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On Sunday, September 10th from 1 pm – 3 pm at the Nathan Denison House in Forty Fort, the LCHS will welcome author Melanie Akren-Dickson, who will be discussing her newest book: “Conversations with a Courthouse Deer”. Beginning in 1888, reporter Ernest Hanson began writing articles in which he “talked” with the Courthouse Deer (then still on Public Square). Hanson and the deer would discuss and lambast major figures in local news including politicians, clergy, judges, etc. Now more than 130 years later, Melanie Akren-Dickson has republished these articles, with annotated notes and context, as well as photos and illustrations to create a fantastic look at contemporary 1880s Wilkes-Barre.
Melanie Akren-Dickson has also published Coal County Connections: How finding an 1800s autograph album led to a quest to find its signers in coal patch towns of northeastern Pennsylvania, and You Dream Every Night That I am Home: Letters from a young Civil War soldier to his wife in Eckley, a town in the anthracite coal fields of Northeastern Pennsylvania both of which are based off of her geological research into her ancestors in NEPA. All three books will be available for sale at the event. This event is free to all. For questions, call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org.
On Thursday, June 8th, the Luzerne County Historical Society will hold its seventh online auction on the virtual Auctria platform. This auction will run through Sunday, June 11th. The auction will once again feature a wide variety of books, maps, lithographs, and other ephemera, as well as crocks, dinnerware, artwork, collector’s items, etc. (Note: All items in the auction have been deaccessioned due to relevance, wear, duplication, etc. are NO LONGER collection pieces of the LCHS). Perfect for the history buff in your life! So keep your eyes on this space for item previews as we approach the June 8th start date, and then bid, bid, bid! And remember, creating an Auctria account is free and easy! And if you have made an account for one of our prior auctions, there’s no need to re-register!
On Thursday, March 3oth, at 7pm, the Luzerne County Historical Society is proud to present Ms. Andrea Lowery as she presents the lecture: “Ellen Webster Palmer and the Breaker Boys of Wyoming Valley”. Join Andrea as she discusses both the life and work of Ellen Webster Palmer, and her own personal connection to her as well. Ellen Webster Palmer was a teacher and wife of PA Attorney General Henry Palmer. Ellen became renowned for founding the Boys Industrial Association (BIA) an organization fighting against child labor, particularly that in the coal mines, and an organization with the goal to educate, entertain and prepare the children for life outside the mines.
Andrea Lowery is the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. She oversees operations of the State Museum of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Archives, the State Historic Preservation Office, and a number of sites and museums across the commonwealth, including Anthracite Heritage Museum and Eckley Miners’ Village. As an architect, Andrea has been involved in the preservation of a number of historic buildings including President Lincoln’s Summer White House (Washington, DC), the Virginia State Capitol, and the U.S. Capitol. She did her undergraduate work at Bryn Mawr College in art history and received her M. Arch from Ohio State University. Andrea, like many Americans, traces her roots to Pennsylvania; Ellen Webster Palmer is her great great grandmother.
The lecture will be held at the Society’s Museum building, behind the Osterhout Library at 69 South Franklin Street Wilkes-Barre at 7pm on March 3oth. Doors will open at 6pm and seating will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The lecture is sponsored by Lewis, Litwinsky & Associates, Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, Wilkes-Barre PA.
Founded in 1858, the Luzerne County Historical Society is Pennsylvania’s oldest county historical society. LCHS preserves and promotes the collective history and heritage of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, at the Bishop Library and the Museum in Wilkes-Barre, the Denison House in Forty Fort and the Swetland Homestead in Wyoming. For more information, visit our website, www.luzernehistory.org. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/luzernehistory/.
Do you enjoy baseball? Do you enjoy local supporting history? Do you want to do both at the same time? Well, the Luzerne County Historical Society is teaming up with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders to allow you to do just that! Join us and the Railriders at PNC Field in Moosic on Thursday, June 22nd for a fun night at the ballpark. Baseball is back, so come and join your hometown team as they take on the Buffalo Bison. Tickets are just $15 and proceeds from each ticket sold directly benefit the LCHS! For more info or to order tickets call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org.
2023 is the 104th anniversary of the Franchise that is now the Railriders. Originally founded in 1919 as the Reading Coal Barons, the team has played in Reading PA, Jersey City NJ, Ottawa ON, Albany NY, Columbus OH, and Orchard Beach ME, before moving to Scranton in 1989. After a 17-year affiliation agreement with the Philadelphia Phillies, the team has been the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees since 2007.
Founded in 1858, the Luzerne County Historical Society is Pennsylvania’s oldest county historical society. LCHS preserves and promotes the collective history and heritage of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, at the Bishop Library and the Museum in Wilkes-Barre, the Denison House in Forty Fort and the Swetland Homestead in Wyoming. For more information, visit our website, www.luzernehistory.org. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/luzernehistory/.
We hope you will join us on Thursday, May 11th at 5:30 at the Jazz Café in Plains, PA for the Luzerne County Historical Society’s 165th Annual Dinner. This year’s theme is “Lyman Howe and the History of Local Film”. Lyman Howe was a pioneering filmmaker from Wilkes-Barre who first added sound to film, as well as creating his own projection system, innovating using moving trains and planes in film, and many other “firsts”.
The evening will feature a presentation by Carol Nelson, an expert on local film and co-author of High-Class Moving Pictures: Lyman H. Howe and the Forgotten Era of Traveling Exhibition, 1880-1920, who partnered with WVIA-TV to create a documentary on Lyman Howe. This documentary will be screened during the cocktail hour.
Tickets are $90 for LCHS Members and $100 for nonmembers and include your choice of chicken, salmon, or vegetarian dinners. Cocktails start at 5:30pm, with dinner at 6:45pm and the program beginning at 7:00pm. For more information call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org.
Founded in 1858, the Luzerne County Historical Society is Pennsylvania’s oldest county historical society. LCHS preserves and promotes the collective history and heritage of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, at the Bishop Library and the Museum in Wilkes-Barre, the Denison House in Forty Fort, and the Swetland Homestead in Wyoming. For more information, visit our website, www.luzernehistory.org. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/luzernehistory/.
On Tuesday, February 28th, at 7pm, free on the Zoom digital platform, the Luzerne County Historical Society is proud to present Mr. John Fielding as he presents a lecture on The Art of C. Edgar Patience. Join John as he discusses several hand sculpted coal pieces held in the collection of the Anthracite Heritage Museum. C. Edgar Patience a local sculptor who became famous through his use of Anthracite Coal as a medium. His works have been featured nationally, and currently sit in museums from Scranton to the Smithsonian in Washington DC.
John Fielding is the curator of The Anthracite Heritage Museum, McDade Park, Scranton. The Museum is one of the Pennsylvania Historic Museum Commission (PHMC) sites. In addition to having a large collection of Patience sculptors in their collection, the Museum also operates the historic Scranton Iron Furnaces. His talk will celebrate Patience’s art as part of African-American History Month. While we hope you will be able to join us live on Zoom on February 28th, the lecture will be recorded and added to the Society’s YouTube Channel if you miss it.
This is a virtual event via Zoom. To attend, use the Zoom link below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87829629041
Founded in 1858, the Luzerne County Historical Society is Pennsylvania’s oldest county historical society. LCHS preserves and promotes the collective history and heritage of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, at the Bishop Library and the Museum in Wilkes-Barre, the Denison House in Forty Fort and the Swetland Homestead in Wyoming. For more information, visit our website, www.luzernehistory.org. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/luzernehistory/.
The LCHS is proud to announce that it is bringing back An Afternoon of Colonial Hospitality! Join us December 11th from 11-4pm for refreshments and self-guided tours of the Denison Homestead! Learn about holiday traditions, enjoy 18th century hospitality and then retire with a cup of tea or hot cocoa. Tickets are $10 for adults and free for kids under 12!
On Thursday, November 10th, the Luzerne County Historical Society will hold its sixth online auction on the virtual Auctria platform. This auction will run through Sunday, November 13th. The auction will once again feature a wide variety of books, maps, lithographs, and other ephemera, as well as clocks, artwork, collector’s items, etc. (Note: All items in the auction have been deaccessioned due to relevance, wear, duplication, etc. are NO LONGER collection pieces of the LCHS). Perfect for the history buff in your life! So keep your eyes on this space for item previews as we approach the November 10th start date, and then bid, bid, bid! And remember, creating an Auctria account is free and easy!
https://event.auctria.com/32400c09-0e50-4c7b-86c3-bb7869ba33b6/?fbclid=IwAR3jDFPn38FZqzlq-7e6js_HfbkV-CXVHDBV83iE8xiiuPoNlnNDx4lARvE
The Luzerne County Historical Society is proud to announce that our Annual Downtown Wilkes-Barre Ghost Walks will be returning again this year! The popular tours will run on October 21st and 22nd, 2022. (With rain dates of 10/28 and 10/29). Come join us for a walking tour of the downtown historic district and learn about totally true ghosts, murders, and hidden graveyards, all right here in the Diamond City! Stops include: Public Square, the site of the former Sterling Hotel, River Street, and the site of the first know execution in Wilkes-Barre. Come join the Society’s own Dr. William V. Lewis as he takes you on a trip through the darker side of the city, from the mid-1700s, right through the 20th century.
All tours start in front of St. Stephen’s Church on South Franklin Street at 6:30 pm and last approximately 2 hours. Tours set off every 15 minutes. There will be 6 tours per night. Cost is $10 per person. Tours are limited to the first 40 reservations ONLY.
NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE DOOR.
The Luzerne County Historical Society is proud to announce that our Annual Downtown Wilkes-Barre Ghost Walks will be returning again this year! The popular tours will run on October 21st and 22nd, 2022. (With rain dates of 10/28 and 10/29). Come join us for a walking tour of the downtown historic district and learn about totally true ghosts, murders, and hidden graveyards, all right here in the Diamond City! Stops include: Public Square, the site of the former Sterling Hotel, River Street, and the site of the first know execution in Wilkes-Barre. Come join the Society’s own Dr. William V. Lewis as he takes you on a trip through the darker side of the city, from the mid-1700s, right through the 20th century.
All tours start in front of St. Stephen’s Church on South Franklin Street at 6:30 pm and last approximately 2 hours. Tours set off every 15 minutes. There will be 6 tours per night. Cost is $10 per person. Tours are limited to the first 40 reservations ONLY.
NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE DOOR.
On Sunday, September 18th from 2 pm – 4 pm at the Nathan Denison House the LCHS will welcome author Catherine Chandler, who will be discussing her new book: Annals of the Dear Unknown. Set as the American Revolution descended on the Wyoming Valley, Annals is a verse-tale inspired by the author’s own genealogy that humanizes the historical tales of the area. Ms. Chandler will be signing copies of the book and taking your questions, and the Nathan Denison House will be open for self-guided tours. This event is free to all. For questions, call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org.
Catherine Chandler is a poet, translator, and editor, and is also the author of six poetry collections, including Lines of Flight, shortlisted for the Poets’ Prize, and The Frangible Hour, winner of the Richard Wilbur Award. She was raised in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Chandler’s poems, translations and stories have been widely published in journals and anthologies in North America, Europe, and Australia. Several of her poems were chosen by George Elliott Clarke, Poet Laureate of Canada, for inclusion in the National Poetry Registry, Library of Parliament.
Nathan Denison was one of the first forty shareholders in the Susquehanna Company to settle five new towns in the Wyoming Valley in February 1769. Denison became a popular leader of the pioneer settlers from Connecticut. He served as a Justice of the Peace and Colonel of the local militia. He was the second in Command at the Battle of Wyoming, and was present at the surrender of the Wyoming Valley in 1778.
Founded in 1858, the Luzerne County Historical Society is Pennsylvania’s oldest county historical society. LCHS preserves and promotes the collective history and heritage of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, at the Bishop Library and the Museum in Wilkes-Barre, the Denison House in Forty Fort and the Swetland Homestead in Wyoming. For more information, visit our website, www.luzernehistory.org. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/luzernehistory/.
