in 1998 that straddles Route 6 two miles north of Wyalusing. The property
includes the scenic overlook known as Wyalusing Rocks. A PennDot parking area
provides a place for tourists to stop and enjoy the spectacular view, but few
of them know they are visiting an important Native American historical site.
"Wyalusing," loosely translated means, "where the old man sits,"
according to Eastern Delaware Nations Chief Mike Medicine Shield Taffe. He indicated
the "old man" was probably a medicine man watching over villages spread
out far below in the rich Susquehanna River Valley, once the breadbasket of
the Iroquois and Lenape.
Eastern Delaware Nations has a membership of
about 400 families. The group incorporated in 1982 and received non-profit 501C3
status in 1993. An annual Pow-wow was started in partnership with Sullivan County
Kiwanis 15 years ago. This year's event will be held June 13 through 15 at the
Sullivan County Fairgrounds, Rt. 154, Forksville.
The group also has a full room of art and artifacts,
including the Elan Kumankw Mural, silk prints, and Totem Rhythms Project previously
exhibited at the United Nations, on display at the Lycoming County Historical
Society through May 18. A reception is planned May 17. Museum hours are: 9:30
a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, and starting May
1, Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.
Eastern Delaware Nations is active with many
regional scouting groups and other organizations, presenting educational and
cultural information. For Chief Taffe, this is one of the most important aspects
of his organization, one that ties closely with Endless Mountains Heritage Region's
goals.
"The mission of the Endless Mountains Heritage
Region is to preserve our rural heritage and that has proven to have a great
impact on our region, and for EDN," Taffe said. "Too many cultures
in our region have blended together. Northeastern Pennsylvania became a melting
pot, it was hard for people to hang onto their cultural identity. If you take
away cultural identity, you have an empty shell walking around."
When he was a child he recalled numerous active
grange halls throughout the region, which enhanced and supported the agricultural
way of life.
"There were dances every weekend when I
was a kid, at grange halls, or hosted by different churches. Dances sponsored
by Russian and Slovakian Churches offered ethnic foods, people in ethnic dress.
We've lost that to a large degree. Endless Mountains Heritage Region can help
bring that back and help us celebrate who we are," he said.
Taffe feels Endless Mountains Heritage Region
is making important strides toward researching, preserving and presenting the
region's history and ethnic background. He is anxious to see story of contributions,
history and heritage of Native Americans in the region preserved and shared
through EDN's growing partnership with Endless Mountains Heritage Region.
EMHR is strongly invested in regional community goals and maintaining a high
quality of life in the Endless Mountains Region through promoting historic preservation
and development, tourism, recreation, economic development, cultural development,
agriculture, community planning and implementation. The heritage park includes
Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming and Susquehanna Counties.
EMHR, currently in its second membership campaign,
has been instrumental in funding large and small projects throughout the Endless
Mountains Region since 1998. Individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations
and industries can support this important regional effort through memberships.
Membership applications and more information
are available by contacting Endless Mountains Heritage Region via email at emhr@epix.net;
on the web at www.emhr.org/membership.html; or calling 570-265-1528. Endless
Mountains Heritage Region can be explored on the web at www.emhr.org.
More information about Eastern Delaware Nations
is available by writing EDN c/o Ulla Nass, RD1, Box 1143, Forksville PA 18616.
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EMHR Funding Will
Improve Salt Spring State Park
MONTROSE - Salt Spring State Park in Franklin Township, Susquehanna
County, captured a $4,500.00 Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) grant
this fall. The funding will be used to plan and design an access road to the
western side of Fall Brook Gorge, parking and a handicap accessible boardwalk
to view the gorge from that vantage point.
The park is managed and operated by Friends of
Salt Spring Inc., a non-profit group cited in 2001 as Volunteer Group of the
Year by the Bureau of State Parks, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
(DCNR).
Formerly known as the Wheaton Farm, Salt Spring has been a popular picnic place
for groups and families for over 100 years. Three waterfalls in the gorge and
a virgin stand of hemlock on both sides of Fall Brook stream are the park's
most popular destinations.
The Friends of Salt Spring previously built a
boardwalk trail on the eastern side of the gorge, but the terrain it covers
is steep and rough. It is suitable only for physically active hikers. Many local
people who enjoyed the gorge in their younger days are now not able to visit,
nor are most handicapped or wheelchair bound visitors able to enjoy the park's
central attraction.
Since the proposed boardwalk will be next to an almost vertical drop in some
areas, the planning phase including engineering studies, and preparation of
construction documents and is critical to ensure visitor safety. The new boardwalk
trail presents many challenges and will require highly technical design solutions.
The structure must be solidly fixed to the rocky
edge of the gorge and safety concepts must include precautions for all ages,
from the elderly to the very young. Environmental impact and esthetic presentation
must also be taken into consideration.
Access to Fall Brook Gorge at Salt Spring Park is a project typical of those
funded by EMHR, matching criteria outlined in its Management Action Plan. This
modest project will go a long way toward building community capacity, expanding
recreational opportunities for regional residents and visitors alike.
EMHR is strongly invested in regional community
goals and maintaining a high quality of life in the Endless Mountains Region
through promoting historic preservation and development, tourism, recreation,
economic development, cultural development, agriculture, community planning
and implementation. The heritage park includes Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming and
Susquehanna Counties.
