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Happiness & Long Life for All its Residents #116

Becky Weiser

Wednesday Mar 29th, 2023

In my journeys through the city of Erie, there is always a beautiful house that catches my eye. There is a house not far from the museum on West 6th Street, that for years I have referred to as the “Holland” house and have admired. Well, I just learned that for years, I have been wrong.

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Happiness & Long Life for All its Residents #115

Becky Weiser

Wednesday Mar 22nd, 2023

Erie has no shortage of bars and social clubs. Especially in this post-COVID world, it feels good to get out, see people and get involved in something fun. I recently did that when I joined the Polish Falcons, Nest 610 on East 3rd Street. You do not have to be of Polish descent to belong, although I am 25% Polish. I needed to educate myself, and now you, about my new club.

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Happiness & Long Life for All its Residents #114

Becky Weiser

Wednesday Mar 15th, 2023

Sometimes when I sit down to write this blog, I get hungry. My mind then wanders to good cooking and then back to the museum collection because it is such an important part of my life.  As I ponder our collection and food, my thoughts naturally are drawn to the extensive Griswold cast iron cookware we maintain. 

The Griswold Manufacturing Company hired the N.W. Ayer & Son advertising firm to promote themselves and what they came up with was highly effective. Please read the following:

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Happiness & Long Life for All its Residents #113

Becky Weiser

Wednesday Mar 8th, 2023

I think I have this blog all buttoned up! I was doing research on some lesser-known Erie manufacturing companies and found that we had some shells and buttons from the Keystone Button Works here in Erie.

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Happiness & Long Life for All its Residents #112

Becky Weiser

Wednesday Mar 1st, 2023

If you read last week’s blog, I talked about a walking adventure I had through the Poetry Park and Serafin’s Food Market.  I made one additional stop that you may want to check out!

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John S. Hicks-Erie Confectioner and Ice Cream Manufacturer

Jeff Sherry, Museum Educator

Friday Feb 24th, 2023

John S. Hicks, son of a former slave, was born in Virginia on February 14, 1845. He began in the ice cream business in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1864. He moved to Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1878 and soon built his business in a large, modern building at 1216 State Street. He housed his ice cream “factory” in the basement, an ice cream parlor on the first floor and an apartment on the second floor, which he shared with his wife Frances and daughter Ida. The sidewalk in front of his establishment was concrete, the first of its kind on State Street.

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Happiness & Long Life for All its Residents #111

Becky Weiser

Wednesday Feb 22nd, 2023

I LOVE to walk! It is such great exercise and the lack of any lasting snow this winter has made it easy to get out and breath some fresh air. I can clear my mind and notice things that I never observe with a quick drive. Erie is so walkable too! The topography of the city is mainly flat and there are sidewalks almost everywhere. Something wonderful happened on my last big walk-through town that I just have to tell you about.

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Happiness & Long Life for All its Residents #110

Becky Weiser

Wednesday Feb 15th, 2023

Today, we are going to focus on one small section of the map of Erie for this blog. It is circled below in yellow on the lower, right side.

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Two African Americans Made the Ultimate Sacrifice in WW II

Jeff Sherry, Museum Educator

Friday Feb 10th, 2023

This blog is in recognition of Black History Month and the service of our region’s veterans.

About 407,000 American service personnel gave their lives in World War II. Of the 727 from Erie County, only two were African Americans: James Walker Carter and William J. Butler. A new Black Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post was opened in their honor after the war named the Carter-Butler Post.

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Happiness & Long Life for All its Residents #109

Becky Weiser

Wednesday Feb 8th, 2023

Welcome back as we continue to try to answer the question why Erie did not grow as large as the nearby cities of Buffalo and Cleveland that I proposed many blogs ago.