Early American craftsmen and artisans will come to life on Sunday, October 2, 2022, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the historic Swetland Homestead in Wyoming. The Fall Festival features crafters in the arts of quill pen and ink, wood carving, wheat weaving, cane craving, blacksmithing, and much more. Hearth cooking methods will be demonstrated over a fire in the original Swetland Homestead summer kitchen fireplace. There will be a soap-making demo, cross-cut saw demonstrations, quilting, and primitive artwork will also be shown. The event is held annually as a learning experience for every member of the family. Children are invited to make 1700s toys and other crafts. Music of the period will entertain as you browse.
New this year is an assortment of contemporary crafters who will compliment the traditional vendors of years past. If you’re looking for a gift for someone or just something special for yourself, you’ll almost certainly find it. The Festival will also have a complement of food trucks available as well. The event will run from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the newly restored Swetland Homestead, 885 Wyoming Avenue, Wyoming PA. Admission to the Fall Festival on Sunday is $5. Children under 12 years of age are free both days. For more information call 570-823-62-44 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistoy.org.
Founded in 1858, the Luzerne County Historical Society is Pennsylvania’s oldest county historical society. LCHS preserves and promotes the collective history and heritage of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, at the Bishop Library and the Museum in Wilkes-Barre, the Denison House in Forty Fort, and the Swetland Homestead in Wyoming. For more information, visit our website, www.luzernehistory.org. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/luzernehistory/.
On Thursday, June 16th, the Luzerne County Historical Society will hold its fifth online auction on the virtual Auctria platform. This auction will run through Sunday, June 19thth. The auction will once again feature a wide variety of books, maps, lithographs, and other ephemera. (Note: All items in the auction have been deaccessioned due to relevance, wear, duplication, etc. are NO LONGER collection pieces of the LCHS). Perfect for the history buff in your life! So keep your eyes on this space for item previews as we approach the June 16th start date, and then bid, bid, bid! And remember, creating an Auctria account is free and easy!
Catalog Preview link coming soon!
Join us on May 14 from 2 pm – 4 pm at the Nathan Dension House as we welcome author Kathleen Earle, who will be discussing her new book: An Early History of the Wyoming Valley, The Yankee-Pennamite Wars, and Timothy Pickering. Learn about America’s FIRST civil war, and the harrowing story of the kidnapping of Timothy Pickering, the man sent to stop all of the conflicts.
Ms. Earle will be signing copies of the book and taking your questions, and the Nathan Denison House will be open for self-guided tours. This event is free to all. For questions, call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reseravtions@luzernehistory.org.
Join us on Friday, June 3rd at 5:30 at the Beaumont Inn in Dallas, PA for the Luzerne County Historical Society’s 164th Annual Meeting. This year’s theme is “The USS Wilkes-Barre: A Celebration of the Willie-Bee”. Join us as we mark the 80th anniversary of the keel being laid down in 1942, as well as the 50th anniversary of its sinking off the Florida coast in 1972. The evening will feature a multimedia presentation by Brent E. Jones, author of Days of Steel Reign: The Epic Story of a WWII Vengeance Ship in the Year of the Kamikaze.
Tickets are $90 for LCHS Members and $100 for nonmembers and include your choice of pork chops, chicken, salmon, or vegetarian dinners. Cocktails start at 5:30, with dinner at 6:30 and the program beginning at 7:00. For more information call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org.
The LCHS is once again partnering with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders for a night out at the ballpark! Join us Thursday, June 30th at 6:35pm as the Railriders take on the Buffalo Bison. Tickets are just $15 and can be purchased directly from the Society. And remember, a portion of every ticket goes directly back to us!
On Tuesday, March 1, 2022, the Luzerne County Historical Society will be hosting a drive-thru Mardi-Gras dinner at the Westmoreland Club, 59 South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA. Why cook, when you can bring home a freshly prepared meal and treat yourself to a taste of New Orleans? Come out and pick up some great food for a great cause.
The three-course meal includes Chicken Chorizo Gumbo, your choice of Catfish, Skirt Steak, or Portabella Jambalaya, along with a Brioche Bread Pudding for dessert. Tickets are $45 each and include the meal and Mardi-Gras goodies. Take out only, pick-ups every half-hour. All ticket sales support the LCHS.
The Luzerne County Historical Society will present its holiday-themed Festive Traditions program at the Swetland Homestead on Saturday and Sunday, December 4 and 5, 2021, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Travel through time as you tour the house with costumed guides and explore how Christmas traditions evolved over an 80 year period spanning 1810-1890. Guests will meet various members of the Swetland family as they journey through Christmases gone by, and learn about their lives and the history of the Wyoming Valley.
Tours run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Tickets for the tours are $8 for members, $10 for non-members, kids under 12, FREE. To purchase tickets in advance or to become a member, call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org. No reservations are needed, tickets can be purchased at the door.
The Luzerne County Historical Society will present its holiday-themed Festive Traditions program at the Swetland Homestead on Saturday and Sunday, December 4 and 5, 2021, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Travel through time as you tour the house with costumed guides and explore how Christmas traditions evolved from the late 1700s through 1871. Guests will meet various members of the Swetland family as they journey through Christmases gone by, and learn about their lives and the history of the Wyoming Valley.
Tours run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Tickets for the tours are $8 for members, $10 for non-members. To purchase tickets in advance or to become a member, call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org. No reservations are needed, tickets can be purchased at the door.
SAVE THE DATE: Just in time for early Christmas shopping! On Thursday, November 11th, the Luzerne County Historical Society will hold a fourth online auction on the virtual Auctria platform. This auction will run through Sunday, November 14th. The auction will once again feature a wide variety of books, maps, lithographs, and other ephemera. (Note: All items in the auction have been deaccessioned due to relevance, wear, duplication, etc. are NO LONGER collection pieces of the LCHS). However, in addition to the items for our collection, this time around the auction will feature a number of brand new items, from electronics and purses, to gift certificates and glassware, and so much more! Perfect for the hard to buy for person on your list this year! So keep your eyes on this space for item previews as we approach the November 11th start date, and then bid, bid, bid! And remember, creating an Auctria account is free and easy!
You can register and preview the catalog at the link below:
https://event.auctria.com/a3abe81f-d2f4-4de5-889b-57f1c972d7a8/09480e501ee611eaa945bb9e2ddcf87f
The Luzerne County Historical Society is proud to announce that our Annual Downtown Wilkes-Barre Ghost Walks will be returning again this year! The popular tours will run on October 15th and 16th 2021 as well as October 29th. Come join us for a walking tour of the downtown historic district and learn about totally true ghosts, murders, and hidden graveyards, all right here in the Diamond City! Stops include: Public Square, the site of the former Sterling Hotel, River Street, and the site of the first known execution in Wilkes-Barre. Come join the Society’s own Dr. William V. Lewis as he takes you on a trip through the darker side of the city, from the mid-1700s, right through the 20th century.
Tours start in front of St. Stephen’s Church on South Franklin Street at 6:30 pm, and set off every 15 minutes from then on. Tours last approximately 2 hours. There will be 6 tours per night. (4 on 10/29) Cost is $10 per person.
Due to COVID-19, tours are limited to the first 25 reservations ONLY.
NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE DOOR.
Tickets available at the link below:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/downtown-wilkes-barre-ghost-walks-tickets-168350562063
The Luzerne County Historical Society is proud to announce that our Annual Downtown Wilkes-Barre Ghost Walks will be returning again this year! The popular tours will run on October 15th and 16th 2021 as well as October 29th. Come join us for a walking tour of the downtown historic district and learn about totally true ghosts, murders, and hidden graveyards, all right here in the Diamond City! Stops include: Public Square, the site of the former Sterling Hotel, River Street, and the site of the first known execution in Wilkes-Barre. Come join the Society’s own Dr. William V. Lewis as he takes you on a trip through the darker side of the city, from the mid-1700s, right through the 20th century.
Tours start in front of St. Stephen’s Church on South Franklin Street at 6:30 pm, and set off every 15 minutes from then on. Tours last approximately 2 hours. There will be 6 tours per night. (4 on 10/29) Cost is $10 per person.
Due to COVID-19, tours are limited to the first 25 reservations ONLY.
NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE DOOR.
Tickets available at the link below:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/downtown-wilkes-barre-ghost-walks-tickets-168350562063
The Luzerne County Historical Society is proud to announce that our Annual Downtown Wilkes-Barre Ghost Walks will be returning again this year! The popular tours will run on October 15th and 16th 2021. Come join us for a walking tour of the downtown historic district and learn about totally true ghosts, murders, and hidden graveyards, all right here in the Diamond City! Stops include: Public Square, the site of the former Sterling Hotel, River Street, and the only known place where Romans walked, right here in Wilkes-Barre. Come join the Society’s own Dr. William V. Lewis as he takes you on a trip through the darker side of the city, from the mid-1700s, right through the 20th century.
Tours start in front of St. Stephen’s Church on South Franklin Street at 6:30 pm, and set off every 15 minutes from then on. Tours last approximately 2 hours. There will be 6 tours per night. Cost is $10 per person.
Due to COVID-19, tours are limited to the first 25 reservations ONLY.
NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE DOOR. Tickets go on sale on September 1.
Join us at the newly renovated Swetland Homestead for an on-site Revoluntary War Encampment, featuring The 24th Connecticut Militia Regiment on Saturday, October 2nd from 12p.m. to 5p.m. The 24th Connecticut Militia Regiment, Inc., is a living history organization. Its objective is to educate and encourage interest in the Revolutionary War period of American history through the accurate portrayal of Revolutionary-era soldiers and common people of the Wyoming Valley. Visitors to the encampment will see demonstrations by Regiment members portraying both soldiers and civilians known as camp followers. Camp followers traveled with the Regiment and supported the soldiers with their skills and trades, such as cooking, tailoring, and carpentry. The event is held annually as a learning experience for every member of the family.
Early American craftsmen and artisans will come to life on Sunday, October 3, 2021, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the historic Swetland Homestead in Wyoming. The Fall Festival features crafters in the arts of cross-cut saw demonstrations, quill pen and ink, wood carving, wheat weaving, and much more. Hearth cooking methods will be demonstrated over a fire in the original Swetland Homestead summer kitchen fireplace. There will be a soap-making demo and quilting and primitive artwork will also be shown. The event is held annually as a learning experience for every member of the family. Children are invited to make 1700s toys and other crafts. A harpsichord and violin concert will entertain with music of the period. New this year, the Fall Festival will include an on-site Revoluntary War Encampment, featuring The 24th Connecticut Militia Regiment. Admission to the Fall Festival is $5. Children under 12 years of age are free. For more information call 570-823-62-44 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistoy.org
Tickets are available on Eventbrite at the link below:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2021-fall-festival-tickets-168452976387
On Friday, September 24th at the Westmoreland Club, 59 South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre PA, the Luzerne County Historical Society will hold its 163rd Annual Dinner. The theme of this year’s dinner is “The Swetland Homestead: Restoring a Wyoming Valley Treasure”. Speakers John Panzitta of Panzitta Enterprises as well as Cathy Sobeck and Justin Detwiller of Milner Architects will talk about the challenges and experiences they encountered as they completed a half a million dollar restoration of the 1803 Swetand Homestead last fall. They also will talk about other historic buildings they have helped bring back to their former glory.
The dinner will also feature the auction of a special watercolor painting of the Swetland Homestead commissioned from local artist Frank Wengen. All proceeds from the sale of the painting go directly to the LCHS.
Tickets to the dinner are $95 for LCHS members, $105 for nonmembers. Cocktail hour begins at 5:30 pm, dinner at 6:30 pm with the program beginning after dinner. Reservations are required. To make a reservation, call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org. All reservations must be made by September 17, 2021. No tickets will be sold at the door. If you prefer, tickets are also available online on Eventbrite at the link below:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/163rd-annual-dinner-tickets-168634579567
On Sunday, August 2, 2020, the Luzerne County Historical Society will host its second annual “Road Rally in the Valley”! What’s a road rally? A fun scavenger hunt combined with a road race! It’s a battle of mind and machine! Teams are not racing each other or the clock, but are instead attempting to complete the hunt in the least mileage with the maximum correct answers. Check-in opens at noon; the rally starts at 1 p.m. and the awards ceremony is at 4:30 p.m. Registration is $35 per carload for LCHS members and $45 per carload for nonmembers.
