Saturday Jul 4th, 2020
November and December 1900: Clara Petrat’s life was so different than Winifred Watson’s. Clara did chores that Winifred’s servants and chefs would do: “made my bed”, “washing and dusting”, “set the table”, “wash the dishes”. What day did Clara go to the butcher shop with Mama?
Friday Jul 3rd, 2020
Museum Educator, Jeff Sherry, take you on a tour of where George Washington visited in NWPA.
Wednesday Jul 1st, 2020
In the year 2020, we all take for granted something which sometimes freaks us out when we don’t have it. Any guesses what that is? That’s right – electricity! In 1887, the Edison Electric Light and Power Company was organized in Erie providing the first electricity for the city.
Tuesday Jun 30th, 2020
Because students need to visit the museum.
Saturday Jun 27th, 2020
Boys coming to the party scene changes the life of Clara Petrat. She gets her brown dress and $1.95 hat from peach street. She tells of emotions feeling “blue”. Clara tells of going down the street to various friends’ homes. She studies hard for her English exam.
Wednesday Jun 24th, 2020
Here is the tale of two Erie buildings. Each were extraordinary late Victorian structures, beautiful and sturdy that led surprisingly short lives. This is quite the opposite of what this blog is normally about, however; they are stories worthy of being told.
Saturday Jun 20th, 2020
Clara Petrat tells of her activities: going to Market, Butcher, Sunday school, Buffalo, Opera House. She studies diligently for Algebra and History examinations. There is a quarrel between Papa and Willie. Then there is a Social with much preparation including purchase of peaches, ‘got plates, forks’, put on her ‘purple flowers dress’. Then later ‘pick peaches’. Since the beginning of her diary, Clara has improved her writing skills, but still needs more.
Wednesday Jun 17th, 2020
Erie is fortunate to have so many lovely neighborhoods that add to the happiness of all its residents. I found it interesting to read about the transformation of one very industrious farm in 1888 into a premier neighborhood today. The foresight and love of Erie was evident in the farm owner and those feelings are not lost today by its current residents.
Saturday Jun 13th, 2020
Clara Petrat tells about President McKinley’s assassination and funeral in September, many flags were out. This diary excerpt is April 2 -Sept 20. She skipped some pages and resumed writing December 4.
Friday Jun 12th, 2020
Michael Shaara’s novel about the Battle of Gettysburg, first published in 1974, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction the next year. The book has been republished many times and is on the reading list for many U.S. Army officer programs as well as other military academies. The book was also the basis of director Ronald Maxwell’s 1993 movie Gettysburg.
Our Hours:
Erie campus:
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday: 10 am - 5 pm
Wednesday: 10 am - 5 pm
Thursday: 10 am - 5 pm
Friday: 10 am - 5 pm
Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday: 12 pm - 5 pm
*****Girard campus is open for special events only
