County museum holds history day

WAYNESBURG – Every May at the Greene County Historical Society Museum, history comes alive for third-graders.
This year, curator Eban Williams is happy to report Central Greene, Carmichaels, Southeastern Greene and home-schooled students signed up for their own special days of living history that would be served up by volunteers in period clothing, including the 140th Pennsylvania Company A Civil War re-enactors.
History day is all about how things used to be, from housekeeping with brooms to canning all your food from the garden instead of buying it from the store.
There was popcorn making in the super-sized old machine that has been lovingly restored by the museum’s chief tinkerer, Bly Blystone, and plenty of time to run around and look at Waynie, the old steam engine, and peek between the open logs of the log cabin Brice Rush is busy reassembling beside the barn.
Every year, Williams works to include as many glimpses into the past that a school day will allow.
“We have an indigenous American explaining what life was like before the pioneers arrived, and some “What is it?” where kids get to guess what some of our artifacts are,” Williams said. And of course, no history lesson would be complete without a chance to pet the Lippencott alpacas and learn the history of Greene County wool farming, from the European sheep of yesteryear to the soft and fuzzy South American camel cousin alpacas of today.
“I love kids of this age; they ask the best questions and they look at everything,” Captain Roger Doty of the 140th said, beaming. He and his comrades in arms had set up a tent on the front lawn, complete with all the guns, gear and leather packs that the gear would all roll into so that the Civil War soldier could hoist it on his back and march another day.
The kids gathered to hear about history in general but Doty gave them a chance to find it in their own family tree.
“If you’ve lived here in Greene County for 150 years, somebody in your family probably fought in the Civil War. Ask your grandma or grandpa. I bet they can tell you.”
The good old-fashioned times will continue at the museum with a garden party fundraiser June 9 that includes a catered buffet, live music, plenty of flowers and a presentation by local soap maker Kim Stoll. Feel free to wear your finest hat.
For more information, call 724-627-3204 or go online: http://www.greenecountyhistory.com.