Teams will begin at the historic 1803 Swetland Homestead, 885 Wyoming Avenue in Wyoming, where they will receive a book of site clues. Each site clue, when decoded, leads to a historic site in the Wyoming Valley. Teams drive to the location and snap a photo of themselves at the site with The Citizens’ Voice (provided – special thanks to our media sponsor, The Citizens’ Voice!). Upon completing the clues, teams return to finish back at the Homestead. This is not a timed event. The team with the most correctly decoded clues in the lowest mileage is the winner!
Prizes will also be awarded for 2nd and 3rd place per class as well as for the Oldest Vehicle and Most Team Spirit. Enjoy food and music after the rally. The rally is open to all Pennsylvania road legal vehicles of any age, make or model, including motorcycles. Vehicles will be divided into two classes: Vintage (1900-1979) and Modern (1980-present). Goody bags for the first 100 registered carloads! For more information, or to register a team, call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org.
The Luzerne County Historical Society will present a lecture entitled “Frances Dorrance – LCHS’ First Executive Director” on the Zoom digital platform. Originally scheduled as a part of the celebration of Women’s History Month 2021, the lecture will now take place on Thursday, May 27, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. Attendees will learn about this local woman who made historic preservation and archaeology her life’s callings at the Historical Society and through the programs she helped create under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s administration to put academics to work during the Depression. We hope you will join us in learning about a tremendous woman, whose influence is still felt at many local institutions today.
The lecture will be presented by former LCHS President and current board member Tish McCarthy Last. Last attended Wilkes University and has recently retired from the development office of King’s College. She has been active with the LCHS in one way or another for nearly two decades. The lecture is one of a continuing series made possible through grants from the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, and Luzerne County through the CARES Act.
This is a virtual event via Zoom. To attend, use the Zoom link below: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87985606284?pwd=YnlwOCtod3RyaG5YMUJ5dDRDOFRtQT09
Founded in 1858, the Luzerne County Historical Society is Pennsylvania’s oldest county historical society. LCHS preserves and promotes the collective history and heritage of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, at the Bishop Library and the Museum in Wilkes-Barre, the Denison House in Forty Fort and the Swetland Homestead in Wyoming. For more information, visit our website, www.luzernehistory.org. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/luzernehistory/.
SAVE THE DATE: Due to popular demand, we’re doing another one! You wanted it, you got it! On Thursday, June 24th, the Luzerne County Historical Society will hold a second online auction on the virtual Auctria platform. This auction will run through Sunday, June 27th. The auction will once again feature a wide variety of books, maps, lithographs, and other ephemera. (Note: All items in the auction have been deaccessioned due to relevance, wear, duplication, etc. are NO LONGER collection pieces of the LCHS). Perfect for any history lover, the items in the auction are a combination of originals and reproductions, some dating as far back as the mid-1800s! So keep your eyes on this space for item previews as we approach the June 24th start date, and then bid, bid, bid! And remember, creating an Auctria account is free and easy!
To register for the auction and view the catalog, click the link below: (Catalog will be available around June 15th)
The Luzerne County Historical Society will hold a second online auction on the virtual Auctria platform from Thursday, February 18th – Sunday, February 21st 2021. The auction will be entitled “Found in Collection” and will feature a wide variety of books, maps, lithographs and other ephemera, all of which were at one time in the collection of the LCHS (Note: All items in the auction have been deaccessioned due to relevance, wear, duplication, etc. are NO LONGER collection pieces of the LCHS). Perfect for any history lover, the items in the auction are a combination of originals and reproductions, some dating as far back as the 1840s! And remember, creating an Auctria account is free and easy! To register and view the auction catalog, go to:
Other events are sponsored by the Anthracite Heritage Museum, the Anthracite Heritage Foundation, King’s College, WVIA Public Broadcasting, the Lackawanna Historical Society, the Luzerne County Historical Society, the Knox Mine Disaster Memorial Committee, the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration—The Pennsylvania Anthracite Section, and the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem, PA.
On Sunday, August 2, 2020, the Luzerne County Historical Society will host its second annual “Road Rally in the Valley”! What’s a road rally? A fun scavenger hunt combined with a road race! It’s a battle of mind and machine! Teams are not racing each other or the clock, but are instead attempting to complete the hunt in the least mileage with the maximum correct answers. Check-in opens at noon; the rally starts at 1 p.m. and the awards ceremony is at 4:30 p.m. Registration is $35 per carload for LCHS members and $45 per carload for nonmembers.
Teams will begin at the historic 1803 Swetland Homestead, 885 Wyoming Avenue in Wyoming, where they will receive a book of site clues. Each site clue, when decoded, leads to a historic site in the Wyoming Valley. Teams drive to the location and snap a photo of themselves at the site with The Citizens’ Voice (provided – special thanks to our media sponsor, The Citizens’ Voice!). Upon completing the clues, teams return to finish back at the Homestead. This is not a timed event. The team with the most correctly decoded clues in the lowest mileage is the winner!
Prizes will also be awarded for 2nd and 3rd place per class as well as for the Oldest Vehicle and Most Team Spirit. Enjoy food and music after the rally. The rally is open to all Pennsylvania road legal vehicles of any age, make or model, including motorcycles. Vehicles will be divided into two classes: Vintage (1900-1979) and Modern (1980-present). Goody bags for the first 100 registered carloads! For more information, or to register a team, call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org.
On Saturday, July 4, 2020, the Luzerne County Historical Society will be attending the 142nd Commemoration of the Battle and Massacre at Wyoming, held at the Wyoming Monument at 10am. The Society will be selling books, DVDs and notecards related to the history of the Battle of Wyoming, the monument and local history. The LCHS and the Wyoming Commemorative Association will also have copies of the ceremony’s proceedings from the early 1900s through early 2000s available for sale. Cash, checks and credit cards are all accepted.
The Battle of Wyoming took place during the Revolutionary War on July 3, 1778. The British worked with members of the Native American Seneca tribe on this campaign. The Americans, led by Zebulon Butler (1731-1795) and Nathan Denison (1740-1809), reportedly suffered more than 200 casualties in the battle out of their force of approximately 375. Nathan Denison negotiated the capitulation to the British, which will be re-enacted on July 4th at the Denison House at 1:30 and 3 p.m. Although the Battle of Wyoming was a British victory, it led George Washington (1732-1799) to send a counter-offensive in 1779, which was successful in removing Native Americans from the Susquehanna, Mohawk and Allegheny valleys.
The LCHS Museum and Bishop Library, both on South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, will be closed on Saturday, July 4, 2020.
The Luzerne County Historical Society’s Nathan Denison House (one of the oldest houses in the Wyoming Valley) opens for the season on Sunday, May 24, 2020, from 1 to 4 p.m. at 35 Denison Street in Forty Fort, PA. The house will be open for tours on Sundays through September 27, 2020, from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is free for LCHS members; $5 for non-member adults and $3 for non-member children. Tours are provided by volunteers from the Denison Advocates. For more information, email info@luzernehistory.org or call 570-823-6244.
Nathan Denison (1740-1809) was one of the first forty shareholders in the Susquehanna Company to settle five new towns in the Wyoming Valley in February 1769. Denison became a popular leader of the pioneer settlers from Connecticut. He served as a Justice of the Peace and colonel of the local militia, distinguishing himself in the ill-fated Battle of Wyoming in 1778.
Founded in 1858, the Luzerne County Historical Society is Pennsylvania’s oldest county historical society. LCHS preserves and promotes the collective history and heritage of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, at the Bishop Library and the Museum in Wilkes-Barre, the Denison House in Forty Fort and the Swetland Homestead in Wyoming. For more information, visit our website, www.luzernehistory.org. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/luzernehistory/.
The Luzerne County Historical Society in conjunction with the Westmoreland Club Charitable Foundation cordially invites you to a Portrait Walk on Thursday, January 23, 2020, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Westmoreland Club, 59 South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA. Join us in the main dining room for complimentary hors d’ouevres and champagne before beginning your self-guided tour of the portraits throughout The Clubhouse to explore and learn of the contributions of these prominent 19th century leaders of the commercial and industrial growth of our community.
The charge for the evening is $40.00 for Society members and $45.00 for nonmembers. Prepaid reservations can be made by calling 50-823-6244 ext.3 before January 18th. The Westmoreland Club dress code requires collared shirts, tucked into slacks (jackets optional but appropriate) for gentlemen, and dresses or tailored slacks for ladies.
Founded in 1858, the Luzerne County Historical Society is Pennsylvania’s oldest county historical society. LCHS preserves and promotes the collective history and heritage of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, at the Bishop Library and the Museum in Wilkes-Barre, the Denison House in Forty Fort and the Swetland Homestead in Wyoming. For more information, visit our website, www.luzernehistory.org. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/luzernehistory/.
The Luzerne County Historical Society announces that, in cooperation with Jennifer Ciarimboli, its next monthly mindfulness meditation session at the LCHS Museum, 69 Rear South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, will take place on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 at 6:30 pm. Meditation is free and open to all participants. Bring your Yoga mat or cushion and join in!
Insight meditation focuses on formal mindfulness practices from the teachings of the Buddha and focuses on three specific methods/techniques including Insight (Vipassana), Concentration (Samatha) and Compassion (Metta). The group will cover a particular area of interest each month, talk about specific traditional teachings and explore new science and research on the benefits of mindfulness. Participants are welcome to attend one, two or all three sessions, as they choose.
A regional observance of Anthracite Mining Heritage Month will take place during January 2020. A wide variety of programs will be featured in Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Pittston, Plymouth, Nanticoke, Bethlehem, and Port Griffith. The annual event focuses on the history and culture of the anthracite region of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
The Luzerne County Historical Society is proud to once again take part in Anthracite Mining Heritage Month. Did you know the LCHS has thousands of photos from the 1800s and 1900s documenting all aspects of the past, including coal mining and its effects on the people and the landscape of our area? Join LCHS Director of Operations Mark Riccetti, Jr. on Thursday January 9th at 6:30pm at the LCHS Museum, as he shares some of these mining-related photos and explores what they can teach us about our history, along with how they resonate with the current social landscape of the Valley today. The talk is FREE as part of Anthracite Mining Heritage Month.
The Luzerne County Historical Society Museum is located at 69 Rear South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA (behind the Osterhout Library). The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free for members; $5 for non-members and $3 for children. Exhibitions on view at the museum include: “Native Americans in the Wyoming Valley,” “The Battle of Wyoming at 240: Revolution on the Homefront,” and ““Mysterious Customs and Warm Charity”: Fraternal Organizations in the Wyoming Valley.”
The Luzerne County Historical Society will present its holiday-themed Festive Traditions program at the Swetland Homestead on Saturday and Sunday, December 7 and 8, 2019, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Travel through time as you tour the house with costumed guides and explore how Christmas traditions evolved from the late 1700s through 1877. See a demonstration of period hearth cooking and learn about late-1700s and early-1800s favorite dishes. New this year is Festive Wreaths, a silent auction of traditional and contemporary holiday wreaths donated by local businesses and individuals. Proceeds benefit the programs, collections and exhibitions of the Luzerne County Historical Society.
Guests will meet various members of the Swetland family as they journey through Christmases gone by, and learn about their lives and the history of the Wyoming Valley. Bids on the Festive Wreaths will be accepted through Sunday at 4 p.m.; winning bidders get to take home their wreath! Hot cider and cookies will be provided. The Society appreciates the support of Community Bank NA.
Tours run from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Tickets for the tours are $8 for members, $12 for non-members and $5 for kids 5-17; admission to Festive Wreaths is free. To purchase tickets in advance or to become a member, call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org. No reservations are needed, tickets can be purchased at the door.
