Originally installed as a three-month exhibit, “Talk of the Town” has entertained and educated History Center visitors for more than a year.  The exhibit is a selection of artifacts and photographs that were transferred to the Society by the GTE Museum, which closed their doors in 2005.

Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876. In 1877 the Bell Company installed the first four telephones in Erie. In 1897 Mutual Telephone Company was formed to compete with Bell. Competition between the two companies ended in 1926 when Mutual purchased Bell. Mutual’s first office was on the fourth floor of the Downing Building at East 10^th and French Streets.

As you move through the exhibit you will learn about the changes in technology, the types of companies involved in the telephone industry, when the telephone service was first established in Erie, by who and how the Mutual Telephone Company started and evolved over time.  You will also learn how the “telephone industry” is addressing current issues of competition for customers.

“Talk of the Town” is located at the Erie County History Center, 419 State Street, Erie and is open Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The Erie County Historical Society announced the debut of the traveling exhibition “20th Century Collections: Native American Artwork” in October 2007.  The exhibition contains Native American baskets and clay work, which were brought to Erie, Pennsylvania nearly a century ago.  Collected by early 20^th century travelers, these pieces were once proudly displayed on the bookshelves and mantle tops in homes throughout the City’s wealthy districts. Today, this collection helps to tell many stories: the stories of Erie’s wealthy world travelers, the stories of Native American artisans, and the story of the museum.

The exhibit also features an 1896 photograph collection from G. Wharton James.  James’ images capture the Hopi Indians in Arizona and document traditional costume, ceremonies and daily life.

The exhibit has been displayed at sites throughout Erie County, including the Tom Ridge Environmental Center and Edinboro University.  If your business or organization is interested in hosting “20th Century Collections: Native American Artwork,” please call 814.454.1813 x24 to discuss availability and installation details.

Featuring 12 decorated rooms with 12 storybook themes, Once Upon a Time is a holiday experience suited for the entire family.  Museum guests will enjoy trees and decorations highlighting the following storytales…Jack and the Beanstalk, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, The Princess and the Pea, The Secret Garden and others.  The museum opens to the public Saturday, November 22nd and closes Sunday, December 28th.

In recognition of the 200^th anniversary of President Lincoln’s birthday the Erie County Historical Society and Girard community have planned a celebration weekend for February 13^th - 15^th. The weekend includes the rededication of the Civil War memorial in Girard and reception, and a brunch and evening ball at the Watson-Curtze Mansion. Look in the Winter 2009 newsletter for additional information.

The collections presented by each ethnic group include artifacts, photographs and documents belonging to immigrants who came to Erie County in the 19th and 20th centuries. These objects and archival materials tell the stories of their experiences and chronicle the significant contributions they made to Erie County.

Each Ethnic Erie Project has a life of three months, and includes an exhibit; invitation-only opening and closing receptions for sponsors, lenders and volunteers; an opening day festival; and a full calendar of events featuring classes, lectures, workshops, cooking demonstrations, art classes, movies and holiday celebrations. The Society has completed projects celebrating the Italian, Irish, Polish, German and Nordic communities of Erie.

The sixth installment of the Ethnic Erie Project is the African American Experience, and opens at the Watson-Curtze Mansion in February 2009. The project coordinating committee is currently collecting oral histories, family photographs, heirlooms and other objects to present a comprehensive history of Erie’s African American community…

PEOPLE…servicemen and women, artists, athletes, professionals, entrepreneurs and entertainers

PLACES…churches, clubs, organizations and businesses

EVENTS…Underground Railroad and the Civil Rights Movement

The program is supported (research, artifacts, volunteers, etc.) in part by the Harry T. Burleigh Society, International Institute, Gannon University History Department, Booker T. Washington Center and the Northwestern Pennsylvania Freedom Institute, and is the first phase in the Society’s Uncrowned Community Builders affiliation.

The Uncrowned Community Builders (UCB) network is a project initiated by the Uncrowned Queens Institute for Research and Education on Women, which is an institution supported by the University of Buffalo. The Institute collects and preserves the individual and collective histories of African American community builders for future generations. Since the project inception more than ten years ago, over four hundred African American women from western New York have been documented. The majority of these submissions were written and recorded by the public — by mothers, daughters, nieces and friends who wished to recognize the African American everywoman.

The Erie County Historical Society is the first UCB Affiliate Member in the state of Pennsylvania. As an affiliate, the Society will begin to gather stories from the community this summer. Annette Franklin and Dr. Ellie Walsh are working with Society staff to schedule presentations throughout the community. In October, we will debut a public documentation center where any visitor can generate a written or oral history entry for the UCB network Arrangements have been made to unveil the Society’s UCB documentation center during the October exhibit opening festival by Uncrowned Queens Institute founders Peggy Brooks-Bertram and Barbara A. Seals Nevergold, and representatives from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The project committee and the Society look forward to documenting Erie’s African American community.