Thursday, Feb 7, 2008
SCRANTON, PA – The 2008 “Winter Lecture Series” at Steamtown National Historic Site, downtown Scranton, will conclude in March with several special Saturday presentations! All programs take place at 1:00 p.m. in the Park’s Theater, located in the Museum Complex, and are included in the Park’s entrance fee.
March is Women’s History Month and Steamtown NHS will celebrate with a very special presentation on March 1. Commonwealth Speaker Josephine Dunn, Ph.D. will feature a slideshow presentation and lecture titled, “Alive to the Call: Women and History in Northeastern Pennsylvania.”
On March 8, another Commonwealth Speaker, Paula Holoviak, Ph.D. will bring a multimedia presentation, "Ukrainian Immigration to the Anthracite Region," to the Winter Lecture Series. Dr. Holoviak’s presentation will consist of a lecture format accompanied by historical maps and pictures in a PowerPoint that focuses upon Ukrainian immigration to the anthracite coal regions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the impact of this migration upon the history, culture and economy of Pennsylvania. The program will conclude with the performance of Ukrainian folk songs by the KAZKA Ukrainian Folk Ensemble quartet in traditional folk costume.
The Commonwealth Speaker presentations are a program of the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, sponsored in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. The PHC inspires people to come together to share a life of learning. Since 1973 the PHC has provided resources that empower local groups to help their communities explore history, literature, the arts, and the ideas that shape the human experience.
On March15, William Withuhn, a curator at the Division of Work and Industry at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, will present a slideshow titled, "A Day in the Life of a Steamtown Train Crew." Mr. Withuhn is also a steam locomotive engineer in the Steamtown NHS Volunteers-in-Park (VIP) Program.
On March 22, the Dietrich Theater Radio Players will present their live production of “Fibber McGee & Molly,” “George Burns & Gracie Allen,” and “Abbott & Costello” radio stories. After the performance, the Radio Players will be available for a 20 minute “Meet the Cast.” For more information about this program, phone 570-996-1500.
The 2008 “Winter Lecture Series” will conclude on March 29 with a lecture by Dr. Dennis McIlaney, author of the recently published book, “The Horseshoe Curve – Sabotage and Subversion in the Railroad City.” McIlnay’s new book tells the true story of three inter-connected, yet little know, events in American history: The Nazi plot during World War II to destroy the Horseshoe Curve, the Mecca of American railroading, near Altoona, Pennsylvania; the internment by the United States government of 15,000 German and Italian Americans during World War II and the FBI’s arrest on July 1 and 2, 1942 of 225 Altoonans as suspected Nazi sympathizers; and the personal and organizational drama of founding the Pennsylvania Railroad and building the Horseshoe Curve. Dr. McIlnaney’s book will be available for sale, and he will also conduct a book-signing after the presentation.
Many visitors find that our Winter Lecture Series offers a connection to the past. Tours of the former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Locomotive Shops, where visitors have the opportunity to observe our emphasis on long-term repairs, are also offered daily during the winter months.
Located in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania, Steamtown National Historic Site is open
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. from January 6 – March 29, 2008; regular Park hours, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. resume on March 30. From Interstate 81, follow exit 185 (Central Scranton Expressway); follow signs to the main entrance at Lackawanna Avenue and Cliff Street. Additional details regarding interpretive and educational programs and activities, and weather related cancellations, may be obtained by calling (570) 340-5200, toll free (888) 693-9391, or by visiting the Steamtown NHS web site at www.nps.gov/stea.
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