One fateful day in the mid-1930s, Edith Lucy Hogan hurried up Peach Street. She was headed to a popular restaurant her friends had been talking about. On her lunch hour, she soon arrived at Howard’s Dinor at 11th and Peach for a quick meal. In her early 20s and single, Edith was a clerk inContinue reading “Working Girl”
Tag Archives: Howard Falls
Rocks of Ages
From the mid-1930s onward for over 10 years, a general interest column, “Wandering with Walter Jack,” appeared in the Erie Daily Times. It was a popular feature, often appearing once to three times a week. The column documented local history as well as significant events within the regional community. Walter Eugene Jack (1883–1966) was aContinue reading “Rocks of Ages”
The Timeless Face of Howard Falls
Part One For the past 200 years, Howard Falls has been visited by many scientists, geologists and ecologists, drawn there by its unique geological features and the ecologically important Gorge below it. As we detailed in our earlier blog, “The Portage Escarpment“, these features were created from the melt-waters of the Laurentide ice sheet asContinue reading “The Timeless Face of Howard Falls”
Albert Perry Howard and the Legacy of the Cottage at Howard Falls
If you read our previous blog post, Mayhem at the Cottage, you have already been introduced to Albert Perry (A.P.) Howard and his summer cottage at Howard Falls. Today, we are taking a closer look at the man behind the cottage and sharing some exciting news about the cottage’s future. The Man Behind the NameContinue reading “Albert Perry Howard and the Legacy of the Cottage at Howard Falls”
Ringing the Bell: The Lost One-Room Schools of Franklin Township
Long before the consolidated regional schools serving a broad area of today, there were small schools dotting the landscape. These “One-Room Schoolhouses” were located so children could walk or be taken by horse and carriage to school each day. In Franklin Township in the mid-1800s, there were nine schoolhouses shown on the 1855 township map,Continue reading “Ringing the Bell: The Lost One-Room Schools of Franklin Township”
Eclipsing Howard Falls
The total eclipse of the sun began in the Pacific that Monday morning, sweeping across central North America, and around 11 am that day at Howard Falls the sun began to be entirely eclipsed by the moon. Soon, Howard Falls was plunged into total darkness, as the moon completely obscured the sun. Four minutes later,Continue reading “Eclipsing Howard Falls”
Total Solar Eclipse at Howard Falls on April 8, 2024
As the countdown begins to April 8, the date when the celestial phenomenon of a total solar eclipse will grace the skies above Howard Falls in Girard, Pennsylvania, it is worth delving into the rich history that surrounds eclipses. These cosmic events have fascinated and mystified humanity for millennia, weaving their way through cultures andContinue reading “Total Solar Eclipse at Howard Falls on April 8, 2024”
Coming to America
Here at Howard Falls, we work to document historical events in Northwestern PA, which over the past 200 years have collectively contributed to shaping both our natural environment and the people who call this area ‘home.’ Invariably, much of that work involves research into the genealogical roots of those who have settled here. While manyContinue reading “Coming to America”
Erratically Speaking
If you travel through any rural area in northwestern Pennsylvania, you will invariably see large boulders dotting the landscape. Most often, they have become lawn ornaments of a sort in homeowners’ yards, marking the entrances to driveways or delineating property lines. These boulders vary in size all the way up to as large as aContinue reading “Erratically Speaking”
Mayhem at the Cottage
We recently came across a poignant statistic: Only a small percentage of Americans can readily name all eight of their great-grandparents. According to a 2019 survey by Ancestry®: – About 21 percent of Americans don’t know which city any of their grandparents were born in.– 14 percent don’t know what any of their grandparents doContinue reading “Mayhem at the Cottage”