Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:39:51 GMT <![CDATA[Baldwin's Blog]]> Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:39:51 GMT It’s amazing how a person can change the climate of a town or city forever. When Gideon Sundback was brought into the fold at what would become Talon, the Swedish born and German trained electrical engineer may have seen a challenge he couldn’t pass up, but by no means could have dreamed his work would change Meadville forever. After finding two chairs at the museum donated by Marguerite Titus Sundback, wife of zipper fame, we’d like to share a small taste of their lives.
 
Gideon Sundback moved to the United States from Sweden at the age of 24, almost immediately taking a job at Westinghouse in Pittsburgh. He was quickly sought out by the Automatic Hook and Eye Company (predecessor to Talon) in Hoboken, New Jersey. He took on the project of trying to improve upon existing zipper designs in 1906, giving speculation as to the reason for his interest a mix between the desire of a challenge and the appeal of his employer’s daughter, Elvira Aronson. Sundback and Aronson were married in 1909. Sundback moved to New Jersey and began work on improving the C-curity which after a year on the market was beginning to reveal problems already.
 
Sundback was determined and with new interest from Lewis Walker who had began to drift from the failing company, in 1913 Walker purchased the company and assets for $50,000 and tied his fate to it completely- moving it to Meadville Pennsylvania.
 
Upon the design of Sundback’s Hookless #2, the zipper in Meadville became a permanent staple and with it the fame of Walker, Sundback, and the rest of the Hookless Fastener Company in Meadville, PA. The company was eventually renamed Talon and its fame continued for decades- locally to this day.
 
Many of our readers may have worked for Talon Zipper and some may have been fortunate enough to know Sundback, who remarried Marguerite in 1916 after his first wife’s death in 1911. Their legacy lives on at the museum in the form of Marguerite’s leadership there in the Baldwin-Reynolds House’s early years as well as two French styled chairs in the library. Those chairs are permanent fixtures in our exhibits, just as their former owners will forever remain permanent fixtures in our fair city.
]]> <![CDATA[Gideon Sundback's Meadville Legacy]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 04:40:19 GMT With new Mayor Christopher Soff stepping into his office recently, a perfect opportunity is presented here to discuss Meadville borough, and eventually city in terms of an organizational history. This week, we will track how Meadville became a city, where its original boundries were, and other little known facts about the place we all know and love.
 
Meadville was a village in Allegheny County, and once it was established, Crawford County in 1800. It remained a village for over twenty years, however, and was not incorporated into a borough until March 29, 1823. Its original boundaries were as follows:
 
Beginning at the east end of Kennedy’s bridge; thence along the Meadville and Mercer Turnpike Road, to the place where the south line of the south alley crosses said road; thence east along said alley to the Susquehanna and Waterford Turnpike Road; thence south along said road to the place where the north line of William Clark’s farm crosses the same; thence east along the said line to the east end of the town track; thence north along said line to the northeast corner of Samuel Lord’s farm; thence west along the north line of Samuel Lord’s land to the bank of French Creek; thence along the meanders of said creek to the place of beginning.
 
Upon the first election of borough officers, held May 5, 1823, Thomas Atkinson was elected Burgess (the borough term for mayor at that time). Atkinson was best known as the owner of the first newspaper in Meadville and his daughter Salome is hanging in Baldwin-Reynolds House. The last Burgess was William Reynolds, holding a term in 1865. He made history in this regard as on February 15, 1866 Meadville was granted a new charter and became an incorporated city. Reynolds served the first term in Meadville as mayor in 1866 before stepping down, making him the “last and first” in this area. Meadville was, in 1860, a borough of 3702 people and a city of 7103 in 1870, growing considerably. Others of considerable local renown such as John Dick, S.B. Dick, Alfred Huidekoper, Gaylord Church, H.L. Richmond, and John Earle Reynolds held one or the other of these offices, depending on the time period.
 
