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Think you know all the townships and boroughs in Lebanon County?
Take the land expansion tour and see how the county has grown throughout the years.
Trivia: What city in Lebanon County was originally a small town called Steitztown?
This tour focuses on the development of Lebanon County.
Discover the ways this once rural community developed throughout the years.
Trivia: What was the name of the first fire company in Lebanon?
This tour will take you on an adventure focused on the military history of Lebanon County.
You will learn about people, places, and things, which impacted this county due to war.
Learn the story behind how this Bible and pocket watch saved a man's life during the civil war.
Politics have always been entwined in the history of Lebanon County.
Uncover facts about the county's government and learn which president practiced law in the Stoy Museum!
Trivia: Which president visited the Coleman family in Lebanon County and was served from this tea kettle?
This tour will highlight interesting facts about life throughout the county.
What does a vaudeville dress, a bicycle, and a stained glass window have to do with Lebonon County? Find out by taking this tour.
This medical exam card belonged to a baseball player who joined the Bethlehem Steel team. Hint: He was one of the most famous baseball players of all time!
These artifacts evidence the Native Americans that were the earliest inhabitants of the Lebanon Valley. Prior to European colonization of North America the region was occupied by what archeologists identify as the Shenks Ferry culture and around 1550 A.D. by the Susquehannocks. Some of the large stone points in the Society’s collections are perhaps 5,000 years old. Some arrowheads may be as recent as the early 17th century.
Prev NextThe Penn family acquired the Lebanon Valley from Native Americans as part of a large land purchase in September 1732. George Steitz immigrated to Pennsylvania from the Palatine region in that same year. By the late 1730s, Steitz laid claim to more than 300 acres along the Quittapahilla Creek. Part of this land was divided into lots with streets and alleys by the mid-1750s. Many of the new town’s earliest inhabitants rented lots from Steitz for a yearly fee and often with the requirement that a log or stone house with a brick or stone chimmney be built. A visitor in 1772 observed more than 200 stone homes. Initially called Steitztown, the town would be officially renamed Lebanon.
Prev NextSchaefferstown Water Works, established in 1763 by Alexander Schaeffer, was the first registered water company in the U.S. William Penn bought the land from the Native Americans in 1736; however, a Jewish community had already established a town in what is now known as Schaefferstown. This pipe-making equipment, which belonged to the company, was used to gouge holes through logs. These logs were then buried underground and used as water lines. Since they were not exposed to air, they did not rot. The water supply was from a spring and reservoir located about a mile south of town on a hill, which became known as Tower Hill.
Prev NextAndrew Miller founded the town of Annville in 1763. John Shertzer, a merchant who opened one of the first stores in Annville, made this four and one-half octave spinet piano in 1828. This is a very rare piece for the Annville area since most fine furniture was typically made in larger cities.
Prev NextThis bedspread/coverlet came from Myerstown which was founded by Isaac Meier in 1768. This bedspread/coverlet was made by William Ney (1811-1892), a weaver in Myerstown, PA. The coverlets were known for their vivid colors, and for the arrangement with the motifs he chose. It was said that when Nye retired from weaving, he discarded his loom into the depths of the Millardsville Quarry.
Prev NextThis linen, from Palmyra, which was founded by Dr. John Palm in 1776, was made to show off embroidery skills. This set of show towels, which typically hang on doors in homes, was made as a wedding gift for Abraham and Nansi Kaufman. Their respective birth years were embroidered on the towels. The artist is unknown but is believed to be a young woman.
Prev NextDuring the summer of 1883, as a new railroad line was being completed, a committee composed of C&L President Robert H. Coleman, General Superintendent John C. Jennings, and Secretary-Treasurer Hugh M. Maxwell made plans to go out and select the sites for the train stations along the C&L route. They discovered a beautiful woodland area on the side of Governor Dick Mountain which became Mt. Gretna. By the summer of 1884, Bob Coleman had financed the construction and laying-out of the most lavish and comfortable rustic recreational facilities ever before seen. The Mt. Gretna Post office was built around the turn of the 20th century on the main road alongside the Chautauqua grounds. When the interior of the post office was remodeled in 1979, the metal structure and numbered mailbox sections were donated to the Society.
Prev NextThis cup was sent to the Lions Club, along with a letter addressed William J. Noll. Noll was instrumental in having the name of the community changed from Bismarck to Quentin in honor of Roosevelt’s son Quentin, who was killed during WWI. For many years the cup was lost. It was later found in the attic of the Fire Hall while it was being cleaned.
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