EMHR, currently in its second membership campaign,
has been instrumental in funding large and small projects throughout the Endless
Mountains Region since 1998. Individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations
and industries can support this important regional effort through memberships.
Salt Spring Park is located about six miles north
of Montrose, one mile off Route 29. The park encompasses 405 acres belonging
to the Commonwealth and 300 additional acres purchased by Friends of Salt Spring
with grant support from DCNR.
During the past four years the Friends group
constructed 12 campsites for family camping, built a pavilion used for family
reunions, weddings and other gatherings, and installed composting toilets in
the park. A separate grant awarded through EMHR by DCNR will be used to provide
a new water source for campers closer to the camping area than current water
availability.
Friends of Salt Spring plan to capitalize on
the historic and educational potential of the park, which includes the Wheaton
farm and homestead. Two foundations of older homesteads on the property have
been restored, orchards and hardwood trees planted nearby as a visitor attraction.
Future plans may encompass a geologic study of the gorge, methane well, salt
spring and environment.
Membership applications and more information
is available by contacting Endless Mountains Heritage Region via email at emhr@epix.net;
or calling 570-265-1528. Endless Mountains Heritage Region can be explored on
the web at www.emhr.org.
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Endless
Mountains Heritage Region Starts Education and Affinity Group
TOWANDA - An Education and Affinity Group has been meeting for
about a year focusing on augmenting the mission and activities of the Endless
Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) a State Heritage Park.
EMHR has funneled $1,405,000 into the Endless
Mountains Region through grants and activities since it organized in 1998. Approximately
$1,055,000 of that figure represents project grants which directly impact small
communities throughout EMHR's four member counties: Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming
and Susquehanna.
The Education and Affinity Group will strive
to link and expand existing regional events and offerings to present a unified
interpretation of the region's history, heritage and culture through themes
identified in the EMHR Management Action Plan.
The primary interpretive theme of this rural
Heritage Park with an agricultural whatever is "Living with the Land"
encompassing all facets of life in this region framed against the broader national
picture. Sub themes are "Cultivating Agriculture" which focuses on
the development of agriculture in the region, and "Rich in Resources"
which examines changing attitudes toward natural resource management.
Other sub-themes include "Building Community"
which looks at community development and "Over Hill Over Dale" which
explores settlement, transportation and commerce. "Handcrafted Heritage"
focuses on vibrant cultural traditions of the region.
A chronology for each theme will be established
to guide development of interpretation. Five eras of significant regional development
have been identified: the Native American Era, Early Settlement Era, Agricultural
Development Era, Onset of Industry and the Era of Renewal.
Regional groups represented at the most recent
meeting of the Education and Affinity Group included Rekindle the Spirit, Inc.
of Canton; Home Textile Tool Museum of Orwell, Old Mill Village of New Milford,
P.P. Bliss Museum of Rome, LeRoy Heritage Musem of Canton, and Eastern Delaware
Nations, Inc, of Wyalusing. The next meeting of the group is planned for April
11, followed by a grant-writing workshop.
EMHR is currently undergoing its second membership
campaign. Although some of the organization's operations are funded through
DCNR, which administers the State Heritage Park Program, some critical operating
expenses are not fully funded. EMHR hopes to bridge the gap with memberships
from individuals, families, business and industry, municipalities and non-profit
organizations. Membership fees help create new opportunities to support projects,
events and activities that enhance the quality of life in the Endless Mountains
Region.
Membership applications are available by contacting
Endless Mountains Heritage Region via email at emhr@epix.net; or calling 570-265-1528.
Endless Mountains Heritage Region can be explored on the web at www.emhr.org
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Montrose
Heritage Market Will Showcase Local Products
MONTROSE - Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) has awarded a
$12,000 grant to the Montrose Restoration Committee to take the existing seasonal
Farmer's Market a step further, creating a year-round Heritage Market showcasing
local products from regional producers.
EMHR, a State Heritage Park, has funneled $1,405,000
into the Endless Mountains Region through grants and activities since its organization
in 1998.
Approximately $1,055,000 of that figure represents
grants for projects, which directly impact small communities throughout the
organization's four member counties: Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming and Susquehanna.
EMHR grant funds will be used by the Montrose Restoration Committee for marketing,
educational materials, equipment and heritage signs.
Items offered for sale at "The Country Store"
Heritage Market at the intersection of routes 29, 706 and 167 in the heart of
town will include, agricultural fare possibly as varied as maple syrup, milk,
cheese, baked goods, flowers, furs and vegetables. Other products may include
art, crafts, fabric arts such as quilts or woven articles, gunsmithing, furniture,
mine or stone products, and Native American items.
The seasonal farmer's Market already located
in downtown Montrose will be incorporated into the overall project, but the
new aspect allows year-round sales and expanded educational and cultural opportunities.
Informational and educational seminars and workshops on a variety of topics
are planned as part of the new project. Sales on-site will be augmented by direct
Internet sales.
Vendors and volunteers will man the new facility
under the oversight of a designated manager. Vendors will rent space or pay
consignment fees generating income to cover operating costs. This collaborative
business venture will provide new venues for regional producers and artisans,
and have a positive economic impact on the area through increased tourism.
Acquisition of the site for the new Heritage
Market is expected to be accomplished with private donor funds and support from
Montrose Restoration Committee. The group hopes to hire a manager and get the
project underway this spring.