We have been a city since 1866 and have had our ups and downs, but have one thing for certain- we act like the village from which we came. I am happy to call this area home as for as large or spread out Meadville becomes, one can still find familiar faces walking through town and a helping hand is never hard to fine. I’m thankful that we are still in touch with our small town roots. Welcome Mr. Soff to the mayor’s office and I hope you enjoy the city in which you will help to run. We certainly do!
]]> <![CDATA[Meadville Welcomes a New Mayor!]]> Mon, 25 Jan 2010 02:28:43 GMT Hello All!

 

We're looking for oodles of new volunteers for our 2010 season! We are always looking for help in one of the following areas

 

Gardening

Housekeeping

Tour Guides

Filing/Clerical

Museum Inventory

Receptionists/Greeters

Research

Museum Exhibit Prep

Event/Program Prep

Fall Leaf Raking

Tree Trimming

Painting

and much much more!!!!!

 

If you'd like to help out in any of the following areas, please shoot us an email at museum@baldiwnreynolds.org or fill out the volunteer box on our website!

 

http://www.baldwinreynolds.org/contact.htm

 

Just scroll down and select "volunteering" in the drop down box!

 

We'll be emailing you back very soon and getting everyone aquainted and involved as the winter and spring progress. Hope to hear from you!

 

-The Curator

]]> <![CDATA[Volunteer Sign Up!]]> Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:43:54 GMT Julia Reynolds Fuller and Daughter Gertrude
As I was sweeping pine needles from my living room floor this weekend, I couldn’t help but notice how time is flying by and in only a few short months we will be back up and running at the museum for another year of tours and events. With the historical society’s events being released recently in this column as well as my column last week giving our “annual summary” of what we’re up to, I thought it a great way to start the year by going into detail a bit more on what’s coming up, what we’re working on, and how you can get involved!
 
Ceilings, Walls, and Paint galore
As I mentioned last week, we’ve secured the assistance of a local architect who will help guide our ice house project through the coming months. We plan to put a new roof on this structure as well as do some major restoration on the building’s interior including stabilizing the ceiling and replace a load bearing beam that shows signs of serious rot.
 
Similarly, we’re getting ready to do restoration projects on the retaining wall along Lord Street that has been bowing outward and has recently started to collapse in one or two places. This wall is well over a century old and its repair is integral to the historical accuracy of our three acre grounds as well as holding a rather large hillside from falling into the street.
 
Finally, we plan to do a bit of restoration inside the house itself, painting walls and restoring two plaster ceilings on the first floor. Both of these are in major need of repair as they are cracked and beginning to sag. We will keep you updated with our progress as these things occur.
 
Events, Lectures, and Exhibits for all!
We are working on putting together a season to remember at the museum for your enjoyment this year as well. With the Huidekoper family’s major impact on Crawford County from selling much of the land off to settlers in the first place with the Holland Land Company to influencing Unitarianism in Meadville, creating Hillside Home, and becoming the spectacle of style in the community, the Huidekopers have laid their influence in this area as thick as the sidewalks they once walked on. We will be hosting an exhibit of their lives and works for your enjoyment as well as possible events tying in with the Thurston Classic, the Crawford County Fair, enlightening workshops, interesting and exciting lectures, and more!
 
We will be hard at work this year and need your attendance, support, and physical help to succeed. We are always in need to tour guides, housekeeping help, event helpers, artifact catalogers, and more. Those of you who have expressed interest, we will be starting to put together short “backstage tours” very soon to get you acquainted with the museum and to those of you who are interesting in jumping in, you are always welcome! Feel free to contact us at museum@baldwinreynolds.org or follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Have a Happy New Year!
]]> <![CDATA[2010- A Preview]]> Wed, 06 Jan 2010 05:46:45 GMT With the Christmas holiday over and way too many leftovers still residing in my refrigerator, I've been thinking of what has occurred over the last year and what I'd like to get accomplished in 2010. A slice of pie or two later, I have prepared a summary of what we have done at the Baldwin-Reynolds House this year for our readers as they, much like myself, have a vested interest in Henry Baldwin's historic home.

