May 7-8, 2022
Have you ever wondered what it was like to live without today’s modern technology? To live in a world with horse-drawn carriages, read by candlelight, or journey to the blacksmith’s shop to get your horse some new shoes? Beaver County, Pa, is jam-packed with historical sites, walking tours, monuments, museums, and other historical attractions that are not to be missed by the folks who love to learn about bygone eras. Hear authentic stories from experts, tour meticulously restored homes and buildings, and experience a variety of artifacts, periodicals, replicas, and award-winning exhibits.
Air Heritage Aircraft Museum & Restoration Facility
35 Piper Street
Beaver Falls 15010
History Weekend Hours:
Sat: 9am-5pm
Attendees will be able to listen to live air-to-air ground radio transmissions from the Beaver County Airport tower and the functioning radios of the two air worthy warbirds: The Luck of the Irish C-47 (WWII era transport) and The Thunder Pig C-123 (Vietnam era transport.) In addition to the display of older vintage airplane radios, personnel will be available for tours of 11 vintage planes.
B.F. Jones Memorial Library
663 Franklin Avenue
Aliquippa 15001
History Weekend Hours:
Sat: 9am-6pm
Letters and records from the archives on J&L Steel and the history of Aliquippa will be on display. These communications reveal much of the history of the time during which these were written. Also available for viewing will be the historic speech by President John F. Kennedy in Aliquippa on October 12, 1962. The Library will also offer tours of its historic building built in 1929 by the daughter of B.F. Jones, Elisabeth Horne.
Beaver Area Heritage Museum
1 River Road Extension
Beaver 15009
History Weekend Hours:
Sat: 10am -4; Sun: 1-4pm
Communication was very important not only to run the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie freight station which now houses our museum, but Beaver is the site of Fort McIntosh. The museum has a copy of The Treaty of Fort McIntosh which was negotiated in 1785. This written form of communication was signed by representatives of the local Native American tribes that inhabited our area.
Beaver County Genealogy & History Center
250 East End Avenue
Beaver 15009
History Weekend Hours:
Sat: 10am-4pm;
Sun: 1-4pm
“Communication Through Cartoons!” The original pen and ink archival collection of Beaver Falls native and award-winning editorial cartoonist John Shevchik (1915-1994) will be on display. For decades, Shevchik communicated news and controversies of the day to readers of the Beaver Falls News-Tribune and later the Valley Tribune through his cartoon editorials. Compare his imagery to how opinion is communicated today. Letters from soldiers and travelers, a medical doctor’s call journal and women’s organization scrapbooks will also be on display. Visitors will be able to look for pictures of mom or grandma in our Beaver County high school yearbook collection on this Mother’s Day weekend.
Beaver County Industrial Museum
801 Plumb Street
Darlington 16115
History Weekend Hours:
Sat: 1-4pm; Sun: 1-4pm
The Beaver County Industrial Museum has a collection from all of the major Beaver County Glass and Steel Industries. Glass was the largest employer in the County in the 19th century and steel in the 20th. Along with the exhibits of glass and steel industries, an additional display will focus on “Communications in Industry” by telegraph, telephone and print.
*Beaver Falls Historical Society & Museum
350 Adams Street, 2nd Fl
Rochester 15074
History Weekend Hours:
Sat: 12-4pm; Sun: 1-3pm
In the 1800’s business affairs and daily information were written into ledgers, journals and notebooks. These valuable county-wide documents are a wonderful look at daily life of long ago and will be on display.
*The Beaver Falls Historical Society & Museum will be at the Rochester Area Heritage Society Museum, Model Railroad, and Fry Glass Rooms for History Weekend.
Enon Valley Community Historical Society
1084 Main Street
Enon Valley 16120
History Weekend Hours:
Sat: 10am-4pm; Sun: 1-4pm
The invention of the telephone and the Enon Valley Telephone Company founded in 1906 will be highlighted. The company strung its own telephone wires and employed young ladies as operators at Enon Valley and the nearby village of Mount Air. The company grew to include a small office in Darlington. The 336 Edgewater exchange is shared by Enon Valley, New Galilee, and some Darlington residents. The Company more recently merged with Altel and is now under Windstream.
This history as well as stories of the phone operators who personally connected the calls of the local residents will be shared. “Old Time” Telephones (rotary dials), photographs, documents, and artifacts will be on display.
H.C. Fry Glass Society
350 Adams Street, 2nd Fl
Rochester 15074
History Weekend Hours
Sat: 12-4pm; Sun: 1-3pm
K.D.K.A radio station of Pittsburgh, pioneered a new form of communication by broadcasting the Harding-Cox election results in November 1920. Many feel this event inspired the production of Foval, an opalescent art glass with draped loops of colored glass which represented radio waves. Foval glass will be on display.
Little Beaver Historical Society Complex
710 Market Street
Darlington 16115
History Weekend Hours:
Sat: 10am-4pm; Sun: 1-4pm
Communication “milestones” in our local communities will be highlighted, beginning with Indian Petroglyphs and displays of military letters of local veterans as well as the diaries of Rev. Robert Dilworth and others from the 19th and 20th century. Artifacts on display will illustrate the importance of the post office, newspaper, telegraph and early telephone. The McCarl Industrial Museum will showcase the more technologically advanced role played by early radio, television and early computers.
