Depth photography will open the winter meeting of the Fulton County Historical
Society at 7:00 p.m. Saturday evening, January 26, 2002, in the Fulton House,
McConnellsburg. Following a short business session by Clem Malot, Dwight Harvey
will give a 3-D slide show of historic people from native Americans
through Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower and the astronauts, then show some of
his own 3-D slides of Fulton County scenes, Amish farmers, Niagara Falls and
Colonial Williamsburg.
Also present will be guest speaker Curtis DeShong of Uniontown who is writing an
historic novel based on the DeShong family - 6,000 years from Noah to you and me!
He believes there are more DeShong-related families in Fulton County than anywhere
else on earth; this year commemorates their 250th year in America.
Curtis will share several stories of general interest in his allotted 20 minutes, and
will be available at the Historical Society library from 2:00-4:00 Saturday afternoon
for genealogists specifically interested in the DeShongs.
In the first six months since moving to the Fulton County Library, 160 people signed the sheet to use the Historical Society materials. About half were nonmembers; rental cost of the room for the Society was $600 but no charge is made for users. Genaiavie Stafford worked on the cemetery file and added many obituaries from the 1890s. Hazel Brambley is organizing the Floyd Sipes collection. The library needs a local person to help supervise library operations.
After receiving requests from members interested in the History of Tonoloway Baptist Church published by Harry S. Holman in 1980, Historical Society Directors purchased reprinting rights from Mr. Holman for publication as the 2002 book in our annual series. A few new photos have been added to this 168-page book and the contract awarded to Mercersburg Printing for delivery in March. With an investment close to $5,000 for this book, extra copies of the Tonoloway history will sell for $8 rather than the standard $4, but all members of the Historical Society will receive a copy as part of their membership benefit. Just be sure your mailing label shows "04-01-2002" or higher (or life member), and invite others to join the Society now to receive this bonus-value publication. We think you will find it valuable for local history and also for the family data included by Mr. Holman.
The Fulton House museum exhibits had good attendance and received many favorable comments during the Fall Folk Festival, with coverage in the Fulton County News (see photos.) The House Tour was not only a pleasant event but cleared $2,533 in profit for the Society. A Christmas meal served to 27 people in the Fulton House on December 15 in the 21st century continued a common practice dating from 1793. There was also a toy display and donated pine decorations. Many thanks to all the volunteers who made these events possible.
(Photos above and below, left to right) Enjoying a Christmas dinner in the Fulton
House dining room; Maps and survey equipment displayed in the Fulton House during
the Festival weekend; Fulton County chairs at the Fulton House (Both Festival
weekend displays featured items from the society collection as well as items on loan);
Enjoying the House Tour at the Waltz home.
| 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 |