EMHR is currently undergoing its second membership
campaign. Although some of the organization's operations are funded through
DCNR, which administers the State Heritage Park Program, some critical operating
expenses are not fully funded.
EMHR hopes to
bridge the gap with memberships from individuals, families, business and industry,
municipalities and non-profit organizations. Membership fees help create new
opportunities to support projects, events and activities that enhance the quality
of life in the Endless Mountains Region.
Membership applications are available by contacting
Endless Mountains Heritage Region via email at emhr@epix.net; or calling 570-265-1528.
Endless Mountains Heritage Region can be explored on the web at www.emhr.org.
Back to top
Hands-on Heritage Experiences Offered
at Home Textile Tool Museum
ORWELL - Hands-on heritage experiences are a top priority at the
Home Textile Tool Museum (HTTM) where visitors can see antique spinning wheels,
looms and tools of early America being used just as they were 150 years ago.
Better yet, visitors are encouraged to handle some items, even try them out
under safe and friendly supervision by trained volunteers.
The excellent presentation of tours, workshops
and seminars by this tiny organization has not gone unnoticed. Recently the
group won their second grant from Endless Mountains Heritage Region, a state
Heritage Park encompassing Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming Counties.
The current award of $2,500 will be used to offset costs of presenting two textile
workshops for adults and two for children this summer. The first grant of $2,000
awarded in 2001 was used to train museum volunteers called Docents, a Latin
word meaning to teach or lead.
The museum was organized in 1999 to display,
demonstrate and preserve tools and activities surrounding textile production
of early America. The facility hosts an amazing variety of events and specialized
workshops focused on how to accomplish tasks that were once part of everyday
life.
The Home Textile Tool Museum is open from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday from May 17 to August 30. Talks and demonstrations
are scheduled at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Presenters and are available throughout
the day for questions and discussions
Organizers of the museum want to make sure what
were once commonplace tasks and ordinary skills are preserved for future generations.
They also hope to rekindle people's interest in making things by hand.
Unlike today, in 1840 nine out of every ten people
in America lived on farms. People then created nearly everything they needed
to survive using simple people-powered tools like those displayed in the Home
Textile Tool Museum. Making fabrics using homegrown materials was once a daily
activity consuming an amounts of time second only to meal preparation. Everyone
in the family helped with fabric production, even children. Clothing, bed linens,
coverlets, towels, rugs, grain and meal sacks were all produced on the farm
using simple wooden equipment.
Visitors to HTTM are encouraged to experience
weaving at looms their ancestors used, feel depressions made by their bare feet
on the treadles of spinning wheels. All aspects of home textile production are
displayed and/or demonstrated, from growing plants and keeping sheep to preparing
flax and wool fibers for spinning, spinning, dyeing yarn with natural materials
and weaving.
Endless Mountains Heritage Region, now in its
sixth year, funds such projects to maintain and enhance the unique rural character
and culture of the region. The Heritage Park organization is strongly rooted
in regional community goals and maintaining a high quality of life in the Endless
Mountains Region through promoting historic preservation and development, tourism,
recreation, economic development, cultural development, agriculture, community
planning and implementation.
Endless Mountains Heritage Region is currently
conducting its second membership campaign. The organization has been instrumental
in funding large and small projects throughout the Endless Mountains Region
since 1998. Individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations and industries
can support this important regional effort through memberships. Membership applications
and more information are available by contacting Endless Mountains Heritage
Region via email at emhr@epix.net; or calling 570-265-1528.
HTTM will host a variety of events starting on
opening day, May 17, which has been designated Bradford County Textile Heritage
Day. In conjunction with Bradford County Heritage Days events HTTM is coordinating
a textile heritage event with other local museums. HTTM will host the Cat's
Cradle Spinners; a coverlet exhibit is scheduled at the Bradford County Historical
Society, Towanda; a display of antique linens at Tioga Point Museum, Athens;
and French Asylum will hold a sheep herding demonstration.
On May 24, Memorial Day Weekend, Rita Gilbride
will show how to weave on a variety of early American looms demonstrating Nineteenth-century
Home Weaving Tools and Techniques. On May 31 sheep shearing will be demonstrated.
Pat Hilts will demonstrate and explain the history of the pendulum wheel and
other patent spinning wheels on June 7. June 14 is Drop Spindle Spinning day,
with Kathy Halton demonstrating and teaching spinning with a drop spindle.
On June 21 Esther Welden will show how early
rural families used natural materials to dye yarn in a kettle over an open fire.
She will display samples of dyed yarns in many beautiful colors. Visitors are
invited to bring a 1 oz. skein of yarn to dye.
Clint Fudge will demonstrate spinning cotton on great wheel on June 28. A Spinning
Wheel Clinic led by Pam Mawhiney is planned for July 5. Visitors are encouraged
to bring their problem spinning wheels for inspection and advice by our expert
in spinning wheel restoration
July 12 is Basketry and Blacksmithing Day, with
Melody Gum demonstrating basket making and Dick Swenson blacksmithing. Basket
makers are encouraged to come and display their baskets.
Jean Warholic will present indigo dyeing on July 19. Visitors may bring a 1
oz. skein of yarn to dye. On July 26 Denise Nunn will demonstrate felting.