A bit of gardening

If there's one thing that I am especially excited about at the museum as of late, it is all of the hard work we have done to improve our physical landscape at the house. Several gardens on the property have been spruced up and are becoming showpieces in the area. We have several faithful volunteers working hard on keeping our gardens blooming and have had a special donation this year of over 2500 plants, both annuals and perennials, from Bollinger's Greenhouse and Florist in Springboro. These gifts have improved our garden tremendously and we are thankful to have such friends with common interests in our shared history! The work in the garden will continue over the upcoming year and we welcome any help in these efforts.

Stripping and redecorating

Our other impressive achievement this year has come in our efforts to make the Baldwin-Reynolds House appear more like a home than ever before. We have had several volunteers stripping paint off of Henry Baldwin's original tiger maple woodwork to return it to it's historic appeal. We are adding furniture, long since forgot about in storage, to the exhibits and including fine touches to make it appear as if Henry Baldwin just set a book down in his study or Katherine Reynolds just set the table for dinner. We thank you all for your donations to help in this effort including your heirlooms, assistance, and good will. We will continue to make the tour as enjoyable to you all as possible.

Outlook into the new year

As we look forward to the new year, we have much important work ahead of us to complete. We are working with an architect to restore the historic ice house on the grounds of the museum. The stone retaining wall along Lord Street needs attention that we hope to provide in the coming months, and much is about to happen in the house itself. We hope to paint several hallways, rooms, and the pine plank floors on the second floor in the near future. In addition, several plaster ceilings have issues needing addressed over the winter months. We will persevere in these activities in our effort to ensure the protection of your historic home in Meadville, Pennsylvania. After all, we are merely the guardians of our history. The keys to this history, however, remain in your hands. Your volunteer assistance and any other help is always welcome and crucial to preserving our heritage- as I am just a servant in the house...you are the master. This is my yearly report to you...enjoy the holidays and look back as well as forward. To continue progressing, we must remember.

]]> <![CDATA[Yearly Report]]> Sun, 03 Jan 2010 09:23:22 GMT It’s officially the start of the Holiday Season or at least it looks it as I sit here at The Crawford County Historical Society’s annual holiday book fair. With holiday parties coming (and food on my mind), what better way to celebrate the holiday season than to make one of Katherine Reynolds’ recipes for your next holiday party!
 
Egg Nog (No 1)
Beat very light and thick the yolks of 6 eggs. Stir the eggs gradually into a quart of rich unskimmed milk, add half pound of sugar, half pint of brandy and grated nutmeg to taste. Next beat the whites of 3 eggs by themselves and stir them quickly into the mixture. Divide into two pitchers and pour it back and forward until it has a fine froth.
 
Egg Nog (No 2) Six eggs, half a pound of sugar, half a pint of brandy or whisky, three pints of cream whipped into a froth. Beat the yolks of the eggs and the sugar together until it is a froth, add the brandy or whisky, next the whites of the eggs beaten stiff, and then the whipped cream.
 
Salmon Croquettes 1 can of salmon, 1 egg well beaten, 1 / 2 cup fine bread crumbs, salt, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, juice of half a lemon. Drain off the liquid and mince the fish, melt and work in 1 tablespoon of butter, season, and if necessary moisten with a little of the liquid, add the crumbs. Form into rolls and flour thickly, and stand in a cold place an hour. Fry in hot fat, and serve on a hot platter, garnish with parsley.
 
Coconut Macaroons1 / 2 lb. of fine desiccated coconut. 1 / 2 lb. pulverized sugar. Whites of 2 eggs, beaten very stiff with a pinch of salt. After eggs are well beaten add sugar and beat together, add coconut, and roll into balls into your hand. Bake.

