Genealogical Gems

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to work the fields on a plantation during the Revolutionary War? Or stroll through an 18th century village? Or fight in battle during the Civil War?  Living history  offers an interactive perspective which incorporates  historical  activities and dress providing a sense of stepping back in time. So, how can YOU step back in time? Rock Ford volunteer Nancy Bradley in the Study of the mansion Rock Ford Plantation, in Lancaster County, PA, will be hosting a Volunteer Tour Guide Recruitment Event on Sunday, 22 March. They need tour guides for its upcoming tour season.  Built circa 1794, Rock Ford was the home of Edward Hand and his family. Hand, an Irish immigrant and physician, served as Adjutant General to George Washington during the Revolutionary War.   Volunteer tour guides at Rock Ford bring the past to life for museum visitors. A tour guide can be any person aged 18 years and up. No experie...

Blacksmithing was an essential trade. The blacksmith made and repaired the iron parts for farming implements. He crafted carriage wheels and shod horses. His work, by the early 1900's, had grown to include repairing all types of manufactured, horse-drawn farm machinery. He repaired wagons, carriages and sleighs and sharpened plows, saws and other tools. In some areas, he even doubled as the local veterinarian. Over time, new technology led to horses being used less and less in the fields and for transportation. Many blacksmiths either found themselves out of business, learning to repair automobiles, or taking up another trade. My great grandfather Pierson George Still was a blacksmith and farmer in Chester County around 1900. When he met Mary Kilpatrick, he was a blacksmith on the Main Line (outside Philadelphia). They married in 1908. CENSUS NOTES: Born in 1886, he is only 14 in the 1900 census and living therefore with his parents on the family property in Eas...

The latest exhibit at the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum is "I Thee Wed: Rural Pennsylvania Wedding Attire: 1830-1930." This exhibit displays wedding clothing, traditions and family stories from that time frame. The exhibit runs through 16 February 2014. Admission Rates are  $12/Adult; $10/Senior; $8/Youth; Free for ages 5 & under. Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum is a living history museum, dedicated to preserving German heritage. It is administered by the PA Historical & Museum Commission.