We attended the Luzerne County Historical Society museum’s “150 Treasure Display” on its opening night! I wonder how many people living here have actually been to the museum at 69 South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre. It’s located in the back of the Osterhout Library. It’s kind of like a well-kept secret, but the word’s out that Luzerne County is celebrating its Sesquicentennial! (Ses-qui-cen-tennial, say it a few times). That’s 150 years!

Appropriately, the Luzerne County Historical Society has a display of 150 feature items including the table on which Nathan Denison signed the surrender after the battle of Wyoming (see “more”), the original fireplace grate on which Jesse Fell conducted his experiment with anthracite coal, igniting the Industrial Revolution in our area, the flag carried by Ricketts’ Battery during the Civil War and many, many more items.

I like the way Jesse Teitelbaum works these exhibits. I’m always interested in the way he configures the displays to get a little something for everyone to enjoy. Politics, entertainment, clothing, commerce, and domestic items are all mixed in providing the perfect recipe for a history buffet.

I was particularly enthralled (yes, enthralled) with the black and white montage of photos taken to illustrate the pre-flood views of Public Square and Main Street. I just hadn’t expected to see something like that and was quite taken with looking at them. I might have spent most of my time on these. I hadn’t seen these views of the streets since I was a 10-year old! Store front signs for old favorites of Fowler Dick & Walker, S. S. Kresge Co., Lazarus are among many signs I hadn’t seen in years!

The public has plenty of time to get to the museum to see this display because it will run through the end of August.

On our way out, we picked up a “Save the Date” card for the Anniversary Gala scheduled for Saturday, June 21, 2008. It is Black Tie (ooo-la-la!) and will be held at the Luzerne County Courthouse. I really would like to go. If you are a historical society member, it will cost you $75. If you’re not, you will be charged $100. That’s reason enough to join!!

I understand the Historical Society has enough artifacts to fill 10 museums! I would love to be able to look at these dormant archives. Items linked to the past by their long ago activity or usefulness just waiting to be held or see the daylight again. They all must have such fascinating stories inside them.

Sunday’s Times Leader presented a bittersweet article about preserving the artifacts of our past. Charles Petrillo, attorney and local historian, expresses concern that our area is erasing fascinating links to our past by ambivalence and neglect. The area’s history is “a huge subject” according to Mr. Petrillo. He knows that there are many people living here who are interested, even excited, about local history, but with the pressing obligations of present lives, the past is being overlooked. He recommends a summit about the valley’s visual records, whether newspaper photographs or TV news coverage, because there’s absolutely nothing to preserve it.”

Link to The Times Leader article:
http://www.timesleader.com/living/20080330_30petrillo_ART0.html
Link to the Luzerne County Historical Society:
www.luzernecountyhistory.com