The Luzerne County Historical Society will present its holiday-themed Festive Traditions program at the Swetland Homestead on Saturday and Sunday, December 7 and 8, 2019, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Travel through time as you tour the house with costumed guides and explore how Christmas traditions evolved from the late 1700s through 1877. See a demonstration of period hearth cooking and learn about late-1700s and early-1800s favorite dishes. New this year is Festive Wreaths, a silent auction of traditional and contemporary holiday wreaths donated by local businesses and individuals. Proceeds benefit the programs, collections and exhibitions of the Luzerne County Historical Society.
Guests will meet various members of the Swetland family as they journey through Christmases gone by, and learn about their lives and the history of the Wyoming Valley. Bids on the Festive Wreaths will be accepted through Sunday at 4 p.m.; winning bidders get to take home their wreath! Hot cider and cookies will be provided. The Society appreciates the support of Community Bank NA.
Tours run from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Tickets for the tours are $8 for members, $12 for non-members and $5 for kids 5-17; admission to Festive Wreaths is free. To purchase tickets in advance or to become a member, call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org. No reservations are needed, tickets can be purchased at the door.
The Luzerne County Historical Society is offering a one-day bus trip to the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia on Saturday, November 2, 2019. The trip includes round-trip coach transportation, admission to the museum’s core exhibits and its special exhibition, “Cost of Revolution: The Life and Death of an Irish Soldier,” and a lunch and learn program with boxed lunch and program, “Making the Museum.”
“Cost of Revolution” follows the untold story of Richard St. George, an Irish soldier and artist, whose personal trauma and untimely death provide a window into the entangled histories of the American Revolution and the Irish Revolution of 1798. Art and artifacts from St. George’s life and death will be reunited from across the globe, one of the largest collections of objects from Ireland’s 18th-century revolutionary history ever displayed in Pennsylvania.
The Museum of the American Revolution explores the dynamic story of the American Revolution using its collection of Revolutionary-era weapons, personal items, documents, and works of art. Exhibitions and programs bring to life the events, people, and ideals of our nation’s founding and engage visitors in the history and continuing relevance of the American Revolution. The “lunch and learn” includes a 30-minute program on “Making the Museum,” highlighting key artifacts and revealing how things work behind the scenes at the Museum. The program will be accompanied by an elegant boxed lunch (participants will be able to choose from several salad and sandwich options).
Cost per person is $85 for members and $100 for non-members. The bus will leave from the Swetland Homestead, 885 Wyoming Avenue, Wyoming, PA, at 8 a.m. Expected return is by 6:00 p.m. Reservations and nonrefundable payment are required by October 17, 2019. To reserve, please call 570-823-622 ext. 1 or email info@luzernehistory.org.
The Luzerne County Historical Society announces the next date in their “Dining with Friends” program. Join Society members and supporters on Wednesday, October 23, 2019, at Cork, 463 Madison Street, Wilkes-Barre. The restaurant will generously donate 10% of its proceeds that night to the Historical Society. LCHS members and the general public are encouraged to “dine with friends” at Cork that night.
Come on out for a delicious meal while helping the Society at the same time! Cork is located in a quaint neighborhood in the north end of Wilkes-Barre and offers a classy, yet contemporary decor and a relaxed cosmopolitan ambiance. Please call Cork directly at 570-270-3818 to make reservations and mention that you are with LCHS. The Society would like to thank Rob Friedman and the staff at Cork for their generosity in sponsoring this “Dining with Friends” evening. For more information about Cork, visit https://corkdining.com/. For questions about this program or for more information about the Luzerne County Historical Society, call 570-823-6244 or email info@luzernehistory.org.
Luzerne County Historical Society Announces “Dining with Friends” Program
October 23, 2019, at Cork
The Luzerne County Historical Society announces the next date in their “Dining with Friends” program. Join Society members and supporters on Wednesday, October 23, 2019, at Cork, 463 Madison Street, Wilkes-Barre. The restaurant will generously donate 10% of its proceeds that night to the Historical Society. LCHS members and the general public are encouraged to “dine with friends” at Cork that night.
Come on out for a delicious meal while helping the Society at the same time! Cork is located in a quaint neighborhood in the north end of Wilkes-Barre and offers a classy, yet contemporary decor and a relaxed cosmopolitan ambiance. Please call Cork directly at 570-270-3818 to make reservations and mention that you are with LCHS. The Society would like to thank Rob Friedman and the staff at Cork for their generosity in sponsoring this “Dining with Friends” evening. For more information about Cork, visit https://corkdining.com/. For questions about this program or for more information about the Luzerne County Historical Society, call 570-823-6244 or email info@luzernehistory.org.
Luzerne County Historical Society to Present Harvest Fest at Denison House
Early American craftsmen and artisans will come to life on Sunday, October 6, 2019, from 1 to 5 p.m., at the historic Nathan Denison House in Forty Fort. Harvest Fest features crafters in the arts of cross-cut saw demonstrations, 1700s weapons, quill pen and ink, wood carving, wheat weaving and much more. Hearth cooking methods will be demonstrated over a fire in the original Denison House kitchen fireplace. There will be an explanation of the use of 1700s and early 1800s herbs and spices; quilting and primitive artwork will also be shown. New this year will be the Five Nations Bear Clan with their regalia, mystery box and Native American artifacts.
The event is held annually as a learning experience for every member of the family. Children are invited to make 1700s toys and other crafts. A string ensemble from Wyoming Valley West will entertain with music of the period. Firing demonstrations with replica period firearms will take place along with a complete explanation of military dress during the American Revolution. The Society thanks the Bergman Foundation for sponsoring Harvest Fest.
The event will run from 1 to 5 p.m. The Nathan Denison House is just off of Wyoming Avenue at 35 Dension Street near the Forty Fort Airport. Admission is $7 for nonmember adults and $5 for nonmember children aged 5 to 17; LCHS member adults are $5 and $3 for children aged 5 to 17. For more information call 570-823-62-44 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistoy.org.
Nathan Denison was one of the first forty shareholders in the Susquehanna Company to settle five new towns in the Wyoming Valley in February 1769. Denison became a popular leader of the pioneer settlers from Connecticut. He served as a Justice of the Peace and colonel of the local militia.
In celebration of Octoberfest, the Luzerne County Historical Society will offer a lecture and slideshow entitled, “The History of Brewing in Luzerne County” on Thursday, October 10, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. at the LCHS Museum, 69 Rear South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre. The lecture will be presented by LCHS Director of Operations and Programs Mark J. Riccetti, Jr. Riccetti will discuss the many breweries that dotted the Wyoming Valley during the 1800s and 1900s, the impact of Prohibition on them, their consolidation in the 1960s and 1970s and the rise of the microbrewery today. Beer and pretzels will be served. Tickets for the lecture are $7 for members and $10 for nonmembers; tickets include the lecture, admission to the LCHS Museum, beverages and snacks. Reservations are required for this event. To register call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org.
The Luzerne County Museum is located at 69 Rear South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA (behind the Osterhout Library). The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free for members; $5 for non-members and $3 for children. Additional exhibitions on view at the museum include: “Native Americans in the Wyoming Valley” and “Mysterious Customs and Warm Charity: Fraternal Organizations in the Wyoming Valley.”
Founded in 1858, the Luzerne County Historical Society is Pennsylvania’s oldest county historical society. LCHS preserves and promotes the collective history and heritage of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, at the Bishop Library and the Museum in Wilkes-Barre, the Denison House in Forty Fort and the Swetland Homestead in Wyoming. For more information, visit our website, www.luzernehistory.org. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/luzernehistory/.
The Luzerne County Historical Society will offer a gallery talk about its exhibition, “The Battle of Wyoming at 240: Revolution on the Homefront” on Thursday, November 14, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. The exhibition draws on paintings, prints, letters, artifacts recovered from the Battle site and survivor accounts in their own harrowing words. These items combine to give a layered picture of the 45-minute battle that changed the Valley for the next thirty years. Join us as we tour the exhibition, discuss what we know, and what is still debated about the battle and ensuing massacre.
The gallery talk will be presented by LCHS Director of Operations and Programs (and exhibition curator) Mark J. Riccetti, Jr. Riccetti will discuss the exhibition’s themes and design process and highlight some of his favorite objects. The gallery talk is free for LCHS members and $5 for non-member adults (includes museum admission).
The Luzerne County Historical Society Museum is located at 69 Rear South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA (behind the Osterhout Library). The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free for members; $5 for non-members and $3 for children. Additional exhibitions on view at the museum include: “Native Americans in the Wyoming Valley” and “Mysterious Customs and Warm Charity: Fraternal Organizations in the Wyoming Valley.”
Founded in 1858, the Luzerne County Historical Society is Pennsylvania’s oldest county historical society. LCHS preserves and promotes the collective history and heritage of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, at the Bishop Library and the Museum in Wilkes-Barre, the Denison House in Forty Fort and the Swetland Homestead in Wyoming. For more information, visit our website, www.luzernehistory.org. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/luzernehistory/.
The Luzerne County Historical Society (LCHS) announces a talk on needlework samplers by Executive Director Aimee E. Newell, Ph.D. (author of A Stitch in Time: The Needlework of Aging Women in Antebellum America) on Sunday, September 22, 2019, at 2 p.m. at the Denison House Visitor Center, 35 Denison Street, Forty Fort, PA. The Denison House is open for tours on Sundays through September 29, 2019, from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission to the house tour and the talk is free for LCHS members; $5 for non-member adults and $3 for non-member children. For more information, email info@luzernehistory.org or call 570-823-6244 x3.
Newell will review the history of samplermaking in the United States and then discuss several examples from the LCHS collection. She will include two samplers stitched by Luke Swetland’s granddaughters, which were recently conserved thanks to a Community Connector grant from the PennEast Pipeline. One of these samplers was made in 1817 by Almira Swetland (1805-1880) and the other by Hannah Swetland (1783-1872) in 1793. Stitched in silk thread on linen cloth, the samplers offer insight into the lives of northeastern Pennsylvania girls during the late 1700s and early 1800s, lives that are often difficult to study because of the lack of traditional written documentation.
The Denison House was built in 1790 for Nathan Denison and his family and is one of the oldest houses in the Wyoming Valley. Nathan Denison was one of the first forty shareholders in the Susquehanna Company to settle five new towns in the Wyoming Valley in February 1769. Denison became a popular leader of the pioneer settlers from Connecticut. He served as a Justice of the Peace and colonel of the local militia.
The Luzerne County Historical Society announces that, in cooperation with Jennifer Ciarimboli, it is extending the monthly mindfulness meditation sessions at the LCHS Museum, 69 Rear South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, for another three months. The first session of the fall series will take place on Wednesday, September 18, 2019, with sessions to follow on Wednesday, October 16, 2019, and Wednesday, November 20, 2019. All sessions will begin at 6:30 pm and are free to all participants. Brig your Yoga mat or cushion and join in!
Insight meditation focuses on formal mindfulness practices from the teachings of the Buddha and focuses on three specific methods/techniques including Insight (Vipassana), Concentration (Samatha) and Compassion (Metta). The group will cover a particular area of interest each month, talk about specific traditional teachings and explore new science and research on the benefits of mindfulness. Participants are welcome to attend one, two or all three sessions, as they choose.
Jennifer Ciarimboli will be leading the talk and practice. Jennifer has trained extensively in these methods for the last five years and is certified to teach under the direction of Sarah & Ty Powers through their Insight Yoga Institute. She is a current student of Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach through their Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training. Jennifer has a dedicated, formal daily practice, participates in noble, silent retreats twice a year and has been leading yoga, pranayam and meditation classes, workshops and trainings throughout the Northeast since 2008. Jennifer has a deep love of serving and sharing these transformative practices with her local community in NEPA and started the Riverfront Yoga Project in 2009, which has successfully grown with over 175 students participating in free yoga at the Millenium Portal in downtown Wilkes-Barre every Saturday from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
The Luzerne County Historical Society Museum is located at 69 Rear South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA (behind the Osterhout Library). The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free for members; $5 for non-members and $3 for children. Exhibitions on view at the museum include: “Native Americans in the Wyoming Valley,” “The Battle of Wyoming at 240: Revolution on the Homefront,” and ““Mysterious Customs and Warm Charity”: Fraternal Organizations in the Wyoming Valley.”