Crullers (No 1) 4 eggs, 4 tablespoons of hot lard, 5 or 6 tablespoons of sugar , a little nutmeg, salt, flour to make stiff enough to roll out, fry in hot lard.

Crullers (No 2) 2 cups sugar, 1 cup butter, 2 / 3 of pint of buttermilk or sour milk, 1 teaspoon soda, 4 or 5 eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, roll thin and cut out. Fry in hot lard.

]]> <![CDATA[The Recipe for Holiday Entertaining- Katherine Reynolds' Way!]]> Sun, 13 Dec 2009 11:11:28 GMT Last Friday, I ventured out into the world of retail madness in Meadville to find more people unsuccessfully searching for the perfect Christmas present than I could count. Crowds pushed past each other to find a DVD player or new laptop, but few found a gift that was personalized to their recipient’ s interest. Well ladies and gentlemen, we have the solution to all of your gift giving needs!
The Crawford County Historical Society will be hosting their annual Holiday Book Fair this Saturday, December 5th from 10 AM until 2 PM at the historical Society at 411 Chestnut Street. Presents for any age group or interest will be featured for your perusal and purchase along with book signings, free coffee, Christmas cookies, a door prize, and more!
This year we will be featuring two new Arcadia books for you to choose from. Picture histories of the Guys Mills area by Cheryl Weiderspahn and the Lake Erie Bessemer Railroad by Kenneth Springirth will be available for purchase along with many other local favorites. In addition, gift certificates will be available for purchase good for merchandise, memberships, services, or tours of the Baldwin-Reynolds House Museum.
Several tables will be set up featuring books relating to the Oil 150 (the anniversary of Edwin Drake’s first oil well), the railroad, including William Reynolds writings on the first railroad in our area (the Atlantic and Great Western), and much more! A special sale table will be featured to allow shoppers an opportunity to buy some of their favorites for greatly discounted prices. Several prints of local historical interest and collectibles such as glass paperweights and other creations from one of Meadville’s first glass factories, circa the 1880s will be present. In addition, a fresh pine wreath will be given away as a door prize, with all in attendance eligible to enter. No purchase is necessary for this opportunity.
Cheryl Weiderspahn will be on hand from 10am until noon to sign and dedicate her book on Guys Mills. This lifelong Crawford County resident has put together one of the most complete histories of the Guys Mills and Randolph Township area available. She will be happy to help answer questions on this area if possible.
We welcome the public to attend this event, stop in for refreshments or just to say hello and look around. We’d love to see you and we’d love to help you find that perfect gift this Christmas season!
]]> <![CDATA[Holiday Book Fair is Sure to Find Perfect Gift!]]> Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:23:57 GMT

With the Thanksgiving Holiday approaching us in just days, families are scrambling to plan menus, family and social dinners, holiday get-togethers and more. The kitchen becomes one of the most sacred of rooms in the house with aromas of upcoming supper and friends and family fill the parlor.

Katherine Reynolds was as meticulous as the next when it came to holiday meals with friends and relatives and this meal in particular may even sound familiar to a few of her guests on Thanksgiving, 1941:

Thanksgiving 1941-Cocktails and Tomato Juice, Olives, Crackers, Oysters on Half-Shell – Sauces, Soup, Rex Crackers, Celery, Radish, Turkey with Chestnuts and Parsley, Cranberry-Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Creamed Onions, Cold-Slaw, Bread, Pumpkin Pie and Cheese, Coffee

As some of you might remember, last Christmas season, we reproduced her “Christmas1959” menu in this column as well as sharing a recipe for plum pudding and golden sauce directly from Katherine Reynolds’ hand written recipe book. What better Thanksgiving gift than to share a few of her Thanksgiving favorites with you as you plan your holiday menu. Enjoy!

Spiced Tomato Soup
2 qts. tomatoes, strained
1 teacup rice (uncooked)
a pinch of whole cloves

Have prepared a beef-stock, into which put the tomatoes and rice and boil slowly till the rice is tender, add a little butter, pepper, and salt to taste.

