Rural Archives & Museums

This week I wanted to focus on something that has been heavy on my mind lately. I grew up in a very rural area in North-East PA in the heart of the Endless Mountains: Wyoming County. According to the 2010 census, Wyoming county has a population of 28,276...total. The town I grew up in has a population of less than 600 people, and my high school graduating class was 102 kids; a relatively large class for my school. With this sort of population comes a close-knit community. The hills and mountains of Wyoming county are speckled with multi-generational farms and homesteads. Many things stay the same for a long time in a rural area, and this fosters rich traditions. So how are these traditions preserved?

A house participating in "The Airing of the Quilts" in Tunkhannock, PA
Photo Courtesy of {http://karensquiltscrowscardinals.blogspot.com/2012/10/airing-of-quilts.html}

I had never heard of the Wyoming county historical society. I stumbled upon it when looking at the county courthouse's website. My time working at the Chester County Historical Society taught me that there is good work that is done at small institutions - work that is often deeply connected with and meaningful for the local community. But Chester county has a high population and much higher median income than Wyoming county and similar rural areas of the state. Without the visitor rates or funding of larger areas to support a dynamic museum, Wyoming county residents have found other ways of preserving their culture and their history. It is through festivals, county fairs, Pow Wows, church events, and small family gatherings that the people of rural Wyoming county share their history.

This is me handing out ribbons in the 4-H sheep show at the Wyoming Co Fair.
Nothing says "rural" quite like this...
Photo Courtesy of {Kevin Sutton} 

Two important events in Wyoming county that showcase the history of the people are River Day in Tunkhannock, and the Wyoming Co Fair in Meshoppen. River Day is a celebration of the life and enjoyment that comes from the Susquehanna river. River Day is celebrated in Riverside Park, and features live music, a showcase of the different wildlife that live on the river, local food, and history lessons about the area's use of the river for logging, fishing, water-power, and recreation. Along these lines, the local county fair is another big ticket event. Hidden behind the cotton candy stand and ferris wheel, the fair has important barns which interpret the history of the area: the education barn and the attached agriculture area. The barns at the fair display a photographic history of the fair itself, pictures of Wyoming county through the decades, and small displays of fair ephemera and local quilts. (Side note: there is indeed a festival called "the airing of the quilts" in Tunkhannock where ladies display their quilts and have the opportunity to explain the meaning sewed in the patterns). The education barn displays school children's artwork and science projects from the previous school year. There is also a barn which holds farm equipment and tools from the past. This display shows the backbone of the area - hard working farmers, miners, quarrymen and loggers.  

Rural areas truly share the authority when it comes to interpreting the past. With no institutional backing, the people take it into their own hands to display their history and create a narrative that serves their community. They showcase the objects that are important to them, and celebrate festivals that still hold so much meaning.  Imagine if there were opportunities for young preservationists and public historians to work in rural areas? I have been thinking a lot lately about what it would be like to run a museum or historical alliance in a rural area. On the one hand, these people are clearly engaging with their history in their own way without the need for institutional support. But on the other hand, imagine the possibilities of mural arts projects, elementary and high school lesson plans using local primary sources, and digital history which hasn't even been considered!? Maybe rural archives are the next frontier for students? 

Ps. Click HERE to view the Wyoming Co Historical Society's website. Ouch.