August kicks off with a Spinner's Frolic and
Potluck Picnic August 2. Spinners are invited to bring their wheels for a day
of spinning and food to share for a picnic at 1 p.m. Museum visitors are welcome
to come and chat with spinners. The Shuttles and Spindles Guild of Newark Valley,
NY will showcase their projects and skills August 9. Pat Hilts will explain
bobbin lace and Dorothy Torrey will demonstrate bronze powder stenciling August
16.
On August 23 Pam Mawhiney will demonstrate the
processes of extracting fiber from the flax plant and turning it into linen
yarn. She will also display antique linens. Chris Fisher will demonstrate woodworking
technique and Richard Swenson blacksmithing on August 30, Labor Day Weekend.
Besides presentations HTTM plans an ambitious
schedule of workshops this summer starting the first week in June. Participants
are asked to register for workshops at least three weeks in advance. A non-refundable
deposit of 1/3 of the workshop fee is required. To sign up for workshops send
your name address, telephone number, and
email address, if you have one to: Home Textile Tool Museum, P.O. Box 153, Rome,
PA 18837.
Spinning, Weaving and Dyeing in Rural America,
9:30 a.m. to 4:30, June 5 and 6, p.m. This round table-workshop will help to
place textile tools within a historical context and explain their role in the
lives of rural Americans. Instructors for this session are Patricia Hilts, Pamella
Mawhiney, and Esther Welden. There is a fee of $99 per person for this class,
which is limited to 12 participants.
Making Broad-Brimmed Felt Hats, 9:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. June 20. Participants will make a felt hat from their own wool fiber
or materials provided by instructor Denise Nunn. There is a fee of $45 per person
for this class, which is limited to 10 participants.
Children's Spinning Workshop, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.,
June 27. Children ages eight to ten years will enjoy discovering the many kinds
of fibers that can be spun into yarns. They will also learn how to spin on the
drop spindle and will have a spindle and a supply of wool to take home. Instructor
for this class is Alison Lovejoy. There is a fee of $30 per child for this class,
which is limited to 6 participants.
Basket Weaving, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., July
14. Participants will make a wool-drying basket; all tools and materials will
be provided. Instructors for this session will be Bob and Cheryl Klingensmith.
There is a fee of $45 per person for this class, which is limited to 10 participants.
Preparing and Spinning 10 Different Wool Types,
will be presented 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., July 17 and 18. This workshop includes
carding, combing flicking and much more. Each participant will receive a packet
with 10 different kinds of wool. Tools will be provided. Instructor of this
workshop will be Nelda Davis. There is a fee of $150 per person for this class,
which is limited to 12 participants.
Children's Weaving Workshop, 1 to 4 p.m., July
24. Children ages eight to ten years will weave on a nineteenth-century barn-frame
loom and on other looms. Each child will have a project to take home. Instructor
will be Pamella Mawhiney. There is a fee of $30 per child for this class, which
is limited to 6 participants.
Children's Felting Workshop, 1 to 4 p.m., July
31. Children ages eight to ten years will learn how wool fibers bond into felt.
Each child will also make a felt ball. Pamella Mawhiney will be instructor.
There is a fee of $30 per child for this class, which is limited to 6 participants.
Children's Dyeing Workshop, 1 to 4 p.m., August
14. Children ages eight to ten years will dye yarn with natural plant materials.
At the end of the day each child will receive enough dyed yarn for a small project.
Instructor for this class will be Esther Welden. There is a fee of $30 per child
for this class, which is limited to 8 participants.
Building a Harness for Your Antique Barn-Frame
Loom, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., August 18 and 19. After a discussion of historic
loom harnesses, participants will build both a counterbalance harness and a
countermarch harness under the tutelage of Patricia Hilts. There is a fee of
$99 per person for this class, which is limited to 8 participants.
For more information about these workshops contact: Pamella Mawhiney, 266 Palmer
Hill Road, Port Crane, NY 13833-1424, 607-648-4146 or email Pamspins2@aol.com.
Endless Mountains Heritage Region can be explored
on the web at www.emhr.org, HTTM at www.hometextiletoolmuseum.org.
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Endless Mountains War Memorial Museum
Protects Collection with EMHR Funding
SONESTOWN - Protecting precious artifacts from deteriorating and extending
visitor hours for the Endless Mountains War Memorial Museum in Sullivan County
are goals of a project funded this fall by Endless Mountains Heritage Region
(EMHR).
EMHR, a State Heritage Park, also encompasses Bradford, Wyoming and Susquehanna
Counties.
The Endless Mountains War Memorial Museum award
of $7,500 will be combined with matching funds for a total of $15,450 to install
a combination heating/cooling climate control system in the museum.
Jack Craft, curator and driving force behind
creation of the small museum, caught the attention of an EMHR board member who
brought Executive Director Bob Veleker to tour the facility. EMHR staff and
consultants worked with Craft to develop his organization's grant application.
Craft said he will be looking to EMHR for advice
on fundraising for matching funds and guidance on possible funding sources for
future projects. Craft feels EMHR's website, distribution of brochures and publicity
benefits his organization and the entire Endless Mountains Region.
The museum's collection includes a newspaper
dated April 15, 1865, detailing the shooting of President Lincoln; a print depicting
Spanish American War; and items from World War I, World War II, Korean War,
Vietnam Conflict and Operation Desert Storm. Many of are fragile artifacts donated
by local families.