Bread
1pt of milk scalded with 1 tbsp. butter, 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 teasp. salt.

Dissolve ½ cake of compressed yeast in half a cup of lukewarm water, and add to the lukewarm milk. Stir together and add gradually 6 or 7 cups of sifted flour, beating well. Do this at bedtime. In the morning knead on the board well, using only enough flour to keep from sticking. Shape into two loaves, and let it rise until double the bulk and bake 40 minutes.Please Note: No oven temperature is listed. A suggestion would be to check a homemade bread recipe and use comparable temperature.

Pumpkin Pie
 
1 qt. stewed pumpkin
1 qt. rich milk
1 cup of sugar
½ cup of molasses
4 eggs, beaten
Salt, cinnamon, and ginger
Steam the pumpkin till tender and dry, press through a colander and add the other ingredients. Bake in one crust. Makes 4 pies.Please note: Amounts of salt, cinnamon, and ginger were not included in recipe nor was oven temp and time. I would suggest looking at your favorite Pumpkin Pie recipe for amounts of these ingredients and alter for four pies. Do the same with temperature and cooking time.
]]> <![CDATA[A few Thanksgiving Recipes from our house to yours!]]> Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:37:42 GMT drtree

Hello All!

 

Recently, we've been getting several questions regarding "Trees of Christmas" and whether it will occur this year.

 

Unfortunately, Trees of Christmas is a bi-annual event occuring on even years. It occured in 2008 and is scheduled for winter 2010.

 

The ladies of the Meadville Garden Club are hard at work to make next year as memorable as last. So...in the mean time...keep that holiday cheer coming and we'll see ya next Spring!

]]> <![CDATA[Trees of Christmas]]> Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:35:30 GMT This week, I’ve been doing research on a building or two and decided to add another addition to our “Dating Your House” series. After spending some time in the Crawford County Courthouse this week doing some sleuthing on a building or two I’m documenting, it occurred to me (after asking for help several times…haha!) that this could be a daunting chore for those not accustomed to public records. A few weeks ago we talked about how to determine the period and architectural style of your home. What we did not cover, however, was determining who actually built your house! This long overdue article will cover just that. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s track down an owner or two, shall we?
 
Step One: The CountyCourthouse
 
Well…ok, so this is not really a step per se, but there are a few things one must remember when going to the courthouse. There are metal detectors and security guards at the courthouse doors (and with good reason), so let’s talk common sense. The easiest method of entering the courthouse and saving time doing so is to only bring what you need, thus avoiding bag checks, setting off the metal detectors, etc. Your must have list should be as follows:
 
  1. Tablet and pencils (avoid pens if possible to keep from marking records)
  2. Either quarters or several dollars for copies, if necessary
  3. Your notes (what ward or township are you in? what you already know about the building you want to research, etc.)
 
Avoid pockets full of miscellaneous items that are unneeded for this trip to save time.
 
Step Two: The Assessor’s Office
 
The first stop you should make in the courthouse is at the Assessor’s Office. This is where current property records are maintained for tax and value purposes. This may not be where you would think to start, but I assure you it saves steps.
 
First, locate your home on the maps available on the left hand wall in the back of the office based on your location in Crawford County (borough, township, city, etc.). This will give you your lot’s identification number which can then be used to pull up the card for your property in the file drawers in the center of the room. These are organized alphabetically by townships or city/borough and can be searched through rather rapidly with the lot number and location name. Your card will have your home’s value, your information (if you own this property, but even more helpful these cards often have the last several owners listed on them including who owned the property, when it was transferred, and possibly even deed book numbers to look at. You may be able to go back several decades without much effort this way. If you don’t find the card…just ask! Often new transfers or lots do not have a card immediately. Now we have this information, let’s move on to the next step!
]]> <![CDATA[Sleuthing around the courthouse part 1]]> Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:30:55 GMT