Pennsylvania Lumber Museum

Posted on July 31, 2019July 31, 2019 by Josh Fox

Photographs of Masten, PA Mills

Masten is one of Pennsylvania’s lumber ghost towns. The town was founded in 1906 by the lumberman, Charles Sones. Sones build his first mill in Masten in 1906. In 1917 Sones sold the mills to the Central Pennsylvania Lumber Company (CPL) who operated them until 1930. After CPL shutdown the mills, the town of Masten lost it’s population, the last family reportedly moving away in 1941.

The edger saw in the museum’s sawmill is from one of the Masten mills.

These photos and photo postcards were donated by Ann Haus Krout, whose Grandfather, William, lived in Masten and worked in the mills.

C.W. Sones Mill Employees c 1910. William Haus is the second from the right. (LM2019.7.3)

Posted on July 31, 2019April 10, 2020 by Josh Fox

1976 Bark Peelers’ Convention

Sometimes the items we collect at the Lumber Museum (or rather not throw out) tell of our own history. Here is a flyer for the 3rd Annual Bark Peelers’ Festival from 1976 (LM2010.4.2).

Posted on July 31, 2019April 10, 2020 by Josh Fox

Small Changes

Our main exhibit doesn’t change very often but we do try to limit how long some of our more sensitive artifacts, such as paper or fabric objects, are on display. This week we rotated some of the artifacts in our exhibit. One item was the BLOT Tobacco Package (OM77.152) which was rotated with the FRISHMUTH’S Tobacco Package (LM2011.3.55).

Stop on by and see if you can spot the other artifacts that where rotated.

Posted on July 31, 2019April 10, 2020 by Josh Fox

Something New, Something Orange

Even new things can end up in our collection. The PA chapter of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Implementation Committee recently donated this new Chainsaw protection gear to help the museum illustrate how present day loggers and foresters help protect themselves and practice chainsaw safety. (LM2019.13)

Posted on July 31, 2019April 10, 2020 by Josh Fox

A Gift for Mother

“Sweetheart” or “Mother” pillow covers were a popular souvenir for young men to send home to their loved ones from around the time of WWI through WWII. Pillow covers, such as this one, were marketed to soldiers, sailors and Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees. They often contained sentimental messages or with idealized images of camp life, either military or CCC. This cover is stamped with the words to the song “Mother,” copyrighted in 1915 with lyrics by Howard Johnson and music by Theodore Morse, a song which was quite well known. The cover also stamped with, “Happy Days in the C.C.C.”, which may also be a reference to the popular Depression era song “Happy Days Are Here Again”. “Happy Days” was also the name of a privately owned, national CCC newspaper.