Genealogy 101 Offered by County's Historical Society

Montgomery County's historical society gives residents a chance to learn their own family history.

Have you always wondered where your family came from? What their past jobs or homes were like? Do you know your great- great- great- great- grandparents? Would you like to? On May 21 at 7 p.m., the Historical Society of Montgomery County (HSMC) will offer the low-cost course on "Uncovering Your Past: An Introduction to Genealogy." It is a four-course session, running on Tuesday nights for a month. The class will be hosted at the HSMC's headquarters, 1654 Dekalb St., Norristown. Rose Brown, genealogist, will host the course. "[Brown] will present a four-week genealogy workshop for beginners wanting to find their roots," explained the HSMC website. The workshop will begin on May 21, 7 to 8:30 p.m., and continue every Tuesday through June 11…

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'Harriet Tubman' To Visit Historical Society of Montgomery County

Free historical talk with 'historical interpreter' set for Sunday.

She was a hero of the Underground Railroad. She helped to free many slaves. And, on Sunday, she'll be a guest of the Historical Society of Montgomery County. Well, sort of... On Sunday at 2:30 p.m., Harriet Tubman, (also known as Dr. Daisy Century) will host a free talk at the HSMC, located at 1654 DeKalb Pike in Norristown. According to the HSMC website, Century is known as a historical interpreter. "As a historical reenactor, Dr. Century has traveled all over the United States portraying historical figures from history," the site said. "She defines her role as a 'Historical Interpreter' because she becomes that character." The HSMC described Tubman as an "American Hero and Moses of her People." Guests to the free speech will learn more …

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Introduction to Genealogy: Uncovering Your Past

The Historical Society of Montgomery County is offering a four-week class for beginner genealogists.

Historical Society to Host Talk on the Decline of Norristown's Main Street

Former Historical Society staff member and author Michael E. Tolle will discuss the history and decline of Norristown's shopping district.

Downtown Norristown was once the destination shopping district for central Montgomery County, but years of decline and neglect have left it a shell of its former glory. Author Michael E. Tolle will discuss the history of the district and some of the elements that led to its decline at a public discussion on Sunday, Jan. 13 at 2:30 p.m. at the Historical Society of Montgomery County, 1654 DeKalb Street in Norristown. Tolle, a former staff member of the society, will also sign copies of his book, What Killed Downtown? Norristown,Pennsylvania, from Main Street to the Malls. For more information, call 610-272-0297 or e-mail contactus@hsmcpa.org.

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Baby Left on Doorstep 100 Years Ago Today

The Express-Times' "On this date" feature has a curious blurb about a baby left on a church doorstep 100 years ago today in Norristown.

A small blurb in The Express-Times' "On this date" feature reprints a small post that looks to have appeared in a local newspaper (possibly The Times Herald) on Dec. 18, 1912. The post makes public notice of a baby girl left in a basket on the steps of First Presbyterian Church with a note pinned to the baby's clothes asking the local Reverend to find the child a good home. Read the small blurb as it was originally printed here.

Calvary Baptist to Open its Cornerstone Time Capsule This Saturday

The church is celebrating its 125th year of ministry in Norristown.

Calvary Baptist Church, at 801 W. Marshall Street, is inviting the community to join them on Saturday, June 23, at 10:30 a.m. to celebrate the church's 125 years of ministry by opening the time capsule placed in the cornerstone in 1902. The rain date for the event will be Saturday, June 30. According to The Times Herald, the church was founded as a mission church and originally located across from the Montgomery County Courthouse, but in 1887 a new mission church, called “Second Baptist,” was created. That group met in a barn at the corner of Marshall Street and Haws Avenue and in 1902, the cornerstone was laid for a new church at that location. That cornerstone reportedly came from Mt. Calvary in Palestine, which is why the church chose …

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Norristown Re-enactor Helps Phoenixville Kiwanis Share History

Norristown's Noah Lewis, portraying Revolutionary War Soldier Ned Hector gave the Kiwanis K-Kids club a history lesson.

The Kiwanis Club of Phoenixville recently held the annual convention of the K-Kids Clubs from the Phoenixville Area School District.  Fourth- and fifth-grade students from the community service-oriented group met at the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge to hear a presentation about the foundation's work and take a tour of the grounds.  The student also got to meet a Revolutionary War Soldier Ned Hector (portrayed by re-enactor Noah Lewis of Norristown). Hector was an African-American who served as a soldier in General George Washington’s forces at the Battle of Brandywine in the fall of 1777 and in other battles of the American Revolution.  The students learned through a first-person presentation about the hardships faced by American …

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Philadelphia A's Historical Society Struggles To Maintain Memories

Hatboro baseball museum is financially strapped as fan base fades.

In their prime, both the Philadelphia Athletics baseball team and the flamboyant entertainer Liberace had a devoted following. Years after the Athletics no longer played in Philadelphia and Liberace no longer played in Las Vegas, faithful fans supported museums dedicated to their quite different legacies. But the once-successful Liberace Museum in Las Vegas closed in 2010 after 31 years in operation. As fans aged and memories faded, attendance dropped from a peak of 450,000 annually in the late 1990s to 50,000 in 2009. While considerably smaller, the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society in Hatboro hopes to avoid the same fate. Fifteen years after it was formed, the society is trying desperately to keep open its museum and gift shop on…

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