Another Newsletter Is Out
I am editor for the Down Memory Lane newsletter for the Chestnut Ridge Historical Society. I have several others who help to write articles, decide on photographs, and publish the collective of local information and photographs. I usually decide on the theme of the newsletter and collaborate with other members if they have anything else they want included. Once those items are shared, I put them in order and use tidbits of information as fillers to separate and define the ending and beginning of the nest article.
Since I am editor, I look through several old cook books and select one to include. These recipes could be from Colonial times, the Great Depression, or a local favorite. Since It’s me that decides, I call it “Hey Grandpa, What’s for Super” mimicking the television program, Hee Haw’s “Hey Grandpa.”
In the most recent issue we were able to use the oral history account of the Cessna plane crash on Laurel Ridge. A woman gave us written information of the incident. She was a young girl when it happened. The ridge was thick with fog that night, but she and her father were part of the search party the next day.
Another member of our group is Louise Sprowls. She has been diligently sorting postcards and filling albums with them for ease of viewing. The numerous postcards have been donated to our archives over the years. As she reviewed the cards, she decided to share some of the dates and information written on the reverse side of them. Her article is in our latest newsletter.
Also included is the history of the Methodist Protestant Church of Stahlstown, Pennsylvania established in 1832. The frame church building was replaced with a brick structure in 1890. There are photographs of the older church and the modern day building. A recent fire has damaged the edifice and efforts are underway to repair the damage and make it available to continue church services.
About three times each year the Chestnut Ridge Historical Society publishes its newsletter. The Society has a webpage posting activities for its members and inquisitive members to review. Cook Township Community Center houses our cache of artifacts, memorabilia, and records on Route 711 in Stahlstown, Pennsylvania. The website can be viewed at ChestnutRidgeHistoricalSociety.org.
A special note, to anyone trying to unclutter their homes and find photos, documents, and items having a local history, please offer them to your local historical society for preservation. Too much history is often discarded and lost.