*Calendar & Events
*Exhibits
*Antique Firearms & Indian Artifact Show
*Bowdish Railroad
*Research & Genealogy
*Membership
*History Center Shop
*Curator's Corner
*Scripture Rocks Project


Our purpose is to engage people of all ages in the history of Jefferson County. We collect and care for relevant objects, images and documents, and we invite county residents and visitors to research our materials, interact with our exhibits, take part in our programs, and read our publications in order to encourage an understanding of our past and present and a vision for our future

EMAIL: JCHC@alltel.net

November 2009
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Officers and Members of the Board

Executive Director:
Ken Burkett
Curator:
Carole A. Briggs
Administrative Assistant:
Theresa Costa
President:
Diana Farley
Vide President:
Ed Kaufman
Secretary:
Kathy Smith
Treasurer:
Judy Brady
Board:
William Crain
Richard Beck
Jon Noonan
Mark Mckinney
Dorrie Altman
Joni Kerr
Melanie Darrin
Paul Sorek

Links Section


JEFFERSON COUNTY MAP

JEFFERSON COUNTY GENEALOGY

PUNXSUTAWNEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

BROCKWAY AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

PENNSYLVANIA HISTORICAL AND MUSEUM COMMISSION

JEFFERSON COUNTY CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS

NORTH FORK 29 - SOCIETY FOR PA ARCHAEOLO
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Whats New At The History Center?   

It's All New!

The JCHS moved into the newly preserved N. G. Edelblute Building (1855-1875) on Historic Brookville’s Main Street in March 2004, the Bicentennial Year of the founding of Jefferson County.

Today the new History Center provides research facilities, exhibits, & public programs relating to Jefferson County's history, as well as serving as the primary Visitor Center for the 15-county Lumber Heritage Region.


The History Center is open Tuesday through Saturday, Noon to 5 pm We are closed on Sunday, Monday and most holidays. When coming a distance, we advise a phone call 814-849-0077 or Email jchc@alltel.net so that your time with us will be maximized. Free parking is available in the rear and the facility is handicapped accessable.

The History Center is located 1/2 block east of the Jefferson County Courthouse. Admission to exhibits is $3 for adults and $1 for children twelve and under. There is a fee to non-members for use of the research facilities. See the Membership page for more information.

 
JCHS NEWS 

Living On The Land Grand Opening Event

The Living on the Land exhibit will formally open to JCHC members at a special grand opening on Saturday, November 14th from 12:00 - 5:00 pm. The exhibit will open to the general public the following week.

This project originated from an interpretative prospectus developed in 1999 from the input of nearly one hundred fifty county residents who participated in a project called The People of Jefferson County: Who are We?. It was first summarized in the 2004 publication Jefferson County Pennsylvania an Illustrated History and then used as a guide to develop the components incorporated into the exhibit.

From design to completion, this gallery has been in construction for over a year and contains many objects and images that represent the history of Jefferson County from its earliest history through today in eight sections that include:


Exhibit Crew Caleb Kifer, Ken Burkett, Jeff Carrier, Mandi Stein and Carole Briggs

  • Out of the Mist - begins with the county’s earliest fossil record and shows creatures from long ago and continues through the ice age and arrival of the Native Americans explaining their lifeways over the past 10,000 years.

  • The Settler’s Lot – features artifacts from the pioneer period including a rifle once owned by Daniel Long and a recreation of a log house interior with all of the items and implements that made a homestead comfortable.

  • Clear Cuts and Conservation – presents the logging and lumbering era and includes several cases and a re-created 19th century carpenter’s shop that contains original belt driven machinery and hand tools.

  • Working the Fields – consists of panels, displays and artifacts covering the history and various types of farming. The centerpiece for this section is a large 19th century flour sifter from Oliveburg.

  • Business and Industry – is a changing group of exhibit cases intended to showcase the variety and historical growth of the many manufacturing firms and businesses throughout the county. The opening sections showcase Brockway Glass and Brookville Mining.

  • Moving About – summarizes transportation and includes items displayed throughout the gallery covering transportation through time, including a dugout canoe, rafting diorama, buggy, sleigh, railroad items and special exhibits of the Twyford Motorcar and original propeller from Earle Sandt’s airplane.

