County history takes spotlight on 2nd annual History Day
Ten attractions featuring different chapters of the history of the county were on display Saturday, May 13, during the second annual Butler County History Day.
The Butler County Historical Society’s Little Red Schoolhouse, the Maridon Museum, Washington’s Trail 1753 at Senator Walter Lowrie House, the Mars Area History and Landmark Society, Evans City Historical Society, Historic Harmony’s Zeigler Log Cabin, Historic Harmony’s visitor’s cabin, Zelienople Historical Society’s Buhl House and Passavant House and seven vehicles built in the county were on display.
The daylong event was sponsored by the Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau, which gave visitors an opportunity to win gifts and a gift certificate by picking up “passports” at any of the attractions and getting them stamped at three of them.
At the Little Red Schoolhouse in Butler, children and adults listened to retired teacher and county historical society volunteer Steve Cicero talk about education and how classes were taught in the 1800s in the one-room school and about the history of the area.
The history of the area includes Clara Barton’s last public appearance as founder of the American Red Cross at the Hill United Presbyterian Church across the street from the schoolhouse, Cicero said.
In a garage behind state Rep. Marci Mustello’s office in Butler Township, seven cars and trucks built in Butler were on display.
The vehicles included a 1930 Austin, 1939 Bantam Roadster convertible and a 1938 Bantam panel truck owned by the Butler County Historical Society; a 1909 Huselton and a 1941 Bantam BRC owned by Butler City; a 1940 Bantam pickup truck, owned by the tourism bureau; and a 1922 Standard and 1920 Standard convertible owned by the Butler Old Stone House Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America, which maintains all of the vehicles.
The 1920 Standard is the club’s latest project. The engine is being rebuilt by a specialist. The restoration will resume after the engine is finished.
Club members spent the winter getting the vehicles ready for parades and other events this summer, including the upcoming Memorial Day parade and the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival.
“Seven cars — it takes the whole winter to do that,” said club member John Pro. “Things are rolling already for the summer.”
He said the festival organization purchased a convertible top and seat covers for the city’s Bantam BRC. The top and covers were made from the original patterns.