Founded in 1858, the Luzerne County Historical Society is Pennsylvania’s oldest county historical society. LCHS preserves and promotes the collective history and heritage of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, at the Bishop Library and the Museum in Wilkes-Barre, the Denison House in Forty Fort and the Swetland Homestead in Wyoming. For more information, visit our website, www.luzernehistory.org. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/luzernehistory/.
The Luzerne County Historical Society announces that, in cooperation with Jennifer Ciarimboli, it is extending the monthly mindfulness meditation sessions at the LCHS Museum, 69 Rear South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, for another three months. The first session of the fall series will take place on Wednesday, September 18, 2019, with sessions to follow on Wednesday, October 16, 2019, and Wednesday, November 20, 2019. All sessions will begin at 6:30 pm and are free to all participants. Brig your Yoga mat or cushion and join in!
Insight meditation focuses on formal mindfulness practices from the teachings of the Buddha and focuses on three specific methods/techniques including Insight (Vipassana), Concentration (Samatha) and Compassion (Metta). The group will cover a particular area of interest each month, talk about specific traditional teachings and explore new science and research on the benefits of mindfulness. Participants are welcome to attend one, two or all three sessions, as they choose.
Jennifer Ciarimboli will be leading the talk and practice. Jennifer has trained extensively in these methods for the last five years and is certified to teach under the direction of Sarah & Ty Powers through their Insight Yoga Institute. She is a current student of Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach through their Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training. Jennifer has a dedicated, formal daily practice, participates in noble, silent retreats twice a year and has been leading yoga, pranayam and meditation classes, workshops and trainings throughout the Northeast since 2008. Jennifer has a deep love of serving and sharing these transformative practices with her local community in NEPA and started the Riverfront Yoga Project in 2009, which has successfully grown with over 175 students participating in free yoga at the Millenium Portal in downtown Wilkes-Barre every Saturday from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
The Luzerne County Historical Society Museum is located at 69 Rear South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA (behind the Osterhout Library). The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free for members; $5 for non-members and $3 for children. Exhibitions on view at the museum include: “Native Americans in the Wyoming Valley,” “The Battle of Wyoming at 240: Revolution on the Homefront,” and ““Mysterious Customs and Warm Charity”: Fraternal Organizations in the Wyoming Valley.”
Founded in 1858, the Luzerne County Historical Society is Pennsylvania’s oldest county historical society. LCHS preserves and promotes the collective history and heritage of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, at the Bishop Library and the Museum in Wilkes-Barre, the Denison House in Forty Fort and the Swetland Homestead in Wyoming. For more information, visit our website, www.luzernehistory.org. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/luzernehistory/.
The Luzerne County Historical Society announces that, in cooperation with Jennifer Ciarimboli, it is extending the monthly mindfulness meditation sessions at the LCHS Museum, 69 Rear South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, for another three months. The first session of the fall series will take place on Wednesday, September 18, 2019, with sessions to follow on Wednesday, October 16, 2019, and Wednesday, November 20, 2019. All sessions will begin at 6:30 pm and are free to all participants. Brig your Yoga mat or cushion and join in!
Insight meditation focuses on formal mindfulness practices from the teachings of the Buddha and focuses on three specific methods/techniques including Insight (Vipassana), Concentration (Samatha) and Compassion (Metta). The group will cover a particular area of interest each month, talk about specific traditional teachings and explore new science and research on the benefits of mindfulness. Participants are welcome to attend one, two or all three sessions, as they choose.
Jennifer Ciarimboli will be leading the talk and practice. Jennifer has trained extensively in these methods for the last five years and is certified to teach under the direction of Sarah & Ty Powers through their Insight Yoga Institute. She is a current student of Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach through their Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training. Jennifer has a dedicated, formal daily practice, participates in noble, silent retreats twice a year and has been leading yoga, pranayam and meditation classes, workshops and trainings throughout the Northeast since 2008. Jennifer has a deep love of serving and sharing these transformative practices with her local community in NEPA and started the Riverfront Yoga Project in 2009, which has successfully grown with over 175 students participating in free yoga at the Millenium Portal in downtown Wilkes-Barre every Saturday from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
The Luzerne County Historical Society Museum is located at 69 Rear South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA (behind the Osterhout Library). The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free for members; $5 for non-members and $3 for children. Exhibitions on view at the museum include: “Native Americans in the Wyoming Valley,” “The Battle of Wyoming at 240: Revolution on the Homefront,” and ““Mysterious Customs and Warm Charity”: Fraternal Organizations in the Wyoming Valley.”
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Founded in 1858, the Luzerne County Historical Society is Pennsylvania’s oldest county historical society. LCHS preserves and promotes the collective history and heritage of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, at the Bishop Library and the Museum in Wilkes-Barre, the Denison House in Forty Fort and the Swetland Homestead in Wyoming. For more information, visit our website, www.luzernehistory.org. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/luzernehistory/.
The Luzerne County Historical Society announces that the historic 1803 Swetland Homestead, at 885 Wyoming Avenue in Wyoming, will be open for guided tours on Sunday September 29 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free for LCHS members, $5 for nonmember adults and $3 for nonmember children. Reservations are accepted but are not required.
The earliest part of the Swetland Homestead was built in 1803. The additions made to it during the early 1800s as the Swetland family grew and prospered have transformed the structure into the home that stands today. Period rooms, spanning sixty years from the summer kitchen to the Victorian parlor, illustrate changes in living spaces and household objects as America and the Wyoming Valley passed from an agrarian economy to an industrialized society. The homestead is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Generations of the Swetland family lived in the house until 1958, when it was given to the Luzerne County Historical Society.
On Saturday and Sunday, August 17 and 18, 2019, the Luzerne County Historical Society will host a Revolutionary War-era militia encampment by the 24th Connecticut Militia Regiment at the Nathan Denison House, 35 Denison Street, Forty Fort, PA. The Encampment will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission to the encampment is $5 for LCHS members and $3 for LCHS member children; $7 for non-member adults and $5 for non-member children. Tours of the house will be available during the encampment event and are included in the event fee. Reservations are not required. For more information, email reservations@luzernehistory.org or call 570-823-6244 x3. This event is rain or shine.
The 24th Connecticut Militia Regiment, Inc., is a living history organization. Its objective is to educate and encourage interest in the Revolutionary War period of American history through the accurate portrayal of Revolutionary-era soldiers and common people of the Wyoming Valley. Visitors to the encampment will see demonstrations by Regiment members portraying both soldiers and civilians known as camp followers. Camp followers travelled with the Regiment and supported the soldiers with their skills and trades, such as cooking, tailoring, and carpentry.
The 24th Connecticut Regiment of Militia was originally established by the Connecticut Legislature in May 1775. The Continental Congress established two independent companies of the regiment in August 1776. Nathan Denison (1740-1809) held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was promoted to Colonel in 1777 when the two independent companies left the Wyoming Valley to join General Washington at Morristown, New Jersey. Over the course of the next two years, the regiment fought in battles at Millstone, Bound Brook, Germantown, Brandywine, Fort Mifflin and White Marsh. After spending a harsh winter at Valley Forge, the companies fought at the Battle of Monmouth. They were released in 1778 to return to the Wyoming Valley, but arrived too late to be of help at the Battle of Wyoming on July 3, 1778. The Regiment was then sent on the Hartley Expedition in September 1778 and were with General Sullivan’s march into the Finger Lakes region of New York during the summer of 1779.
Nathan Denison was one of the first forty shareholders in the Susquehanna Company to settle five new towns in the Wyoming Valley in February 1769. Denison became a popular leader of the pioneer settlers from Connecticut. He served as a Justice of the Peace and colonel of the local militia. The Denison House is open for tours on Sundays through the end of September, from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is free for LCHS members; $5 for non-member adults and $3 for non-member children. For more information, email info@luzernehistory.org or call 570-823-6244.
On Saturday and Sunday, August 17 and 18, 2019, the Luzerne County Historical Society will host a Revolutionary War-era militia encampment by the 24th Connecticut Militia Regiment at the Nathan Denison House, 35 Denison Street, Forty Fort, PA. The Encampment will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission to the encampment is $5 for LCHS members and $3 for LCHS member children; $7 for non-member adults and $5 for non-member children. Tours of the house will be available during the encampment event and are included in the event fee. Reservations are not required. For more information, email reservations@luzernehistory.org or call 570-823-6244 x3. This event is rain or shine.
The 24th Connecticut Militia Regiment, Inc., is a living history organization. Its objective is to educate and encourage interest in the Revolutionary War period of American history through the accurate portrayal of Revolutionary-era soldiers and common people of the Wyoming Valley. Visitors to the encampment will see demonstrations by Regiment members portraying both soldiers and civilians known as camp followers. Camp followers travelled with the Regiment and supported the soldiers with their skills and trades, such as cooking, tailoring, and carpentry.
The 24th Connecticut Regiment of Militia was originally established by the Connecticut Legislature in May 1775. The Continental Congress established two independent companies of the regiment in August 1776. Nathan Denison (1740-1809) held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was promoted to Colonel in 1777 when the two independent companies left the Wyoming Valley to join General Washington at Morristown, New Jersey. Over the course of the next two years, the regiment fought in battles at Millstone, Bound Brook, Germantown, Brandywine, Fort Mifflin and White Marsh. After spending a harsh winter at Valley Forge, the companies fought at the Battle of Monmouth. They were released in 1778 to return to the Wyoming Valley, but arrived too late to be of help at the Battle of Wyoming on July 3, 1778. The Regiment was then sent on the Hartley Expedition in September 1778 and were with General Sullivan’s march into the Finger Lakes region of New York during the summer of 1779.
Nathan Denison was one of the first forty shareholders in the Susquehanna Company to settle five new towns in the Wyoming Valley in February 1769. Denison became a popular leader of the pioneer settlers from Connecticut. He served as a Justice of the Peace and colonel of the local militia. The Denison House is open for tours on Sundays through the end of September, from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is free for LCHS members; $5 for non-member adults and $3 for non-member children. For more information, email info@luzernehistory.org or call 570-823-6244.
The Luzerne County Historical Society announces that its Battle of Wyoming Walking Tours will run on Saturday and Sunday, September 14 and 15, 2019. Join Luzerne County Historical Society Board Member Stephen B. Killian, Esq., for a first-hand account of the disastrous Battle of Wyoming and the massacre that followed. Attorney Killian will lead the group through the battlefield and talk about the tactics, troops and equipment of the Americans, Tories and the Native Americans, as well as discussing (with an audience-driven demonstration) the infamous flanking maneuver and retreat that lead to the Massacre. Insight about the area before and after the Battle is also included.
This is a two-hour, two-mile outdoor walking tour that takes place rain or shine. Each day, the tour starts at the corner of 4th Street and Susquehanna Avenue in Wyoming at 1 p.m. Cost is $7 for LCHS members, $10 for nonmembers and $5 for all children under 18. Each tour is limited to the first 45 reservations. Reservations are required. To make reservations call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org.
The Luzerne County Historical Society will present a series of kids’ craft programs over the course of the summer at the LCHS Museum, 69 Rear South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA. On three Thursdays, July 11, July 25 and August 8, at 2:00 pm, children will learn a local history lesson and create a craft that connects to the museum’s exhibitions and collections. Each child will go home with a keepsake of their time at the museum.
The second Kids’ Craft program in the series is Fun with Fossils and will take place on Thursday, July 25, 2019, at 2:00 pm. Join LCHS Director of Operations and Programs Mark Riccetti, Jr. and Museum Manager Allyson Earl on a visit to the petrified stump on the LCHS lawn. After learning about fossilization and how it occurs, the children will then create their own pressed “fossils” to take home as an example of what they learned.
