Blog

3. John Nicholson headstone located in basement

Found: Headstone in the Millcreek Nicholson House

Dr. Pamela Lenz

Thursday Jan 18th, 2024

Just about everyone has a skeleton or two in their closets … but how many people can say they have a headstone in the basement?

Bliley Electric Company collection becomes permanent part of archives (1930-1998)

KayAnn Warner

Thursday Dec 14th, 2023

Here is your very, very rare, “Found in the Archives” blog post for 2023! I write to you on this occasion to commemorate a very special donor named Charles A. Bliley. Chuck donated his collection of materials relating to his family’s local company, Bliley Electric Company, founded by Frank Dawson Bliley. The collection came into the archives in September of 2022 as a loan, and recently it was absorbed into the archive as a permanent collection. Pictured is Chuck standing with his donation in our archives.

2. Saturday Evening Post ad featuring E.H. Scott Trucking 6 24 1911

The Erieite you've never heard of who changed how the nation does business: E.H. Scott, father of transportation by motor

Dr. Pamela Lenz

Friday Dec 1st, 2023

History is full of individuals whose ideas changed the world, but then faded into obscurity upon their death. Mention E.H. Scott to someone and you’ll see what I mean.

Scott was a headliner in the early 1900s. He appeared in Saturday Evening Post ads, trade journals, and yachting magazines. In 1939, the Erie Times-News referred to him as a “truck mogul” and the “Father of Transportation by Motor.”

Paragon Building - Don't forget the place!

Dr. Pamela Lenz

Friday Oct 27th, 2023

I was walking down the sidewalk at the west end of North Park Row in Erie when I happened to look up at just the right time. Greeting me from the red-bricked side of the Flagship City Public Market was faded lettering that read “Paragon Building: Clocks, Watches, Jewelry & Fancy Goods.” Made visible by the removal of the neighboring bus terminal, this ghost sign was obviously old, and I couldn’t wait to get home and research its origins.

Erielicious

Jennie Geisler

Friday Oct 20th, 2023

Tucked into a wooded area with brilliant fall colors as a backdrop, sits a grand three-story Italianate yellow house built in 1857. Sitting on the front porch at 436 Walnut St., just beyond the reach of the hustle of downtown Girard, it's not hard to imagine when the property was a working farm. But now, while it might or might not be haunted by a ghost who likes Whitney Houston, it will soon be the site of a grand dinner put on by the Hagen History Center and Red Letter Hospitality, owner of The Cork 1794.

Baking a community coffee cake recipe

Aurelia Goodall

Friday Aug 4th, 2023

Baking has been around for ages. It is a timeless art, recipes passed down from generation to generation. I remember my grandma giving me some of her prized recipe books or my mom teaching me our treasured family recipes. It is a way to connect past to present, it speaks where words won’t. Baking holds a special place in my heart; it’s fun for me. I cannot remember a time when I was not in the kitchen baking. Whether it be during the holidays or a random day in June. I was researching in the archives and stumbled upon some old recipe books and thought to try a recipe out from it.

Looking back and looking ahead at Art’s Bakery

Nathaniel Clark

Friday Jul 28th, 2023

With new owners, Art’s Bakery is set to continue its Erie legacy.

An Erie staple since 1950, Art’s Bakery is one of the mom-and-pop shops whose light continues to burn bright in this historic city. For the past 72 years, the Evans family kept the business afloat, consistently selling their highly acclaimed baked goods throughout the decades.

An Afternoon for Equality

Kelly Bucci

Wednesday Jun 28th, 2023

Happy Pride Month! On Sunday June 4th, The History Center hosted the Greater Erie Alliance for Equality’s annual “Afternoon for Equality” cocktail event.

Event Spotlight: A Starlight Soiree

Kelly Bucci

Wednesday Jun 14th, 2023

The Hagen History Center’s outdoor event season is in full swing. Warmer weather and sunnier days have us all excited for the busy schedule of events ahead. Our first event spotlight will showcase Erie Dawn’s “Starlight Soiree” - which was held at the Watson-Curtze Mansion on May 13th.

Looking back over 50+ years of Mighty Fine Donuts and H&K Donuts

Nathaniel Clark, PSU Behrend intern at the Hagen History Center

Thursday May 25th, 2023

Erie’s Mighty Fine Donuts and H&K Donuts are currently up for sale, and that means new owners could possibly continue the legacy of the northwestern Pennsylvania donut excellence.

Found: Headstone in the Millcreek Nicholson House

Bliley Electric Company collection becomes permanent part of archives (1930-1998)

The Erieite you've never heard of who changed how the nation does business: E.H. Scott, father of transportation by motor

Paragon Building - Don't forget the place!

Erielicious

Baking a community coffee cake recipe

Looking back and looking ahead at Art’s Bakery

An Afternoon for Equality

Event Spotlight: A Starlight Soiree

Looking back over 50+ years of Mighty Fine Donuts and H&K Donuts

Recent Posts

Archives

Visit Us on Social

Get in touch