Fulton County Historical Society News
March 2002

Annual Dinner Meeting at Warfordsburg

Women of the Warfordsburg Presbyterian Church will serve a full-course meal to members of the Fulton County Historical Society on Saturday evening, April 20, at 6:30 p.m. in the church Fellowship Hall. Reservations are needed by Monday, April 15, with a check of $11 per person given to treasurer Jane MacDonald or mailed to the Society at Box 115, McConnellsburg, PA 17233. (Directions below.)

President Clem Malot will hold a brief business session following the dinner, including the election of new Society officers for 2002-03.

Commonwealth speaker Linda Ries of the Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg, will present a slide program on "Preserving Your Visual Heritage: Photography and Family History." She will provide tips on dating photos by clothing styles, identify types of photographs, and show how family photos give clues to the "soul" of an ancestor. Invite friends. The meeting is free and open to the public as a program of the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, supported in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

Tonoloway Meeting House to be Opened

Enclosed with your newsletter is this year's annual publication on the History of Tonoloway Baptist Church, written by Harry S. Holman in 1980 and reprinted now for the first time. The historic Tonoloway meeting house is seldom open, but Historical Society members will have an opportunity to visit prior to the dinner meeting and see the interior. Friends of Tonoloway will open the church doors from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 20. Stop by, view the original seating, and notice the extensive preservation work done by Dan Winter and others from the Friends organization. If you have a family connection to this church, or appreciate the architectural integrity of this wonderful building, please consider offering your help or financial support toward its further restoration.

Directions to Meeting House and Dinner

Tonoloway Church is within sight of the PA/MD line. From Hancock, take Pennsylvania Ave. north and Tonoloway Church will appear on the left soon after crossing into PA. Traveling from McConnellsburg, go south on Route 522 to Needmore, turn left on Route 655 and the church will be on your right just before crossing into MD.

The Warfordsburg Presbyterian Church is on the main street of Warfordsburg, or old Route 522, a short distance north of the High School. To reach Warfordsburg from Tonoloway Church, you might drive north on Route 655 to the first road on the left, Stillwell Road, then left on Pigeon Cove Road, cross over I-70 into Warfordsburg. From Hancock, I-70 and Route 522 North are together until the Warfordsburg exit. Turn left onto I-70 overpass, then left at intersection.

Winter Meeting



Photos by Ron Mitchell

Dwight Harvey fitted each member present at the January 26 meeting with special 3-D glasses to view his collection of stereo slides. His original slides included local scenes and Folk Festival parade views.

In honor of the 250th anniversary of the DeShong family in America, Curtis Deshong of Uniontown treated members to his original A-B story (All-Baloney!) on the Saga of Lucy DeShong of Harrisonville, a 7-ft. girl who found love and happiness with a big Swede lumberjack of Maine, and gave the world a 25-lb. baby boy named Paul ........ (??? !!!).

Newest Life Members

We are pleased to announce the addition of two new life members to the Society rolls.

John D. Blattenberger of the Burnt Cabins Grist Mill joined the Historical Society as a new Life Member. Jack is seven generations down from Johannes Blattenberger, who arrived in Philadelphia on September 30, 1743, on the ship Lydia. With a strong interest in local history, Jack is doing extensive restorations at the Grist Mill, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Ruth Ferguson of 117 Fairfax Rd., Pittsburgh, PA, is researching the Fergusons of Burnt Cabins, in particular Edward B. Ferguson, any siblings and parents (Andrew & Susan).

Nominations and Membership List

Enclosed with this newsletter is a list of current members of the Historical Society. We ask that you submit address changes promptly, and notify the Society of any errors in our mailing list. Some members use the names to contact others interested in the same family lines, and offer to share genealogical information for the benefit of both parties. The unifying factor is our interest in Fulton County and appreciation for its people both past and present.

A second use for the membership list is that you may choose names to nominate people for offices which are open for the year beginning in April. Ken Keebaugh of Hustontown has agreed to accept your nominations ballots, will contact any of the persons named to get a commitment they will serve, and will present a slate for your consideration at the annual election meeting on April 20. You may submit your own name or those you know who have an interest in the Society's work. April 15 is a good deadline to give your ballot to Ken or mail to the Society at Box 115, McConnellsburg, PA 17233.

Booklets and Prints for Sale

Most of the past annual booklets of the Society are still available for $4 each plus postage. The current Tonoloway history sells for $8 plus mailing costs of $2. We believe this is good value for a 168-page book of quality research, and hope you will let others know of its availability. Anyone who joins the Historical Society in 2002 will receive it as a membership benefit at no extra cost.

Several of the Brian Tucker historic scene prints are still available for $22 plus mailing costs of $5 total for any quantity. The first four in the series are out of print, with the Fulton House scene sometimes selling for $200 or more at local auctions.


CURRENT OFFICERS: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Clem Malot, President James Stewart 2004 Wayne MacDonald 2003
Dwight Harvey,
Vice President
Anna Maye Sigel 2004 Stanley Kerlin 2002
Julia Elvey, Secretary Bill Hammond 2003 Lindsay Mellott 2002
Jane MacDonald, Treasurer

PO Box 115, McConnellsburg, PA 17233 E-mail: fchs@fultonhistory.org

Non-Profit 501(c)(3) organization #23-7453773

Home