The artifacts weave a regional story of commitment,
community and pride, creating understanding of the people of the Endless Mountains
Region. The collection makes a statement about their commitment to each other
and to their country, a story that will enhance visitors' understanding of the
cultural heritage of Northeast Pennsylvania. That story is one of uniting towards
a common goal, preserving our freedoms, and the cost of preserving those freedoms.
Reliable heating will enable the facility to
offer regular winter hours. Current heating conditions require the museum curator
to have 24-hour advance notice in winter from visitors in order to heat the
building to a comfortable temperature.
The planned new climate control system will consist
of an outdoor wood burning preheating unit and an inside oil delivery system.
An air conditioning system to cool and control humidity in the museum in the
summer is also planned.
The museum is located in the village of Sonestown,
one block from Route 220. Nearby are a covered bridge, the historic Sonestown
Inn, and American Legion Post # 601. EMHR feels the Endless Mountains War Museum
has the potential to be a gateway museum into the Endless Mountains Region because
of its location on the southernmost edge of the Endless Mountains Heritage Region.
The museum will connect visitors interested in
military history to historical society museums throughout the region and to
the National Warplane Museum in Big Flats, N.Y, the Pennsylvania Military Museum
in Boalsburg, and the new United States Army Heritage and Education Center in
Carlisle.
The Endless Mountains War Museum's regional focus
currently draws visitors from surrounding counties, and states. It has even
had its share of international traffic. The tiny facility has attracted over
2,000 visitors since it opened in 1998.
Recorded in the guest book are names from 25 states, Washington, D.C., the U.S.
Virgin Islands, Russia, Australia, England, Israel, the United Kingdom and Canada.
The museum serves as a cornerstone of Sonestown
Heritage Days festival each October, set in a scenic village surrounded by mountains.
Visitors can step into the past through special activities and displays, including
tents, equipment, jeeps and a mess tent in a vintage WW II encampment at the
museum. Volunteers dressed in vintage uniforms interact with visitors and answer
questions to a background of WWII music played over the PA system.
The museum has established community partnerships
through outreach programs such as displays at Sullivan County High School celebrating
Veterans Day. Students act as guides during High School Open House activities,
familiarizing themselves and others with their military history.
Although EMHR offers several grant workshops
each year, Craft has been unable to attend. "At present my work makes it
impossible for me to do much," he explained. But Endless Mountains War
Memorial Museum is a current EMHR member and Craft hopes to broaden his interaction
with the Heritage Park in the future.
High on his wish list are signs on Route 220
leading visitors to the museum, and a stepped up advertising campaign. Other
future plans include creating a "mobile museum"; building an addition;
restroom facilities; and securing a vehicle for outreach and regional education.
EMHR is strongly invested in regional community
goals like those of the Endless Mountains War Memorial Museum. EMHR strives
toward maintaining a high quality of life in the Endless Mountains Region through
promoting historic preservation and development, tourism, recreation, economic
development, cultural development, agriculture, community planning and implementation.
EMHR, currently in its second membership campaign,
has been instrumental in funding large and small projects throughout the Endless
Mountains Region since 1998. Individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations
and industries can support this important regional effort through memberships.
Membership applications and more information
are available by contacting Endless Mountains Heritage Region via email at emhr@epix.net;
or calling 570-265-1528. Endless Mountains Heritage Region can be explored on
the web at www.emhr.org.
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Wyoming County Art
Council Receives EMHR Funds
TUNKHANNOCK - A recent Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) grant of $10,000
will help the Endless Mountains Council on the Arts replace deteriorating siding
and paint the organization's headquarters which houses an arts center and gallery.
"We were very pleased to acquire the building
initially, it has a history and is really magnificent." said Tina M. Poepperling,
who served as executive director of the council on the arts until recently and
remains active on the council. "The building is visible from the new Rt.
6 by-pass. It is a stately building that was deteriorating before the purchase."
The current EMHR funding is especially welcome at a time when contributions
from business and industry are a bit sparse compared to previous years.
"Non-profits are struggling in this economy
and can use every bit of financial help. An allocation like this helps restore
the building, but it also helps the community," Poepperling said.
She and other community members have noted a positive "ripple effect"
since the Endless Mountains Council on the Arts moved into the building a few
years ago. As the grounds were transformed with new gardens and plantings, nearby
residents developed renewed new pride in their own properties. Today the area
blossoms with new gardens and landscaping efforts, a perk for the entire community.
It is the kind of community impact EMHR supports.
Poepperling believes strongly in EMHR's mission of preserving cultural heritage
and the resulting economic benefits for the Endless Mountains Region. She served
a short time as an EMHR board member several years ago, and had an "inside"
look at the dedication of EMHR staff and board members.
"They have the whole region at heart and
are going in the right direction," Poepperling said. "EMHR Executive
Director Bob Veleker, and Mark Mitchell an EMHR board member representing Wyoming
County, are extremely helpful."
When the Endless Mountains Council on the Arts purchased the Queen Anne Victorian
Style building in 1999 it had never been significantly altered or renovated
since it was built in 1881. The building is located in a designated historic
preservation area and served originally a single-family dwelling.
During EMHR funded renovations, special attention
will be paid to historic preservation. Wood siding will be duplicated exactly,
then painted with colors closely matching the building's original appearance
thanks to previously completed research.
The building's interior remains largely unchanged, retaining original chestnut
woodwork, a winding staircase and twelve-foot ceilings. Only minor modifications
were made to adapt the space to its current function providing an art gallery,
music studio and community room.
