History scavanger hunt aims to teach young and old about Whiskey Rebellion, Revolutionary War sites
Brad Hundt/Observer-Reporter
A sign outside Washington Cemetery in North Franklin Township lets visitors know the names of Revolutionary War veterans buried there.
Brad Hundt/The Observer-Reporter
A sign put up at the Hoge Memorial Burial Ground on Walnut Street in Washington lets visitors know about the Revolutionary War veterans buried there.
One of the more common complaints students have registered about history classes over the years is that they are boring.
Dry.
Packed with facts from yesteryear that have no bearing on the present.
Of course, the best history teachers illuminate how what happened in the past shape the events of the present. And the George Washington Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and the Bradford House Historical Association are emphatically trying to demonstrate that learning about history can be fun thanks to a hunt for Washington County historical sites starting next week.
Focusing on the Revolutionary War and the Whiskey Rebellion that followed fast on its heels, the history hunt starts Friday, April 1, and finishes with Washington’s Whiskey Rebellion Festival on Saturday, July 9. Open to students or lifelong learners, participants will need to stop at three cemeteries in Washington County where soldiers from the Revolutionary War are buried, as well as three sites from the Whiskey Rebellion that followed fast on its heels. The George Washington Chapter has placed signs at many of the sites where Revolutionary War soldiers are buried, and participants will scan a QR code on each sign, then go online and answer a question concerning the soldier. The same goes for the Whiskey Rebellion sites.
The first 50 people who submit correct answers will win an aluminum water bottle.
The hunt is an extension of the George Washington Chapter’s work to get signs erected at the final resting places of Revolutionary War veterans. They have found more than 1,000 through diligent detective work, but there could be many more that have been lost due to the ravages of time.
“They’re in all corners of the county,” said Ron Miller, a past president of the George Washington Chapter. He also pointed out that many residents may not be fully aware of the county’s rich history, and the hunt is designed to spark their curiosity.
According to Tracie Liberatore, executive director of the Bradford House Historical Association, the history hunt “is a great way to get people of all ages to both the Revolutionary soldiers’ cemeteries and the Whiskey Rebellion sites. This hunt proves that education can be fun! And who doesn’t like the chance to win a prize?”
For additional information, go online to georgewashingtonchapter.wordpress.com.