Reservations are preferred for this program. Tickets are FREE for children of LCHS members and $5 per child for nonmember children. Price includes the craft activity and a beverage. No lunch will be served. Tickets may be purchased by calling 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or by emailing reservations@luzernehistory.org.
The Luzerne County Museum is located at the 69 Rear South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA (behind the Osterhout Library). The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 2 to 6 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. Admission is free for members; $5 for non-members and $3 for children.
The Luzerne County Historical Society announces that its Battle of Wyoming Walking Tours will run on Saturday and Sunday, September 14 and 15, 2019. Join Luzerne County Historical Society Board Member Stephen B. Killian, Esq., for a first-hand account of the disastrous Battle of Wyoming and the massacre that followed. Attorney Killian will lead the group through the battlefield and talk about the tactics, troops and equipment of the Americans, Tories and the Native Americans, as well as discussing (with an audience-driven demonstration) the infamous flanking maneuver and retreat that lead to the Massacre. Insight about the area before and after the Battle is also included.
This is a two-hour, two-mile outdoor walking tour that takes place rain or shine. Each day, the tour starts at the corner of 4th Street and Susquehanna Avenue in Wyoming at 1 p.m. Cost is $7 for LCHS members, $10 for nonmembers and $5 for all children under 18. Each tour is limited to the first 45 reservations. Reservations are required. To make reservations call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org.
The Luzerne County Historical Society announces a lecture by Dr. Juanita Patience Moss, “Deeply Rooted in North Carolina: The Story of Two Runaway Slaves” on Friday, August 23, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. at the Luzerne County Historical Society Museum, 69 Rear South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA. “Deeply Rooted in North Carolina” is based on Dr. Moss’ newest book. Dr. Moss will speak about how an Ancestry DNA test led to the story of two runaway slave brothers in North Carolina and their harrowing journey, which led to her family’s residence in Luzerne County. Dr. Moss will do a book-signing after her talk. The lecture is free for LCHS members and $5 for non-members. For reservations or more information, call 570-823-6244 ext.3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Juanita Patience Moss, family griot, educator, author, and presenter, is the daughter of Charles Edgar Patience, a renowned anthracite coal sculptor from West Pittston and Wilkes-Barre, PA. After graduating from West Pittston High School, she attended Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C. Later she received a B.S. degree from Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre; a M.A. degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Rutherford, N.J.; and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree by King’s College in Wilkes-Barre. Moss is a member of several genealogical organizations as well as a charter member of the Smithsonian Museum of African American Culture and History in Washington, D.C. One of that museum’s exhibitions introduces the world to the unique anthracite art created by her grandfather, Harry, and her father, C. Edgar Patience.
The Luzerne County Historical Society Museum is located at 69 Rear South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA (behind the Osterhout Library). The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free for members; $5 for non-members and $3 for children. Exhibitions on view at the museum include: “Native Americans in the Wyoming Valley,” “Mysterious Customs and Warm Charity”: Fraternal Organizations in the Wyoming Valley and “The Battle of Wyoming at 240: Revolution on the Homefront.”
The Luzerne County Historical Society will present a series of kids’ craft programs over the course of this summer at the LCHS Museum, 69 Rear South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA. On three Thursdays, July 11, July 25 and August 8, at 2:00 pm, children will learn a local history lesson and create a craft that connects to the museum’s exhibitions and collections. Each child will go home with a keepsake of their time at the museum.
The first program in the series explores the art of powder horn decoration and will take place on Thursday, July 11, 2019 at 2:00 pm. Join LCHS Director of Operations and Programs Mark Riccetti, Jr. and Museum Manager Allyson Earl on a tour through the Museum’s “Battle of Wyoming at 240” exhibition. The children will learn about how Revolutionary War era soldiers customized their powder horns with unique designs. They then will create a design of their own inspired by the horns in the Museum’s collection.
Reservations are preferred for this program. Tickets are FREE for children of LCHS members and $5 per child for non-member children. Price includes the craft activity and a beverage. No lunch will be served. Tickets may be purchased by calling 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or by emailing reservations@luzernehistory.org.
The Luzerne County Museum is located at 69 Rear South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA (behind the Osterhout Library). The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 2 to 6 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. Admission is free for members; $5 for non-members and $3 for children.
The Luzerne County Historical Society will present a series of kids’ craft programs over the course of the summer at the LCHS Museum, 69 Rear South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA. On three Thursdays, July 11, July 25 and August 8, at 2:00 pm, children will learn a local history lesson and create a craft that connects to the museum’s exhibitions and collections. Each child will go home with a keepsake of their time at the museum.
The final Kids’ Craft program in the series explores the art of Native American beading and will take place on Thursday, August 8, 2019, at 2:00 pm. Join LCHS Director of Operations and Programs Mark Riccetti, Jr. and Museum Manager Allyson Earl on a tour through the Museum’s “Native Americans In the Wyoming Valley” exhibition. The children will be able to create a beaded piece inspired by the stories of the area’s Native Americans.
Reservations are preferred for this program. Tickets are FREE for children of LCHS members and $5 per child for nonmember children. Price includes the beading activity and a beverage. No lunch will be served. Tickets may be purchased by calling 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or by emailing reservations@luzernehistory.org.
The Luzerne County Museum is located at 69 Rear South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA (behind the Osterhout Library). The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 2 to 6 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. Admission is free for members; $5 for non-members and $3 for children.
In connection with its current exhibition, “Mysterious Customs and Warm Charity”: Fraternal Organizations in the Wyoming Valley, the Luzerne County Historical Society will offer a talk by Executive Director Aimee E. Newell, Ph.D., titled “The Badge of a Freemason”: Masonic Aprons on Wednesday, June 12, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. at the LCHS Museum, 69 Rear South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA. Join us for an overview of the history of Masonic aprons, their symbols and manufacture. Freemasons were inspired to wear aprons by the use of protective work aprons worn by working stonemasons. They remain one of the most well-known elements of the Masonic fraternity. The illustrated talk will include examples of embroidered, painted and printed aprons, with information on their makers and owners and the Masonic groups that use them.
Newell is the author of “The Badge of a Freemason:” Masonic Aprons from the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, published in 2015. Limited copies will be available for sale and signing. She has spoken and written about Masonic history across the United States and in Europe. She is the former Director of Collections at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library in Lexington, Massachusetts, and the former president of the Masonic Library and Museum Association.
The program is free for Society members, and $5 for nonmembers. Reservations are accepted, but not required. For more information, contact the Society at 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org. The Luzerne County Museum is located at 69 Rear South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA (behind the Osterhout Library). The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free for members; $5 for non-members and $3 for children. Exhibitions on view at the museum include: “Native Americans in the Wyoming Valley,” “Mysterious Customs and Warm Charity”: Fraternal Organizations in the Wyoming Valley and “The Battle of Wyoming at 240: Revolution on the Homefront.”
On Sunday, June 30, 2019, at 2 p.m., the Luzerne County Historical Society will host a talk about Revolutionary-era medicine, its tools and remedies. Join re-enactor Jeff Smith to learn about common ailments of the late 1700s, and how they were treated at the time. Check out the tools and remedies that were used.
Tours of the historic 1790 Nathan Denison House, 35 Dennison Street, Forty-Fort, PA, will be available from 1 to 4 p.m. Tickets are free for members of the Society, $5 for non-member adults and $3 for non-member kids. Tickets include a tour of the Denison House and the talk. For more information, call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org.
Nathan Denison was one of the first forty shareholders in the Susquehanna Company to settle five new towns in the Wyoming Valley in February 1769. Denison became a popular leader of the pioneer settlers from Connecticut. He served as a Justice of the Peace and colonel of the local militia.
The Luzerne County Historical Society announces that the historic 1803 Swetland Homestead, at 885 Wyoming Avenue in Wyoming, will be open for guided tours on select Saturdays during summer 2019. On Saturdays, June 8, July 20 and August 17, tours will be available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free for LCHS members, $5 for nonmember adults and $3 for nonmember children. Reservations are accepted but are not required.
The earliest part of the Swetland Homestead was built in 1803. The additions made to it during the early 1800s as the Swetland family grew and prospered have transformed the structure into the home that stands today. Period rooms, spanning sixty years from the summer kitchen to the Victorian parlor, illustrate changes in living spaces and household objects as America and the Wyoming Valley passed from an agrarian economy to an industrialized society. The homestead is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Generations of the Swetland family lived in the house until 1958, when it was given to the Luzerne County Historical Society.
The Luzerne County Historical Society announces that the historic 1803 Swetland Homestead, at 885 Wyoming Avenue in Wyoming, will be open for guided tours on select Saturdays during summer 2019. On Saturdays, June 8, July 20 and August 17, tours will be available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free for LCHS members, $5 for nonmember adults and $3 for nonmember children. Reservations are accepted but are not required.
The earliest part of the Swetland Homestead was built in 1803. The additions made to it during the early 1800s as the Swetland family grew and prospered have transformed the structure into the home that stands today. Period rooms, spanning sixty years from the summer kitchen to the Victorian parlor, illustrate changes in living spaces and household objects as America and the Wyoming Valley passed from an agrarian economy to an industrialized society. The homestead is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Generations of the Swetland family lived in the house until 1958, when it was given to the Luzerne County Historical Society.
The Luzerne County Historical Society announces that the historic 1803 Swetland Homestead, at 885 Wyoming Avenue in Wyoming, will be open for guided tours on select Saturdays during summer 2019. On Saturdays, June 8, July 20 and August 17, tours will be available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free for LCHS members, $5 for nonmember adults and $3 for nonmember children. Reservations are accepted but are not required.
The earliest part of the Swetland Homestead was built in 1803. The additions made to it during the early 1800s as the Swetland family grew and prospered have transformed the structure into the home that stands today. Period rooms, spanning sixty years from the summer kitchen to the Victorian parlor, illustrate changes in living spaces and household objects as America and the Wyoming Valley passed from an agrarian economy to an industrialized society. The homestead is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Generations of the Swetland family lived in the house until 1958, when it was given to the Luzerne County Historical Society.
The Luzerne County Historical Society will hold its annual gala dinner and silent auction on Friday, June 21, 2019, at Huntsville Golf Club, 1334 Market Street, Dallas. Founded in 1858, the Historical Society preserves and promotes the collective history and heritage of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The gala theme is “Rockin’ & Rollin’ in the Valley,” celebrating the 1960s, and guests should feel free to wear their 1960s finest, if they would like. The evening will include a cocktail hour, dinner, silent auction and a program including “A Conversation with Joe Nardone” and honoring the late Janet “Jefie” Flack as an LCHS Director Emerita.
In 1957, Joe Nardone led his band, “The All Stars,” as one of the first rock and roll performers in the Wyoming Valley. A year later he opened a small record store that grew into a chain with locations in several counties. He promoted concerts by Neil Diamond, Billy Joel, Chicago and the Grateful Dead in venues across the region. More than fifty years later, Joe Nardone is still promoting concerts and running two record stores with his son. A native of Wilkes-Barre and pioneer in the music business, Joe Nardone has made popular music history in Northeastern Pennsylvania. At the gala, fans can put aside their dancing shoes and sit while Joe tells stories about his band, his businesses and the famous stars he’s presented.
Janet Flack, who passed away in September 2018, was a long-time member of the Society, serving as President from 2012 to 2014. A talented interior designer, Flack brought her stylish flair to numerous Historical Society events, helping the Society to grow and to pursue its goal of engaging our community with its history. Flack was active in the community, serving on the boards of the Catherine McAuley Center, the Anthracite Scenic Trails Association and the Everhart Museum of Natural History, Science and Art, as well as on boards further afield, including the Harrington College of Design in Chicago, and the Boulevard Club of Naples, Florida. Flack’s niece, Jamie Flack Eckman and her husband, Richard Eckman, are Honorary Co-Chairs of the gala.