  • Buried Treasure – is depicted in multiple panels and cases that examine the extraction of coal, natural gas, clay and stone. This section includes a large working diorama of a gas drilling rig and a recreated early 20th century mining office.

  • Into the Woods - encompasses the development of tourism and fun activities. Included in this area is a re-created mid-20th century family camp and special cases devoted to Viola Pollum’s marksmanship achievements.

    While many of the various objects and components of this exhibit will be changed and replaced over time, the individual sections and the story they tell will remain as a major permanent part of the Jefferson County History Center.

  •  
    JCHS ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

    The JCHS Annual Dinner will be held on Friday Evening, October 9th at the Brookville Masonic Hall, 105 Evans Street, Brookville. Hospitality will begin at 6:00 pm with dinner served at 6:30 pm.

    Menu choices will consist of a choice of Stuffed Chicken Breast or Baked Steak served with mashed potatoes, vegetables rolls and desert along with Coffee, Tea, Ice Tea, Soft Drinks or Wine.

    Dr. Paul Harvey representing the Coolspring Power Museum, will present a program titled: What Keeps My Engine Running.

    Please make your reservations early or by calling the JCHC at (814) 849-0077 

      JCHS ANNUAL AWARD NOMINATIONS

    The Jefferson County Historical Society is seeking nominations for two annual awards to be presented at the upcoming annual dinner on October 9, 2009. Please phone or email the Society with the name of your nominee by September 17th. The awards are:

    Arthur Altman Award - presented to a JCHS member who has contributed significantly in any way to preserving Jefferson County History.

    Kate M. Scott Award - presented to any person who has contributed significantly to the preservation of Jefferson County History.

     
    ANTIQUES DONATIONS NEEDED

    The Historical Society is sponsoring an antiques show and sale at the YMCA on Saturday, December 5th during Brookville’s Victorian Christmas. The society is soliciting donations of antiques or other appropriate items that can be sold at our table as a fundraiser. If you have an object or photograph that you would like to consider donating for this event, please contact the JCHC.

      SECOND RICHARDSVILLE COMMUNITY DAY PLANNED

    On September 26th, between 2-5pm, there will be more opportunities for scanning photographs and documents like deeds, and additional oral histories. At 5pm there will be a short presentation about the progress of the Richardsville Project and Fern “Bunny” Willits, Penn State University will make some observations about what she’s learned during her many years studying rural Pennsylvania. A carry-in supper will end the day.

    This project is funded by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council as part of the National Endowment for the Humanities’ We the People Initiative on American History.

    People who wish to be part of this project as oral historians, photograph scanners, or persons with Richardsville memories and stories to tell should contact the History Center now at 814-849-0077 or jchc@windstream.net.

     

    LOCAL AUTHOR TO HAVE BOOK SIGNING EVENT AT THE JCHC

    Inventors, hermits and frontiersmen have all roamed the fields and forests of Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, to leave their marks on what was once only a dense wilderness. With his new book Remembering Jefferson County, local journalist Randon W. Bartley introduces his readers to the likes of Judge Heath, who helped fugitive slaves escape from jail; Earle Sandt, Brookville's daring aviator; and local Civil War heroine Kate Scott, whom readers will come to see in a new light. The fascinating history of Jefferson County is told through tales of mine disasters, prognosticating rodents, prohibition battles, early forms of baseball and a man who thought he could cheat the devil. With humor and wit, Bartley brings together a collection of vignettes that tracks the evolution of Jefferson County from a frontier outpost to a bustling modern community.

    Randy is a past president of the Jefferson County Historical Society and a current member of the board of directors of Historic Brookville Inc. He serves as a volunteer historical interpreter for the National Park Service at the Gettysburg, Antietam and Richmond National Battlefield Parks and has been named as a Penn Ambassador by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He has had articles published in a number of national periodicals and has been the editor of the Jefferson Democrat for over twenty years.


    Randy will be on hand at the Jefferson County History Center on Friday evening, October 2, from 4:00 - 8:00 pm to personalize copies for those purchasing the book through the JCHC museum gift shop, The 128 page book contains many local historical photographs and sells for $19.99 plus tax.


    Begin your Christmas shopping early with an autographed, personalized copy for each of the historians in your family


     
     JEFFERSON COUNTY HISTORY CENTER
    172-176 Main Street  •  Brookville, PA 15825
    phone: 814-849-0077

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