*Logs Town Associates Historical Society
1235 Third Avenue
Freedom 15042
History Weekend Hours:
Sat: 10am-4pm; Sun: 1-4pm
Wampum belts are woven, beaded belts that were produced by the Iroquois people. The American-Indian nations documented their cultural, political, military history and religious stories on wampum belts through geometric and figural designs. Re-created Wampum belts and additional wampum strings will be on display and the history of each will be shared.
* At Vicary Mansion for History Weekend.
McKinley School
McKinley Rd & 37th St Ext.
Chippewa|Beaver Falls 15010
History Weekend Hours:
Sat: 12-4pm; Sun: 1-4pm
Communication in Beaver County will be shared by highlighting the importance of teaching reading and writing and how it helps the children to better navigate the world. A teacher and students in late 1800’s period clothing will be reading to the younger visitors on Saturday.
Merrick Art Gallery & Museum
1100 Fifth Avenue
New Brighton 15066
History Weekend Hours:
Sat: 12-3pm; Sun: 12-3pm
Edward Dempster Merrick was a self-taught Morse Code master. After years as a youth hanging around the telegraph office, he watched and learned Morse Code. He enlisted as a telegraph operator during the Civil War for the Union Army. A Morse Code machine will be on display. A special card for MOM will be available. Here’s a hint, hopefully she knows Morse Code!
Monaca Hall of Fame
1098 Pennsylvania Avenue
Monaca 15061
History Weekend Hours:
Sat: 10am-4pm
Monaca (then Phillipsburg) became a refuge for Harmonists who left Old Economy Village. In Monaca they were able to have their selection of music performed and not restricted by the Society. Monaca Hall of Fame will have displays related to Harmonist activities and music. Also the contributions of Monaca women will be highlighted.
*New Brighton Historical Society
1021 3rd Avenue
New Brighton 15066
History Weekend Hours:
Sat: 10am-3pm; Sun: 12-3pm
Artifacts and displays of various types of communication including antique radios and telephones will be featured. Also, an 1899 copy of the Daily News, a newspaper published in New Brighton will be on display. *The New Brighton Historical Society will be at the New Brighton Public Library for History Weekend.
Ohio Valley Lines Model Railroad Library & Museum
1225 Merchant Street
Ambridge 15003
History Weekend Hours:
While visiting the 400 foot model operating railroad which depicts the late 1950s to the 1960s, volunteer staff will compare how the conductors communicated using signals running through a telephone line to convey various messages such as when the train might have to slow down, or if the train might be approaching an area under construction. Today these messages are done electronically through satellites or radio controlled devices and the telephone lines are no longer used. Visitors should also watch to see how many mail cars are traveling the layout.
Old Economy Village
270 16th Street
Ambridge 15003
History Weekend Hours:
Sat: 10am-4pm; Sun: 10am-4pm
In addition to touring buildings, visitors will be able to engage in letter writing with a quill pen in the Feast Hall Classroom and assisting the printer operating the printing press in the Mechanics Building.
Richmond Little Red School House
245 Park Road
Beaver 15009
History Weekend Hours:
Sat: 10am-4pm; Sun: 1-4pm
Learn about cursive writing skills that were taught during 1844 – 1950’s and try writing on a hand-held slate. Letters written in cursive will be on display.
Performing Arts Legends Museum (PALM)
1426 Merchant Street
Ambridge 15003
History Weekend Hours:
Sat: 10am-4pm; Sun: 1-4pm
Artists such as Henry Mancini, Perry Como, The Marcels, Harold Betters, Lou Christie, The Skyliners, The Vogues, Bobby Vinton, The Jaggerz, Papa John Creach, The Steels Brothers, LAW, The Granati Brothers, Donnie Iris, Madhouse, Johnny Angel, The Clarks, and B. E. Talyor have communicated their ideals and perspectives since the 1950s through the 1990s. The legendary performers prominent in drama, dance and music, use their voices, bodies or inanimate objects to communicate artistic versions of expression that are performed in front of live audiences. Visitors will have the opportunity to relive their own personal memories by interacting with over 300 artifacts.
Rochester Area Heritage Society Museum, Model Railroad, and Fry Glass Rooms
350 Adams Street, 2nd Fl
Rochester
History Weekend Hours:
Sat: 12-4pm; Sun: 1-3pm
The Bell Telephone company was the HUB of Beaver County. All lines of communication came right out of the building still standing at 411 Delaware Avenue. In 1906, switchboard operators would link an incoming call to the requested person or business with another plug. Bell employed many men and woman in the valley doing a variety of jobs from linemen to operators. You could even call the operator and ask what time it was! The Bell Telephone Book was also compiled by the company. What fun it was to get the new one and look to see if you were in the book. Included in our display are phone books from the past.
South Side Historical Village Association
Hookstown Fairgrounds
1198 State Route 168
Hookstown
History Weekend Hours:
Sat: 10am-4pm; Sun: 1-4pm
“From Books and Beyond, Communication Through the Printed Word.” Be amazed at the various means of communication which will be displayed in each of our seven buildings. There will be examples from books and flags to labels and cards.
Vicary Mansion
1235 Third Avenue
Freedom
History Weekend Hours:
Sat: 10am-4pm
Sun: 1-4pm
Quilts have been a means to communicate love, gratitude, joy and support (both financial and emotional). Some quilts have been made to tell the story of a special event or occurrence, an anniversary, military service or necessity. Quilts from the BCHRLF collection and select photos of quilts from the Southwestern Pa Quilt Documentation Project will be on display. A special quilt- related Mother’s Day gift will be given to the mothers that attend on Sunday.