Blog

School is back in session and this year is certainly unique due to the pandemic.  Erie County is home to 13 school districts, along with many private schools, charter schools and home schools.  It would appear to me that a lack of education around here is not an option!  Education is a serious business today and has been for a long time.  Let us take a look at the development of public schools in the City.

On Saturday, September 26^th, Erie’s Our West Bayfront hosted their 2020 Porch Fest; a fun-filled day of music and entertainment while exploring the historic homes of the West Bayfront Neighborhoods. 

Novelist Les Standiford shows his skill as a storyteller in this fast-paced history of Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick and the 1892 Homestead steel strike that kept organized labor out of the mills for 40 years.

A few weeks ago, a small group of us from the Historical Society were granted entrance to Erie’s Land Lighthouse which used to be open for tours sporadically before the pandemic.  Because I couldn’t bring all of you along and our Erie lighthouses bring so much happiness, this blog is specifically about this one navigational aid.

On September 18^th, the Hagen History Center hosted Mercyhurst Forensics students and staff to our campus.  The prime objective was to “map” a large gingko tree on the History Center campus, using the same techniques that would be used in a crime scene. 

Rob has been with Hagen History Center / Erie County Historical Society since the beginning of 2018 working under Maintenance and Facilities. Rob is tasked with keeping our entire Campus (4+ buildings!) clean. When we asked him “What has been the biggest change since COVID-19?” Rob replied “There’s a lot more to do! Daily disinfection, about sums it up!”

It’s time to celebrate Erie history!  I can’t believe this is my 25^th installment in this fun look at all things Erie adding to our happiness and long life.  Every celebration deserves presents so I’m giving you a look of Erie County objects that rarely see the light of day.  Enjoy this virtual exhibit of the common and not so common.  Long live Erie history and the people past and present who make it happen! 

The Hagen History Center/Erie County Historical Society currently has about 14,000 objects in the 3D collection that they are keeping.  These objects are in a computer data base, are bar coded and are being stored properly for the long term.  The Society wishes to deaccession, or remove from the collection, about 600 objects that have no real connection to Erie than perhaps being used here, and an auction will take place  October 15^th at Ploss Auction in Corry starting at 3:00 pm. Many of these things are in need of repair or they are duplicates of finer examples that are being kept.  To maintain such a large number is very expensive and there is no possibility of everything being exhibited, ever.   The Board of Directors and staff at the Society have anticipated this move and the curatorial staff have been working on separating the relevant from the irrelevant for about 3 years.  The money raised at the auction will go for the care of the collection that remains

“One of the best organized, best disciplined and most efficient fire departments in existence.”  This quote from the 1888 “A Souvenir of Erie, Penna. Illustrated” is true today I’m sure.  Without the brave men and women of our fire departments, and the state-of-the- art equipment maintained by them; our city would not be the safe, comfortable place it is to reside.  Let’s look at its history.