A silent auction will offer a variety of lots including decorative historic objects, gift baskets and more. Among the items for bid will be: tickets to the Live! With Kelly and Ryan show, courtesy of WNEP; overnight accommodation at the Frederick Stegmaier Mansion; an original mixed media piece, “We Belong Together 3” by Leigh Pawling; dinner for four at Old Tioga Farm (including transportation); two round-trip bus tickets to New York City, courtesy of Martz Group; and an autograph by and photo of Ray Charles, courtesy of Heritage Galleries. All proceeds from the silent auction benefit LCHS operations, programs and collections.
The evening’s open bar is sponsored by Rustique. Other sponsors include Community Bank NA, Berkshire Asset Management LLC, Wells Fargo, McCarthy Tire Service, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and Riggs Asset Management.
The cocktail hour (open bar) will start at 6:00 p.m. with dinner at 7:00 p.m., followed by the evening’s program. Tickets are $85 per person for LCHS members and $95 per person for non-members. Tickets must be purchased in advance by June 13, 2019; call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org.
On Sunday, August 4, 2019, the Luzerne County Historical Society presents a new event, the inaugural “Road Rally in the Valley”! What’s a road rally? A fun scavenger hunt combined with a road race! It’s a battle of mind and machine! Teams are not racing each other or the clock, but are instead attempting to complete the hunt in the least mileage with the maximum correct answers. Check-in opens at noon; the rally starts at 1 p.m. and the awards ceremony is at 4:30 p.m. Registration is $30 per carload for LCHS members and $40 per carload for nonmembers.
Teams will begin at Wilkes University Parking #5 (behind the Henry Student Center with entrances on South River and South Franklin Streets, Wilkes-Barre), where they will receive a book of site clues. Each site clue, when decoded, leads to a historic site in the Wyoming Valley. Teams drive to the location and snap a photo of themselves at the site with The Citizens’ Voice (provided – special thanks to our media sponsor, The Citizens’ Voice!). Upon completing the clues, teams return to the finish line at III Guys Pizza, 51 South Wyoming Avenue, Edwardsville. This is not a timed event. The team with the most correctly decoded clues in the lowest mileage is the winner!
Prizes will also be awarded for 2nd and 3rd place per class as well as for the Oldest Vehicle and Most Team Spirit. Enjoy great food and music by Bret Alexander at III Guys. The rally is open to all Pennsylvania road legal vehicles of any age, make or model, including motorcycles. Vehicles will be divided into two classes: Vintage (1900-1979) and Modern (1980-present). Driver T-shirts and swag bags for the first 100 registered carloads!
For more information, or to register a team, call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org.
On Thursday, July 4, 2019, the Luzerne County Historical Society and the 24th Connecticut Militia Regiment will host a re-enactment of the Capitulation after the Battle of Wyoming at 1:30 and 3 p.m. and an open house from noon to 4:00 p.m. at the Society’s Denison House, 35 Denison Street, Forty Fort, PA. Admission is free for everyone. The re-enactment and open house will follow the annual ceremony commemorating the Battle of Wyoming at the Wyoming Monument on Wyoming Avenue in Wyoming, PA.
At the Wyoming Monument ceremony, which begins at 10 a.m., the Luzerne County Historical Society will be selling books, DVDs and notecards related to the history of the Battle of Wyoming, the monument and local history. The Society and the Wyoming Commemorative Association will also have copies of the ceremony’s proceedings from the early 1900s through early 2000s available for sale. Cash, checks and credit cards are accepted.
The Battle of Wyoming took place during the Revolutionary War on July 3, 1778. The British worked with members of the Native American Seneca tribe on this campaign. The Americans, led by Zebulon Butler (1731-1795) and Nathan Denison (1740-1809), reportedly suffered more than 200 casualties in the battle out of their force of approximately 375. Nathan Denison negotiated the capitulation to the British, which will be re-enacted on July 4th at the Denison House at 1:30 and 3 p.m. Although the Battle of Wyoming was a British victory, it led George Washington (1732-1799) to send a counter-offensive in 1779, which was successful in removing Native Americans from the Susquehanna, Mohawk and Allegheny valleys.
The 24th Connecticut Regiment of Militia was originally established by the Connecticut Legislature in May 1775. The Continental Congress established two independent companies of the regiment in August 1776. Nathan Denison (1740-1809) held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
and was promoted to Colonel in 1777 when the two independent companies left the Wyoming Valley to join General Washington at Morristown, New Jersey. Over the course of the next two years, the regiment fought in battles at Millstone, Bound Brook, Germantown, Brandywine, Fort Mifflin and White Marsh. After spending a harsh winter at Valley Forge, the companies fought at the Battle of Monmouth. They were released in 1778 to return to the Wyoming Valley, but arrived too late to be of help at the Battle of Wyoming on July 3, 1778. The Regiment was then sent on the Hartley Expedition in September 1778 and were with General Sullivan’s march into the Finger Lakes region of New York during the summer of 1779.
Nathan Denison was one of the first forty shareholders in the Susquehanna Company to settle five new towns in the Wyoming Valley in February 1769. Denison became a popular leader of the pioneer settlers from Connecticut. He served as a Justice of the Peace and colonel of the local militia.
The Denison House is open for tours on Sundays through September 29, 2019, from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is free for LCHS members; $5 for non-member adults and $3 for non-member children. For more information, email info@luzernehistory.org or call 570-823-6244 x3.
The LCHS Museum and Bishop Library, both on South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, will be closed on Thursday, July 4, 2019.
The Luzerne County Historical Society will be offering monthly mindfulness meditation talks in the Luzerne County Museum, 69 South Franklin Street Wilkes-Barre. The meditation groups will begin meeting on June 19th with classes to follow each successive third Wednesday. All groups will meet at 6:30pm. Insight meditation focuses on formal mindfulness practices from the teachings of the Buddha and focuses on three specific methods/techniques including Insight (Vipassana), Concentration (Samatha) and Compassion (Metta). The group will cover a particular area of interest each month, talk about specific traditional teachings and also cover new science and research on the benefits of mindfulness.
Jennifer Ciarimboli will be leading the talk and practice. Jennifer has trained extensively in these methods for the last five years and is certified to teach under the direction of Sarah & Ty Powers through their Insight Yoga Institute. She is also a current student of Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach through their Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training. Jennifer has a dedicated, formal daily practice, participates in noble, silent retreats twice a year and has been leading yoga, pranayam and meditation classes, workshops and trainings throughout the NE since 2008. Jennifer has a deep love of serving and sharing these transformative practices with her local community in NEPA and started the Riverfront Yoga Project in 2009 which has successfully grown with over 175 students participating in free yoga at the Millenium Portal in downtown WB every Saturday from Memorial Day through Labor Day every summer.
The Luzerne County Museum is located at the rear of 69 South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA (behind the Osterhout Library). The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free for members; $5 for non-members and $3 for children. Additional exhibitions on view at the museum include: “Native Americans in the Wyoming Valley,” “The Battle of Wyoming at 240: Revolution on the Homefront”, and ““Mysterious Customs and Warm Charity: Fraternal Organizations in the Wyoming Valley”.
The Luzerne County Historical Society will be offering monthly mindfulness meditation talks in the Luzerne County Museum, 69 South Franklin Street Wilkes-Barre. The meditation groups will begin meeting on June 19th with classes to follow each successive third Wednesday. All groups will meet at 6:30pm. Insight meditation focuses on formal mindfulness practices from the teachings of the Buddha and focuses on three specific methods/techniques including Insight (Vipassana), Concentration (Samatha) and Compassion (Metta). The group will cover a particular area of interest each month, talk about specific traditional teachings and also cover new science and research on the benefits of mindfulness.
Jennifer Ciarimboli will be leading the talk and practice. Jennifer has trained extensively in these methods for the last five years and is certified to teach under the direction of Sarah & Ty Powers through their Insight Yoga Institute. She is also a current student of Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach through their Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training. Jennifer has a dedicated, formal daily practice, participates in noble, silent retreats twice a year and has been leading yoga, pranayam and meditation classes, workshops and trainings throughout the NE since 2008. Jennifer has a deep love of serving and sharing these transformative practices with her local community in NEPA and started the Riverfront Yoga Project in 2009 which has successfully grown with over 175 students participating in free yoga at the Millenium Portal in downtown WB every Saturday from Memorial Day through Labor Day every summer.
The Luzerne County Museum is located at the rear of 69 South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA (behind the Osterhout Library). The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free for members; $5 for non-members and $3 for children. Additional exhibitions on view at the museum include: “Native Americans in the Wyoming Valley,” “The Battle of Wyoming at 240: Revolution on the Homefront”, and ““Mysterious Customs and Warm Charity: Fraternal Organizations in the Wyoming Valley”.
The Luzerne County Historical Society will be offering monthly mindfulness meditation talks in the Luzerne County Museum, 69 South Franklin Street Wilkes-Barre. The meditation groups will begin meeting on June 19th with classes to follow each successive third Wednesday. All groups will meet at 6:30pm. Insight meditation focuses on formal mindfulness practices from the teachings of the Buddha and focuses on three specific methods/techniques including Insight (Vipassana), Concentration (Samatha) and Compassion (Metta). The group will cover a particular area of interest each month, talk about specific traditional teachings and also cover new science and research on the benefits of mindfulness.
Jennifer Ciarimboli will be leading the talk and practice. Jennifer has trained extensively in these methods for the last five years and is certified to teach under the direction of Sarah & Ty Powers through their Insight Yoga Institute. She is also a current student of Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach through their Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training. Jennifer has a dedicated, formal daily practice, participates in noble, silent retreats twice a year and has been leading yoga, pranayam and meditation classes, workshops and trainings throughout the NE since 2008. Jennifer has a deep love of serving and sharing these transformative practices with her local community in NEPA and started the Riverfront Yoga Project in 2009 which has successfully grown with over 175 students participating in free yoga at the Millenium Portal in downtown WB every Saturday from Memorial Day through Labor Day every summer.
The Luzerne County Museum is located at the rear of 69 South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA (behind the Osterhout Library). The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free for members; $5 for non-members and $3 for children. Additional exhibitions on view at the museum include: “Native Americans in the Wyoming Valley,” “The Battle of Wyoming at 240: Revolution on the Homefront”, and ““Mysterious Customs and Warm Charity: Fraternal Organizations in the Wyoming Valley”.
The Luzerne County Historical Society will present a lecture entitled “Frances Dorrance – First Lady of Archeology in NEPA” on Thursday, June 6, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. at the Society’s Museum, 69 Rear South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA. Museum Manager Allyson Earl will give a gallery talk about former LCHS Exeuctive Director and PHMC commissioner Frances Dorrance. Attendees will learn about this local woman who made historic preservation and archaeology her life’s callings at the Historical Society and through the programs she helped create under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s administration to put academics to work during the Depression. “Join us in learning about a tremendous woman, whose influence is still felt at many local institutions today,” said Earl.
Attendees will be able to tour the LCHS Museum including the exhibition, “Native Americans in the Wyoming Valley,” which includes several items recovered from digs held by the Frances Dorrance Chapter of the NEPA Archeological Society. The lecture is free for LCHS members and $5 for non-members (includes Museum admission). For more information, call 570-823-6244 ext.3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
The LCHS Museum is located at 69 Rear South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA (behind the Osterhout Library). The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free for members; $5 for non-members and $3 for children. Exhibitions on view at the museum include: “Native Americans in the Wyoming Valley,” “The Battle of Wyoming at 240: Revolution on the Homefront,” and ““Mysterious Customs and Warm Charity”: Fraternal Organizations in the Wyoming Valley.”
The Luzerne County Historical Society will participate at the 63rd Annual Fine Arts Fiesta, May 16-19, 2019, on Public Square, Wilkes-Barre. The Society will staff its booth on all four days of the Fiesta. Come and browse selections from our gift shop, learn about local landmarks and check out historic photos. The booth will also feature coloring sheets for the kids and the chance to try your hand at a period game such as Shut the Box. Stop by and take your picture with Mr. Peanut!
