News & Updates

Turning Back the Clocks

Posted on Oct 02, 2008

TURBOTVILLE — Have you been to the Warrior Run-Fort Freeland Heritage Society’s Heritage Days lately?

If you’ve taken a break from it for a couple of years, this is definitely the time to get reacquainted.

Society president Robert Franks said the 27th annual event planned for this weekend is “bigger and better than ever.”

For those not familiar with Heritage Days, in a few words it’s a naturalistic look at and celebration of the Warrior Run area’s history. The event is held over two days — from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday — on the Hower-Slote site behind the Warrior Run High School and the Historic Warrior Run Church, just down the road from the school.

Franks said the goal is always to improve over the previous years, and over the course of the year he encourages area residents to come back and see the changes and additions. For any new visitors, you’ll see a first-rate event 27 years in the making.

Spread throughout, visitors will see people involved in the society’s apprentice/master’s program, and other special guests, demonstrating the trade they have spent years researching and practicing. It could take most of the event day just to take the time to see each one and chat with the people who have taken it upon themselves to preserve history.

There is also music, story telling, children’s games and even a parade of the apprentices and a benefit auction of their wares.

So what’s new and improved?

Franks said expect to see swelled representation of Native Americans at the Hower-Slote site, where the colonial era takes precedence.

Boy Scout Troop 37, Mooresburg, has been building a replica of an Iroquois longhouse next to the Native American village.

Also on the site will be a large interactive display by the Pennsylvania Canal Society, featuring the history and structure of the West Branch Canal. Franks said people will have the opportunity to walk through “The John Waldron” an authentic 1860s canal packet (passenger) boat, discovered locally only a few years ago after a house was torn down. The boat was restored by the Muncy Historical Society, the organization that will tell the story of the award-winning project to save the boat.

Over at the historic church, reachable by horse and wagon — the same which appeared on Front Street during the recent Milton Harvest Festival Parade — there are also new attractions.

That location carries a Civil War era theme, but with the exception of a traditional colonial Presbyterian service, which will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday and led by the Rev. Paul Smith of Watsontown First Presbyterian Church, a daughter church.

This year marks the return of an early 19th-century pewter communion set which was used by the congregation of the Warrior Run Church. There will also be pictures on display of how the church looked in 1955, prior to the state returning it to its original look from 1835, Franks said.

There will be plenty more to see there, including two Civil War re-enacting groups — Cooper’s Battery B and the 3rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Light Artillery, as well as an Confederate washerwoman who has some tough words for the Union regiments.

Among other new events are Irish tunesmiths, local antique collections, an herb garden and demonstration, stone and wood carving, additional gunsmiths and a tabletop rug weaving demonstration.

For a complete list of events, refer to the Heritage Days publication that appeared in last weekend’s Standard Journal or visit: www.wrffhs.org or www.freelandfarm.org.

Until the event, Franks will be keeping his fingers crossed for good weather, which is expected to be in the 60s with sun and clouds. That would be a nice break from last year’s unusually warm weather, he said.

The society president is hoping to see more than 3,000 people turn out and support the organization’s largest event and main fundraiser of the year. Funding is even more important this year as the state has decided to cut its support of historical societies.

He’ll especially be depending on a good local turnout considering the high price of gasoline. But, typically, visitors can come from all over.

He can’t say enough about celebrating the area’s past and historic landmarks, like the historic church and the grounds were Fort Freeland once stood.

“It’s important, and it the 27th year (of Heritage Days) we’ll always think its getting better and better.”

Jeff Shaffer: 570-742-9671
jeff@standard-journal.com

Source: Standard Journal News


[ << Return to News Page ]