The Council sponsors a variety of cultural programs
throughout the community such as dinner theater, concerts and festivals attracting
thousands of visitors annually. The in-house gallery features at least 10 exhibits
a year showcasing the work of local and regional artists and artisans. The Center
serves as a cultural hub, offering classes for all ages in art, music, performing
arts, gardening, art history, poetry and composition. Also offered are poetry
readings, and a variety of seminars and workshops.
The Endless Mountains Council on the Arts has
already had a significant cultural and economic impact on the region with its
classes and programs and drawing visitors from around the region who stay to
explore restaurants, stores, recreational opportunities and other heritage sites.
EMHR, a State Heritage Park comprised of Bradford,
Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming Counties, is currently undergoing its second
membership campaign. Although some of the organization's operations are funded
through DCNR, which administers the State Heritage Park Program, other critical
operating expenses are not fully funded.
EMHR expects to bridge the gap in part by building
memberships from individuals, families, business and industry, municipalities
and non-profit organizations. Memberships fees will create new opportunities
to support projects, events and activities to enhance the quality of life in
the Endless Mountains Region.
Membership applications are available by contacting
Endless Mountains Heritage Region via email at emhr@epix.net; or calling 570-265-1528.
Endless Mountains Heritage Region can be explored on the web at www.emhr.org.
Back to top
LeRoy Grange Will
Become Museum Thanks to EMHR Grant Funding
LEROY - It's just another sleepy little town on scenic route 414 between Canton
and Monroeton. But a $15,000 Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) implementation
grant will wake things up for the former LeRoy Open Hand Grange on Mill Street.
EMHR is doing much more than fund the project,
its staff is providing valuable guidance and expertise.
"We're just a small organization. When we
started we wouldn't have known where to go to get help for this project,"
said Matt Carl, project coordinator. "Endless Mountains Heritage Region
helped with that. We got ideas on different things, how to incorporate the history
of the region and the community into our project."
EMHR funds will make it possible to fulfill the
community's dream of converting the building, built in 1876, into a museum to
preserve the history of the township. EMHR, a State Heritage Park, has funneled
$1,405,000 into the Endless Mountains Region through similar grants and activities
since it was organized in 1998.
Approximately $1,055,000 of that amount represents
grants funding projects like this one which directly impact small communities
throughout the organization's four member counties: Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming
and Susquehanna.
LeRoy Township, in Bradford County, is primarily an agricultural area. The grange
served those interests for 125 years. EMHR funding will be used for structural
and foundation repairs to make the building a safe and useable public facility.
Plans for the building, which is on LeRoy Community
Association grounds, include replacing floor joists, sills, subflooring; restoring
the basement to include a concrete floor and drainage; and installing columns
to support the first and second floors.
But the intangible part of this project is preservation of the area's history,
and the unifying effect the project is having on this small, rural community.
"This is not just about dollars awarded
primarily for heritage tourism projects with attendant economic development
implications, but perhaps more importantly it is about building community capacity,"
explained EMHR Executive Director Bob Veleker.
The LeRoy Community Association was formed in
1975. It maintains a ball field, community building and playground on the grange
building land, serving the tiny community. The heritage museum has been a long-range
goal of the association. To better accomplish that goal the LeRoy Heritage Museum
(LHM) group formed in 2001.
This offshoot group determined how best to use
the former grange hall. The building had been used as a town hall and was rented
by the grange, until purchased in 1904. It continued to serve as a grange hall
until closed in 1999.
The restoration of the building is paramount to preserving for future generations
the ever-growing wealth of photographs, artifacts and records in the hands of
LHM members.
Carl credits EMHR staff, and the Education and
Affinity group EMHR started to get project coordinators and community people
together to exchange information and ideas with turning the LeRoy Grange project
from a dream into reality.
"The Education and Affinity meetings helped
tremendously. We see what others are doing, it helps us set goals," Carl
explained.
Projects like the LeRoy Grange benefit not only
in terms of funding, but also through support and guidance by EMHR's staff and
board members. EMHR staff is available at any stage of the project as new questions
or challenges develop. Perhaps the most important function EMHR provides is
through helping small organizations with grant-writing.
"Helping non-profit organizations develop
the capacity to write grants and manage projects has provided me with a great
deal of satisfaction," said Veleker.
Tourists visiting the completed museum in the
future will have the opportunity to learn about the unique people and places
of the village. The community overwhelmingly supports LHM efforts and people
are pleased their personal histories will be part of the museums effort to provide
a picture of LeRoy's past.
EMHR is currently undergoing its second membership
campaign. Although some of the organization's operations are funded through
DCNR, which administers the State Heritage Park Program, some critical operating
expenses are not fully funded. EMHR hopes to bridge the gap with memberships
from individuals, families, business and industry, municipalities and non-profit
organizations. Membership fees help create new opportunities to support projects,
events and activities that enhance the quality of life in the Endless Mountains
Region.
Membership applications are available by contacting
Endless Mountains Heritage Region via email at emhr@epix.net; or calling 570-265-1528.
Endless Mountains Heritage Region can be explored on the web at www.emhr.org.
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Endless Mountains
Heritage Region Helps Save Noxen Railroad Depot
NOXEN - With the help of an $85,000 Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR)
grant the Noxen Depot will enter a new phase of its colorful life.