The Luzerne County Historical Society announces the next date in their “Dining with Friends” program. Join Society members and supporters on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, at Le Manhattan Bistro, 268 South Main Street, Wilkes-Barre. The restaurant will generously donate 10% of its proceeds that night to the Historical Society. LCHS members and the general public are encouraged to “dine with friends” at Le Manhattan Bistro that night. Please note that Le Manhattan Bistro is currently “BYOB,” so bring along a bottle of your favorite wine to enjoy with dinner!
Come on out for a delicious meal while helping the Society at the same time! Located in one of downtown Wilkes-Barre’s historic buildings, Le Manhattan Bistro offers classical French cuisine in a fine dining experience. Please call Le Manhattan Bistro directly at 570-901-4040 to make reservations and mention that you are with LCHS. The Society would like to thank Rob Friedman and the staff at Le Manhattan Bistro for their generosity in sponsoring this “Dining with Friends” evening. For more information about Le Manhattan Bistro, visit https://lemanhattanbistro.net/. For questions about this program or for more information about the Luzerne County Historical Society, call 570-823-6244 or email info@luzernehistory.org.
On Friday June 7, 2019 the Luzerne County Historical Society will partner with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders for “Luzerne County Historical Society Night at PNC Field”. Come out and enjoy a game between our hometown Railriders and the Syracuse Mets. Stay for the fireworks after the game! Tickets are just $15 each and a portion of the proceeds of every ticket goes directly to the Society. For more info or to order tickets, call 570-823-6244 ext. 3, or email reservations@luzernehistory.org. See you at the ballpark!
The Luzerne County Historical Society Society is pleased to announce that in observance of International Museum Day on May 18th 2019, we once again will be offering free admission to our Museum building, 69 Rear South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA. The worldwide community of museums will celebrate International Museum Day on May 18th, 2019. The theme chosen for 2019 is “Museums as Cultural Hubs: The Future of Tradition”. The objective of International Museum Day is to raise awareness of the fact that, “Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples.” Participation in International Museum Day is growing among museums all over the world. In 2018, more than 36,000 museums participated in the event in some 157 countries.
The Luzerne County Museum is located at the rear of 69 South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA (behind the Osterhout Library). The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free for members; $5 for non-members and $3 for children. Additional exhibitions on view at the museum include: “Native Americans in the Wyoming Valley,” “The Battle of Wyoming at 240: Revolution on the Homefront”, and ““Mysterious Customs and Warm Charity: Fraternal Organizations in the Wyoming Valley”.
The Luzerne County Historical Society will open a new exhibition, “Mysterious Customs and Warm Charity: Fraternal Organizations in the Wyoming Valley,” on Saturday, April 6, 2019, with a free preview on Friday, April 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibition explores the history of fraternal organizations in the area, including the Freemasons and the Odd Fellows. How did these groups start? What do they do? What do the symbols mean? Visitors will learn the answers from objects, photos and documents in the Society’s collection. The exhibition is supported by the Edith L. Reynolds Trust.
The preview on Friday, April 5, 2019, from 6 to 8 p.m. is free and open to all. Starting Saturday, April 6, the exhibition will be open Wednesday through Friday from 2 to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Luzerne County Museum is located at 69 Rear South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA (behind the Osterhout Library). Admission is free for members; $5 for non-members and $3 for children. Additional exhibitions on view at the museum include: “Native Americans in the Wyoming Valley,” which is ongoing, and “The Battle of Wyoming at 240: Revolution on the Homefront,” through August 3, 2019.
Luzerne County Historical Society’s Denison House Opens for the Season on May 26, 2019
The Luzerne County Historical Society’s Nathan Denison House (one of the oldest houses in the Wyoming Valley) opens for the season on Sunday, May 26, 2019, from 1 to 4 p.m. at 35 Denison Street in Forty Fort, PA. The house will be open for tours on Sundays through September 29, 2019, from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is free for LCHS members; $5 for non-member adults and $3 for non-member children. Tours are provided by volunteers from the Denison Advocates. For more information, email info@luzernehistory.org or call 570-823-6244.
Nathan Denison (1740-1809) was one of the first forty shareholders in the Susquehanna Company to settle five new towns in the Wyoming Valley in February 1769. Denison became a popular leader of the pioneer settlers from Connecticut. He served as a Justice of the Peace and colonel of the local militia, distinguishing himself in the ill-fated Battle of Wyoming in 1778.
Founded in 1858, the Luzerne County Historical Society is Pennsylvania’s oldest county historical society. LCHS preserves and promotes the collective history and heritage of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, at the Bishop Library and the Museum in Wilkes-Barre, the Denison House in Forty Fort and the Swetland Homestead in Wyoming. For more information, visit our website, www.luzernehistory.org. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/luzernehistory/.
The Luzerne County Historical Society announces the next date in its “Dining with Friends” program. Join Society members and supporters on Wednesday, March 20, 2019, at the Beaumont Inn, 4437 PA-309, Dallas. The restaurant will generously donate 10% of its proceeds that night to the Historical Society. LCHS members and the general public are encouraged to “dine with friends” at the Beaumont Inn that night.
Come on out for a delicious meal in a beautiful setting, while helping the Society at the same time! The menu offers unique choices made from fresh ingredients. The Beaumont Inn has a long history of excellent customer service and is a haven for the most discerning foodies. And, it has been part of our local history for more than 70 years (built in 1948). Please call the Beaumont Inn directly at 570-675-7100 to make reservations and mention that you are with LCHS. The Society would like to thank Rob Friedman and the staff at the Beaumont Inn for their generosity in sponsoring this “Dining with Friends” evening. For more information about the Beaumont Inn, visit https://thebeaumontinn.com/. For questions about this program or for more information about the Luzerne County Historical Society, call 570-823-6244 or email info@luzernehistory.org.
The Luzerne County Historical Society (LCHS) is offering a unique seminar entitled “Caring for Your Collections” Saturday, May 4, 2019, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Bishop Memorial Library, 49 South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA. Do you have family heirlooms? Are they books, paper or photographs? Do you worry about preserving them to pass down to your children or grandchildren? This workshop will introduce you to some of the techniques we use for preservation of the collections of the Luzerne County Historical Society. Attendees will learn the basics on how to care for, preserve and store their priceless paper artifacts and photos.
Amanda Fontenova, LCHS’s Director of Library and Archives, will teach the workshop. Fontenova has been working with the LCHS collection for ten years. She previously worked at Eckley Miners’ Village and the Anthracite Heritage Museum. Fontenova is an experienced researcher and oversees all historical and genealogical requests at LCHS’s Bishop Library. “This will be a good introduction to preservation. Come and learn the do’s and don’t’s,” says Fontenova.
Participation is limited and pre-paid reservations are required. $15 for LCHS members and $25 for non-members. To sign up, email reservations@luzernehistory.org or call 570-823-6244 ext. 3.
The Bishop Memorial Library was purchased by the LCHS in 1972 to house our library and archives as well as the Society’s business offices. Among the unique resources at the Historical Society are yearbooks from local schools, published local histories with genealogical information, and significant runs of Luzerne County newspapers, which are available on microfilm and through the searchable online database, newspapers.com (fee for use).
The Luzerne County Historical Society will offer a lecture entitled “Defense of the Western Frontier: The Battle of Wyoming and the Cherry Valley Massacre” by author and historian Terry McMaster on Thursday, April 11, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. at the LCHS Museum, 69 Rear South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre. The presentation centers on the settlement of the western frontier of colonial New York and Pennsylvania in the 1700s and examines the development of these borderland communities and the conflict that erupted there during the Revolutionary War.
McMaster will explore 1700s Native American settlements of the Mohawk and upper Susquehanna regions, the influence of missionaries on these villages, and the cultural, political and religious influences that united some peoples and made enemies of others. Enhanced with maps and illustrations from period sources, the lecture will examine how ethnic differences and religious affiliation largely determined the side chosen prior to and during the early years of the war. With the recent 240th anniversaries of the 1778 attacks, and of the 1779 Clinton-Sullivan Campaign, a response to the 1778 raids, the talk focuses on the settlement of the New York and Pennsylvania western frontier and its eventual destruction.
The program is free for Society members, and $5 for nonmembers. Reservations are accepted, but not required. For more information, call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org. The Luzerne County Museum is located at 69 Rear South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA (behind the Osterhout Library). The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free for members; $5 for non-members and $3 for children. Exhibitions on view at the museum include: “Native Americans in the Wyoming Valley,” and “The Battle of Wyoming at 240: Revolution on the Homefront.”
The 161st annual meeting of the Luzerne County Historical Society will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2019, at 1:30 p.m. on the grounds of the Swetland Homestead, 885 Wyoming Avenue, Wyoming, PA. The program will feature guest speaker Dr. R. Scott Stephenson, President and CEO of the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. The afternoon will also include a short business meeting and recognition of Society volunteers and donors. Refreshments will be served and tours of the Swetland Homestead will be available.
The meeting is FREE for LCHS members, current as of April 25, 2019. Per LCHS by-laws, only members current as of February 28, 2019, are allowed to vote at the annual meeting. To join or renew, call 570-823-6244 or visit www.luzernehistory.org.
Dr. Stephenson will speak on “Making the Museum of the American Revolution.” A century in the making, the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia opened on April 19, 2017 to rave reviews. Before the 118,000 square foot building opened its doors, Museum staff and volunteers archived and collected thousands of incredibly rare and historic artifacts, including General George Washington’s wartime headquarters tent. Dr. R. Scott Stephenson, President & CEO, will share behind-the-scenes stories about the creation of the Museum of the American Revolution at Third and Chestnut Streets in Philadelphia, PA.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Scott Stephenson holds a B.A. from Juniata College, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in American History from the University of Virginia. His broad public history experience spans nearly three decades and has been marked by public and professional acclaim for his creative and innovative approaches to engaging audiences. From 2002 to 2007, Stephenson served as curator at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, where he developed the international traveling loan exhibition “Clash of Empires: the British, French, and Indian War, 1754-1763.”
In January 2007, Stephenson joined the National Center for the American Revolution—now the Museum of the American Revolution—becoming Vice President of Collections, Exhibitions, and Programming in April 2016. During this time, he led the development of the Museum’s award-winning exhibitions, multimedia experiences, and educational programming, as well as overseeing the care and expansion of its rich collection of art and artifacts. He served as a key member of the senior leadership team that raised $175 million, surpassing the original capital campaign goal of $150 million. In November 2018, Stephenson was named President and CEO of the Museum.
The Swetland Homestead was built in 1803 by Luke Swetland (1729-1823) and is one of the oldest houses in the Wyoming Valley. Swetland survived the Battle of Wyoming during the Revolutionary War. Generations of the Swetland family lived in the house until it was donated to the Society in 1958 by a family descendant. As part of the Society’s 2018-2021 strategic plan, the Swetland Homestead will undergo significant repairs and restoration. To donate to these efforts, please contact the Society at info@luzernehistory.org or 570-823-6244 x1.
The Luzerne County Historical Society will offer an illustrated lecture by members of Anthracite Trolleys, Inc., Project 790 titled: “Let’s Take the Trolley! – The Time of the Trolley in the Greater Wilkes-Barre Area.” The program, by Conrad Baut and Jim Wert, will feature a brief sketch of public urban transportation in the Wyoming Valley and its environs, from the earliest omnibuses of the 1850s, to the horse-cars of the Civil War era, to the then-new electric trolleys of the Victorian Age, through the 20th century and their final replacement in 1950. The program will then feature the fascinating story of the discovery of the only surviving trolley car from the area and outline plans for its full restoration and future operation. Come hear about a century of Wilkes-Barre trolley history!
The program will be held at the LCHS Museum on Saturday March 23, 2019, at noon. The program is free for Society members, and $5 for nonmembers. Reservations are accepted, but not required. For more information, call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistory.org. The Luzerne County Museum is located at 69 Rear South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA (behind the Osterhout Library). The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free for members; $5 for non-members and $3 for children. Exhibitions on view at the museum include: “Native Americans in the Wyoming Valley,” and “The Battle of Wyoming at 240: Revolution on the Homefront.”
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