Blog Archives

The World War II Encampment returns for 2016 with tanks, trucks, tents and troops to recreate the camps of WWII. Explore vintage military vehicles, inspect the weapons, talk with the troops and tour our “Homefront” trailer. A special exhibition of Lancaster WWII artifacts and photographs will be on display in the Stauffer Wing in the main building of LancasterHistory.org.

Hours:

  • Saturday, May 21 from 10am – 10pm
  • Sunday, May 22 from 10am – 4pm

The Encampment is free and open to all ages. Parking is available on-site for free as well.

Buffalo Bill Parading through LancasterLancastrians loved William F. Cody, famously known as “Buffalo Bill Cody.” They flocked to outdoor arenas when his “Wild West Shows” came to town, and packed the Fulton Opera House for his premiere in 1873. But when Cody took the Fulton stage in a show about killing Indians on the western frontier, he was standing in the same spot where the Paxton gang murdered the last of the Conestoga Indians 110 years ago. Leslie Stainton, author of Staging Ground, and Jack Brubaker, LNP’s The Scribbler, explore this uncanny connection in this colloquium. Buffalo Bill Cody’s popularity in Lancaster and across the United States said much about the way Americans grappled with the turbulent history of native and non-native American relations in the 19th century.

Leslie Stainton is the author of Staging Ground: An American Theater and Its Ghosts (Penn State Press, 2014) and Lorca: A Dream of Life (Bloomsbury, 1998; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1999). A two-time Fulbright award recipient, Stainton holds a B.A. in drama from Franklin & Marshall College and an MFA in dramaturgy from the University of Massachusetts. Jack Brubaker has written The Scribbler, a LNP column exploring the history, culture and humor of Lancaster County, for more than three decades. He has also authored a dozen historical books and magazine articles including Massacre of the Conestogas and Remembering Lancaster County (History Press, 2010).

The colloquium Buffalo Bill in Lancaster will take place on Thursday, May 12, 2016 in Ryder Hall at LancasterHistory.org, 230 N President Avenue, Lancaster. A social gathering will begin at 4pm, followed by the lecture from 4:30-5:30pm. Stainton and Brubaker will be available to sign copies of their various books at 4pm during the social. This event is free and open to the public.

Join us we transport you back to May 1869!

Members of Harriet Lane Johnston’s family and friends join her at Wheatland where they are feeling nostalgic about moments from the past and sharing stories. They also discuss their experiences with their Uncle James Buchanan and express their deep concerns about his legacy, especially on why their plans and efforts to preserve his legacy continually face resistance.

The Living History at Wheatland program Harriet Lane Johnston takes place on Saturday, May 7, 2016 with tours on the hour starting at noon and the last starting at 3 p.m. Standard tours of Wheatland are also offered at 10am and 11am ONLY.

Visit LancasterHistory.org/events or call 717-392-4633 to purchase your tickets.

The 225th anniversary of President James Buchanan’s birth will be commemorated on April 23, 2016 and will feature the annual presentation of the White House wreath for the President’s grave site at Woodward Hill Cemetery starting at 10 a.m. followed by a Birthday Celebration at Wheatland starting at noon and lasting till 2 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public.

The day’s events begin at 10 a.m. at Woodward Hill Cemetery for the Presidential Wreath-Laying Ceremony. The Ceremony includes a historical view about James Buchanan by Brigadier General Timothy J. Hilty. Another special guest is the 15th President’s historic guards, the Lancaster Fencibles; they will present a black powder-gun salute at the Cemetery. The Ceremony concludes with the Presidential Wreath being placed at James Buchanan’s tomb by Brigadier General Timothy J. Hilty with assistance from two Buchanan Elementary School students.

Following the Ceremony the public is invited by the students and PTO of James Buchanan Elementary School to President James Buchanan’s Wheatland for a 225th Birthday Celebration. Free tours of the President’s beloved home, Wheatland, are available from noon until 2 p.m. with a tour beginning every 15 minutes and the last free tour beginning at 1:45. These tours will be led by the Buchanan Elementary School students as they interpret the history of Wheatland, James Buchanan, his family and his life. Enjoy a slice of James Buchanan’s birthday cake with some punch provided through the generosity of the James Buchanan Elementary Parent Teacher Organization (PTO.)

IMGP9289A culmination of a year’s worth of hard work, Harvest Days is Landis Valley’s oldest and largest family event. Come for demonstrations, exhibits, live music and activities, as well as horse-drawn wagon rides and a children’s discovery tent. Taste heirloom varieties of apples and watch them become apple butter and cider. Witness wool go from sheep to shawl. Pick a pumpkin of your very own and then decorate it. All of this and more are packed into two fun-filled days.

Food will be available for purchase on site.  Free parking.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission: $12/Adults
$10/Seniors
$8/Ages 6-11
Free for ages 5 & under

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MICHAEL HARRIS BOOK BRANDYWINE
Author Michael Harris will present a lecture on his book “Brandywine: A Military History of the Battle that Lost Philadelphia but Saved America.” The lecture will begin promptly at 4:30 pm on the first floor of the Rock Ford Barn. Following the lecture, Mr. Harris will host a question-and-answer period followed by an opportunity to purchase copies of the book and have them signed by the author. A wine and cheese reception will be held during the book signing.
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED: $10 Rock Ford Foundation members; $12 non-members

Members of the First Continental Regiment will be visiting Rock Ford to work on a variety of 18th Century skills throughout the day. Planned activities for the men include drilling under the 1764 Manual of Arms and demonstrating how to start a fire, roll proper cartridges and clean a musket using proper period techniques. In addition, the ladies will be demonstrating how to put together meals using seasonal food stuffs, how to use a tape loom, how to weave a basket and other necessary skills of camp life.
NO RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
$8 Adults; $7 Seniors (65+); $6 Children (6-12) and Free for Children under 6

Dr. Kenneth Eshleman, a member of the Edward Hand Medical Heritage Foundation, will be presenting this lecture on 18th and 19th Century medicine on the first floor of the Rock Ford Barn.
A wine and cheese reception will take place prior to the lecture.
This event is free to the public, but attendees must RSVP to the Rock Ford office.