Until North Branch Land and Trust (NBLT ) stepped
in 1999, the building was in such disrepair anyone else might have considered
it a loss. According to Linda Thoma, Executive Director of NBLT, "We considered
it a jewel that was rotting," and needed to be saved. Portions of the roof
and walls had collapsed. But with tremendous community support the Noxen Depot
is being saved.
The All Aboard Committee was formed in 2000 to
focus on the project. It consists of NBLT members, railroad enthusiasts, Noxen
community members, and professionals.
Their vision is to transform the eyesore into a community meeting hall with
exhibition space to highlight the area's industries of the era, lumber, ice
cutting, tanning and railroad. The depot had gone mainly unused for more than
30 years since its closing in 1963.
In 1891 the opening of the Noxen tannery, built
on the availability of Hemlock bark, became one of the largest industrial employers
in the region. The Lehigh Valley Railroad developed what would become its Bowman
Creek Branch to access the lumber, tanning and ice-cutting industries situated
there. Constructed in 1893 by the Lehigh Valley Railroad, the depot was built
to "mainline" specifications to serve the area.
In 2000 the Noxen Depot won an $18,000 grant
from EMHR to determine if it was even feasible to restore the building. The
study showed many serious issues needed to be addressed.
The foundation, chimney, roof and framing all needed extensive repair. The building
also required plumbing, wiring, heating and a well. Some elements of the structure,
such as passenger waiting room benches, could be salvaged. The study also included
a community survey and showed almost unanimous support for saving the structure.
In a community-wide effort, the All Aboard Committee
and volunteers installed a temporary roof with donated materials to minimize
further damage to the structure in 2001.
Renovations are expected to gear up again this
spring, and there should be no shortage of help. "There are community members
waiting in the wings to get dirty," Thoma said with a mellow laugh.
When finished the depot, located on state route
3002, will service the needs of an already-existent steady stream of hunters,
fishermen, mountain bikers, cross-country skiers, and hikers currently using
the former railroad right-of-way to access activities in the surrounding mountains.
"Endless Mountains Heritage Region has been
invaluable, with funding of course, but also with its resources, input and knowledge,"
Thoma said. Some matching funds for the EMHR grant came from a Pennsylvania
Historic and Museum Commission grant.
The building will serve as a reminder of the
role the railroad and its partners played in tapping the resources of this rugged
region, and afford a community the means to come together.
For more information about Endless Mountains
Heritage Region email emhr@epix.net; or call 570-265-1528. Endless Mountains
Heritage Region can be explored on the web at www.emhr.org.
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Dietrich Theater Renovations Spark Revitalized
Downtown
TUNKHANNOCK - When Wyoming County Cultural Center (WCCC) purchased the Dietrich
Theater in 1998 it had been vacant nearly two decades. The building's roof was
riddled with gaping holes and the interior filled with junk. It took gargantuan
effort just to clean the building up enough to determine how to begin preserving
it.
Theatergoers today would have a hard time believing
they were in the same structure. Once a major contributor to a blighted downtown
area, the historic building opened in April 2001 with a modified art deco look
after three years of renovation. Today it is the keystone of the neighborhood's
revitalization. The renovation project has been featured in "Parade"
and "Reader's Digest" magazines.
Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) solidly
supported WCCC's efforts to renovate Dietrich Theater since the beginning. EMHR
has funded different three phases of the renovations, the latest award $20,600
made last fall. EMHR is working closely with the organization's staff on the current
project, which revolves around construction of an addition with more theater space,
and an exterior mural on a wall facing Rt. 29.
The group plans to have a professional muralist
implement a mural depicting a historically authentic portrait of Tunkhannock as
it was a century ago. They believe the mural will attract even more visitors to
the town, both to appreciate the mural as a work of art unusual in the region,
and to gain an understanding of the region's history.
Renovation of the building has already had a dramatic
impact on this rural County Seat. "Town is exciting again," said Hildy
Morgan, WCCC executive director. The theater has been presenting first and second
run movies in two theaters and live performances onstage for two years now. Special
weekend events attract people from outside the county, while weeknights offer
an entertainment boon for town residents.
A real sense of small town life has returned to
Tunkhannock. People living nearby walk to the theater and buy tickets before they
ask what's playing. Some of these people haven't been regular moviegoers in 20
years, Morgan said.
Activity at the renovated theater started a ripple effect spreading to surrounding
blocks. Little shops are filling once vacant storefronts in response to increased
visitor and resident traffic downtown. A soda shop located in the theater building
is frequently "mobbed" by theatergoers.
"We believed we could change a blighted area
and generate jobs. We set out four years ago expecting to be successful, but never
in our wildest dreams did we suspect we would be this successful," Morgan
said. "Our goal is to provide a premiere place to work with benefits,"
she said. The organization today provides full and part-time employment for 24
people, making it one of the largest downtown employers in the borough, according
to Morgan.
She credits much of the project's success to EMHR
grants and staff. The first grant for $10,000 was awarded in 1998. The Cultural
Center had originally applied for a feasibility study, but by the time the award
was made that piece of the project was already completed.
"They were wonderful with us," Morgan
said about EMHR. The organization was allowed to apply that initial grant award
to pay architect fees, moving the renovation project into the next phase.
A second grant of $18,000, awarded in 1999 was
used to renovate the theater's façade. "It made all the difference,"
Morgan said. Admittedly prejudiced, she still maintains the theater is "The
most beautiful building in town."
