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1880s fashion was much more slender than the previous decades. In fact, women were often heavily restricted due to how slender these dresses were. There were two main styles of women’s dress in the 1880s, the first of which was the princess line. This style was extremely tight and body hugging which gave women a slender silhouette. It also focused on putting decoration on the lower back.

The story of staff-sergeant Jesse G. Salajczyk of Erie, Pennsylvania, is a sad and all too typical story of loss and sadness in World War II. An exhibit case in the new Admiral Thomas Weschler Military Gallery in the restored Wood-Morrison house on the campus of the Hagen History Center features his story.

The shape of dresses in the 1870s changed dramatically in several ways. The shape of the skirt now accented the rear of the wearer. The globe-like appearance of dresses in the 1860s was altered. Dresses now featured a skirt that was flat in the front but protruded backwards more so than the older globe shape. This type of skirt was called the first bustle style.

Today all forms of tobacco are known to be cancer-causing so some younger readers may not realize the extent of advertising by tobacco companies throughout the United States. One such form was the Mail Pouch Tobacco Barn.

The decade of the 1860s was a pivotal time, not only for fashion, but for America as well.

The Erie Extension Canal, not to be confused with the Erie Canal in New York state, ran between Presque Isle Bay at Erie, Pennsylvania, and the Ohio River at Beaver, Pennsylvania, northwest of Pittsburgh. The canal thus linked the Great Lakes with the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Goods and people could travel by water from Erie to New Orleans.

The 1850s; a time for new, more ostentatious fashion, the underground railroad, and even a war over the destiny of the local train tracks. The world certainly had its fair share of events happening, but Erie’s history at this time is truly unique, as is the involvement that women had in these events.

What better way to celebrate World UFO Day than with memories of a few UFOs and wannabes in and around Erie County.

Readers might remember that in my first blog, I committed to flip at least one lid on one box in each collection, beginning with Collection #1, The Edith Buck Papers.

So, here is the thing, I found a second Collection #1. The Erie County Historical Society accepted collections from the Mercyhurst College Archives over a ten-year period from 1993 to 2003. Its Collection #1 was the Erie Oil Company Papers. There are 44 boxes of material, approximately 200,000 items for a company that existed from 1889 to 1962.