November 2010

President Franklin D. Roosevelt created programs to give people a chance to rebuild their lives from the Great Depression. The Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps gave this land a second opportunity and through re-growth, a new role as a recreation area. Discover the scenic beauty of the park during all seasons. Catoctin Mountain Park has cultural treasures to explore too. The Whiskey Still, Sawmill, and the Charcoal and Iron industries are all featured along trails with wayside exhibit.

This historical society, founded in 1936, focuses on preservation and conservation of the history of Muncy and surrounding communities.

The society focuses on the people, businesses, education, art, tradition, and folklore of the people of this community by sponsoring educational programs and activities and through research. The museum is constantly planning and executing activities such as a public archaeology dig, antique show, and quilt tour.

First intended to keep out a British invasion in 1812, the Castle has transformed over the years to welcome theater goers, immigrants, sightseers and now millions of visitors to New York Harbor.

More than a dozen forts were built to defend New York Harbor at the time of the War of 1812. The Southwest Battery was constructed on the rocks off the tip of Manhattan Island between 1808 and 1811. Although fully armed, the fort never had occasion to fire upon an enemy. In 1817, the fort was renamed Castle Clinton in honor of DeWitt Clinton, Mayor and later Governor of New York. The army vacated the fort in 1821 and the structure was deeded to New York City in 1823. On August 3, 1855, Castle Garden, now leased to New York State, opened as an immigrant landing depot. During the next 34 years, over 8 million people entered the United States through Castle Garden, until it was closed on April 18, 1890. Saved from demolition in 1946, the Castle was restored to its original look as a fortification and serves not only as a museum, but the ticket office for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry. The fort built to keep out the British now serves to welcome all to America.

The recreated country home of William Penn provides a peaceful contrast to the hurry of modern American life.

Penn believed that life in the country was more wholesome than in the worldly atmoshphere of crowded cities. He built the three-story brick house on the banks of the Delaware River so that he could enjoy peace and seclusion in the country. The house was built in 1686, then fell into disrepair over the next two centuries, being rebuilt in 1938. Tours through the home shed light on the personal side of the man for whom Pennsylvania is named.

Seneca Falls hosted the First Women's Rights Convention, and today you can learn about the people who organized it, the people who came, and what happened next.

In 1848 Elizabeth Cady Stanton and four other women invited the public to the First Women's Rights Convention to discuss expanding the role of women in America. At the end of the two days, 100 people made a public commitment to work together to improve women’s quality of life. While women have achieved greater equality with the vote, property rights, and education, the revolution continues today.

In nearby Waterloo, the restored home of Thomas and Mary Ann M'Clintock is open to the public during the summer. Site of the planning for the First Women's Rights Convention, the M'Clintock House contains exhibits about the family's Quaker faith, and their work in Anti-Slavery and Women's Rights. The home of Richard and Jane Hunt is also in Waterloo. It is open to the public only on special occasions.

Casa Grande Ruins is the first archeological site to be preserved by the federal government and the fifth oldest unit in the National Park Service. Set aside as a federal land reserve in 1892 and then as a National Monument in 1918, Casa Grande Ruins is a very special place, a place where history transcends 600 years of continuous occupation.

According to George Percy, one of the early settlers, "The nine and twentieth day we set up a cross at Chesupioc Bay, and named the place Cape Henry." Here, on the windswept sands, led by Reverend Robert Hunt, the colonists must have knelt in prayer giving thanks for this new land and their safe arrival.

Just off the shores here at Cape Henry, on September 5, 1781, two mighty war fleets exchanged cannon shot for about 2 1/2 hours. It is only because of Admiral deGrasse, commander of the French fleet sent to support General George Washington, that the British were unable to relieve Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown. This sea battle helped secure America's independence by assuring Cornwallis was trapped at Yorktown.

From 7,000 years ago to the 1900s people mined Keweenaw copper. Native peoples made copper into tools and trade items. Investors and immigrants arrived in the 1800s in a great mineral rush, developing thriving industries and cosmopolitan communities. Though the mines have since closed, their mark is still visible on the land and people. There is much to see and do on the Keweenaw Peninsula. In addition to exploring the history of copper mining, numerous recreational opportunities are available in the area. In the summer hiking, canoeing, kayaking fishing, camping and biking are popular activities. During the winter, the normally abundant snowfall make this a prime area for snowshoeing, cross-country and downhill skiing, ice fishing and snowmobiling.

Opening its doors in 2004, this museum, owned and operated by the Greater Monessen Historical Society, chronicles the history of Monessen and the surrounding areas.

Exhibits provide information to visitors about the 29 diverse ethnic groups that have contributed over the years to settling Monessen. Another exhibit currently in development in the Pittsburgh Steel Collection, archiving memos, pictures, and artifacts on the 10,000 workers that the steel mill once employed.

Lighthouses, cultural landscapes, and wild cranberry bogs offer a glimpse of Cape Cod’s past and continuing ways of life. Swimming beaches and walking and biking trails beckon today's visitors.

Salt Pond Visitor Center is Cape Cod National Seashore's main visitor facility, with frequent orientation movies, a well stocked bookstore, a comprehensive museum, and restroom facilities. The indoor theatre routinely offers 5 short films daily on a rotating schedule. Offering breathtaking views of Nauset Marsh and the Atlantic beyond, this Visitor Center is also convenient to the popular 1.5 mile Nauset Marsh Trail and the Buttonbush Trail, a .25 mile multi-sensory trail that featuring a guide rope and text panels printed in large lettering and Braille, and the Nauset Bicycle Trail.The museum collection at Salt Pond reflects the vast range of natural and cultural themes represented on Cape Cod. Quotes highlight themes that the museum's exhibits encompass, along with artwork from prominent artists.