Since most through traffic is now diverted from
the downtown area onto the Route 6 by-pass parking and access to stores has improved.
The entire 'feel' of the town echoes the earlier, less stressful era reflected
in its architecture.
Morgan praised the accessibility and support of EMHR staff, which helped with
the granting process.
"The Heritage Region staff makes all the difference,
and the program is flexible. You're dealing with the same people, who know what
your project is without explaining, that can be such a waste of time. Grants can
be stressful, it's nice to have people who know what you're doing," she said.
Morgan said the theater has been referred to as
the 'Premiere Art Theater' of Pennsylvania, attracting audiences from surrounding
counties. "But the heart and soul of the theater is Wyoming County,"
Morgan said.
The Dietrich Theater project is one of many funded
throughout the Endless Mountains Region by EMHR. One of 11 Heritage Parks in the
state, EMHR was organized around the theme of agricultural heritage in 1998.
EMHR is strongly invested in regional community
goals and maintaining a high quality of life in the Endless Mountains Region through
promoting historic preservation and development, tourism, recreation, economic
development, cultural development, agriculture, community planning and implementation.
The heritage park includes Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming and Susquehanna Counties.
EMHR, currently in its second membership campaign,
has been instrumental in funding large and small projects throughout the Endless
Mountains Region since 1998. Individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations
and industries can support this important regional effort through memberships.
Membership applications and more information are
available by contacting Endless Mountains Heritage Region via email at emhr@epix.net;
or calling 570-265-1528. Endless Mountains Heritage Region can be explored on
the web at www.emhr.org.
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Endless Mountains Heritage Region Memberships Boost Region's
Economy
TOWANDA - Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) a State Heritage Park encompassing
Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming and Susquehanna Counties, was awarded $318,000 in
funding from the Pennsylvania Heritage Parks Program for 2003.
Of that total $218,000 is earmarked for projects
throughout the four member counties. The remaining $100,000 will fund EMHR organizational
management and administrative support.
But operating expenses are critical to keeping
the organization viable, and operating expenses are not fully state funded.
EMHR hopes to bridge the gap with memberships from individuals, families, business
and industry, municipalities and non-profit organizations. Membership fees also
create new opportunities to support projects, events and activities that enhance
the quality of life in the Endless Mountains Region.
EMHR has funneled $1,405,000 into the region
through grants and activities since its organization in 1998, $1,055,000 of
that figure represents grants made to organizations.
"This infusion of grant funds by way of
the Heritage Park Program, administered by DCNR's Bureau of Recreation and Conservation,
has had a tremendous impact on the region since the mid-1990s," said EMHR
Executive Director Bob Veleker.
Some of the impact is just not measurable in monetary terms, according to Veleker.
"This is not just in terms of the dollars
awarded primarily for heritage tourism projects with all the attendant economic
development implications, but more importantly through building community capacity,"
he said.
Organizations throughout the Endless Mountains
Region benefit not only in terms of funding, but also through the support and
guidance of EMHR's staff and board members.
Veleker explained EMHR is committed to "Helping
organizations with a strategic plan or a feasibility study and then later with
an implementation project developed from that planning process."
"Helping non-profit organizations develop
the capacity to write grants and manage projects has provided me with a great
deal of satisfaction," said Veleker.
Membership in the Endless Mountains Heritage
Region (EMHR) provides an opportunity for individuals, families, groups, non-profits
and businesses to participate in a vital organization with deep regional roots
and growing regional impact. EMHR is strongly invested in regional community
goals, economic development, guiding and encouraging historic preservation,
and the development of key visitor destinations, cultural and recreational opportunities
across the four counties it serves.
Members receive a quarterly newsletter, invitations
to special workshops, seminars and events, and have the opportunity to vote
at the annual meeting each September.
Funds raised through memberships allow EMHR to
promote and support activities focused on effective development and preservation
of natural and cultural resources throughout the Endless Mountains.
State Heritage Parks like EMHR receive some funding
from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) through
the Pennsylvania Heritage Park Program during their first decade. After that
they are expected to become self-sufficient. EMHR is entering its sixth year
of service to the Endless Mountains Region. A strong regional membership base
is necessary for the organization to continue to grow, prosper, and expand services.
The people of the Endless Mountains Region share
a common heritage, a distinct rural, agrarian character, and have made a unique
contribution to the state's culture and history. The influx of money funneled
into the region through EMHR translates into improved regional services and
recreational opportunities and helps preserve the quality of life Endless Mountains
Region residents expect. EMHR staff members are prepared to explain the benefits
of membership and discuss the positive impact EMHR has had over the past six
years on the region.
"We are always ready and willing to answer
questions. Please feel free to call the office if there is something we can
help you with," said Veleker.
Historical Societies in all four counties strongly
support EMHR and were among the first to join during the initial membership
campaign. Other founding members were: Bradford County Regional Arts Council,
Montrose Restoration Committee, Wyoming County Cultural Center, Rekindle the
Spirit, Sullivan County Council on the Arts, Edward L. Rose Conservancy, Inc.,
Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau and Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development
Commission. Many individuals throughout the region supported the first membership
campaign as well.
Membership applications are available by contacting
Endless Mountains Heritage Region via email at emhr@epix.net; or calling 570-265-1528.
Endless Mountains Heritage Region can be explored on the web at www.emhr.org.
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© 2003, Endless Mountains Heritage Region
