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Closed due to Coronavirus

The Clarion County Historical Society is closed indefinitely

as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

We are unable to provide any services at this time and will

reopen when the Governor lifts the current order.

Any further announcements will be posted there and on our Facebook page .

Thank you!

Stop in for a Spell...

NOTICE: The Haunted Museum is cancelled for Thursday, October 31 due to severe weather conditions.

RESCHEDULED for Saturday November 2 from 6-9 PM

Unlocking the past ...

We all think of history as something that happened someplace else.

Unlock the past to find the fascinating story of why

Clarion County is unique.

Discover the history right in your own back yard!

IC Catholic Daughters present $1,000. donation
Belle Boyd, Confederate Spy. Portrayed by Susan Thomas
The Smith Family, Rimersburg.
GSWPA-Doll Tea at The Sutton-Ditz Museum 11-02-13
SSgt Laura Earline Besley, the only in-service Clarion County woman to lose her life in WWII
GSWPA Doll Tea at The Sutton-Ditz Museum 11-23-13
Strattan House in 1877 & 2013
Holiday Magic in Clarion, circa 1960's.
West Freedom School House, built 1843.
PA 150 Civil War Road Show hosted by CCHS.
Little guests learning about Civil War history at the Civil War Road Show.
CCHS Exeutive Director Mary Lea Lucas & Senator Mary Jo White at the CCHS VIP Reception, PA Civil War 150 VIP
The "Little Soldier"...a guest at the Civil War Road Show hosted by CCHS.
Re-enactors drill, PA 150 Civil War Road Show hosted by CCHS.
The Sutton-Ditz Museum at sunset.
Helen Furnace Ruins, 1930.
Students on tour with Berlie Etzel.
Joe Cherico & his fruit wagon, New Bethlehem.
Victorian Wake at the Sutton-Ditz Museum
Spanish American War Collection
Brady's Bend Marker
LEF&C RR
Catholic Daughter's Tea
Chief Joe Volpe in Clarion's first police car, a 1946 Olds 66.
Cub Scouts on Tour>
Hotel Sligo, early 1900's.
Helen Furnace
McNutt Transfer.
Christmas Open House at The Sutton-Ditz Museum.
Earliest known image of The Loomis, circa 1890s
Teddy Bear Birthday Party at The Sutton-Ditz Museum.
Tom Zeller's Brass Band performing at the CCHS Christmas Open House in the Sutton-Ditz Museum.
The newly opened DAR Women's History Room. March 2013
On Redbank Creek, New Bethlehem. Circa 1920. When Redbank Creek was frozen over cars were driven on it from Mayport to New Bethlehem. It was easier to drive the creek because the roads were so bad.
B & O #3116, west bound on the Foxburg Bridge. April, 1948
Clarion Collegiate Institute, Rimersburg.

Click here to edit text

Quality of life...
sense of place, pride of place are all connected to history.

Clarion County Courthouse: On The National Register
Lady of Justice atop the Courthouse
Sutton-Ditz Museum: On The National Register
Buchanan Furnace, Callensburg: On The National Register
Indian Cabins, Cook Forest: On The National Register
Foxburg Country Club: On The National Register
Foxburg Golf Course: On The National Register
Old Clarion County Jail: On The National Register

Clarion County Courthouse: On The National Register

Explore . . .

The Sutton-Ditz Museum

Marquis Markle's Pilot License signed by Orville Wright.
Velocipede circa 1880s
Col. Richmand's Spanish American War Uniform donated by Dr. David Humphrey
General Store Exhibit
Museum in Mourning: Victorian Wake
Viet Nam Collection Donated by Scott Bell
Harry Nulph playing funeral hymns.
Mary Lea & Austin Lucas, Victorian Wake
Victorian Wake: The Widow Sutton and sisters
Jim Anderson, Mary Lea Lucas & Harry Nulph
Civil War Road Show
Tea Time!

The Sutton-Ditz Museum

The Ralph J. and Virginia A. Fulton Library

18 Grant Street

Clarion PA

Listed on The National Register in 2004

Built 1850 - Renovated 1908

Military Room ~ Industry Exhibits ~ General Store

DAR Women's History Room

On "The Park Square" ~ 18 Grant Street ~ Clarion PA 16214

Research...

The CCHS

has moved

The Ralph J. & Virginia A. Fulton Library

The Sutton-Ditz Museum

18 Grant Street

Clarion PA 16214

814.226.4450

CCHS gratefully thanks Lynne & Fred

NOTE:

Our volunteers are available and happy

to assist you when you visit our

library and museum.

At this time we do not offer research services

via phone, email or postal mail.

Researchers from California to Australia and places in-between visit our
library & archives to do genealogy research.

Mr. & Mrs. Peter Morant from Perth, Australia
Mr. & Mrs. Chuck Schroeder from El Cajon CA

Mr. & Mrs. Peter Morant from Perth, Australia

Library Holdings

Shop...

The Clarion County Historical Society "Thriftique"

17 South 5th Avenue

Clarion, PA

Experience...

The Clarion County Historical Society

Both buildings face "The Park Square" in the heart of Clarion, PA

For the first time in history, grueling trench warfare became a defining characteristic of war. A US artilleryman uses some downtime in a trench in France to write home to his family on March 7, 1918

November 11, 2018

100th Anniversary

The Ending of WWI

November 11, 2018, marks 100th Anniversary of end of World War I—

the “war to end all wars.”

In 1918, on “the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month,” in a forest near the French city of Compiègne, French, British, and German leaders met and signed an armistice that officially ended a horrific conflict that claimed the lives of more than 16 million people over four years.

~Remembering WWI Veterans of Clarion County~

from The Davis History of Clarion County Supplement

Pennsylvania's Historic Courthouses
on PCNTV

Featuring

The Clarion County Courthouse

Click link below to watch!

https://pcntv.com/pahistoriccourthouses/

Click through slideshow to see preservation progress!

AFTER
BEFORE
After
Back Double Colonnade Porch
Deteriorated Capital-Back Porch
Back Porch
Back Porch

Centennial World War I Project:
The Clarion Weekly Report- September 6

The Clarion County Weekly Report is a project of the Clarion County Historical Society and the Clarion Free Library to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of World War I and its impact on Clarion County, Pennsylvania. This issue published September 20, 2015 Design by Kristina Kiritchenko , layout and text by James T. Maccaferri.

Archived Editions

Architecture of the past

PHOTO ALBUMS

Clarion County History TidBits

~ Click below to see videos by CCHS member Hank Hufnagel! ~

Hank's Clarion County History Videos

Changing Clarion by Hank Hufnagel

http://youtu.be/gqxJMzpK038

~ Click below to for a museum tour by CCHS member Hank Hufnagel! ~

~ Hank's Museum Tour ~

~ The Historic Licking Church ~

News Flash! Heartfelt thanks to life member Barbara Songer for funding the mowing & trimming at the Historic Licking Cemetery, to board member Terry Courson for all of his hard work in continuing to restore the Historic Licking Church, to Clarion Sherwin-Williams for donating the paint that made the NEW paint job possible, and to Clarion American Legion Post 66 for funding the flagpole.

To see more photos hover over "Sutton-Ditz Museum" on navigation bar above, then click on "Historic Licking Church".

Historic Licking Church...Before
In progress.
New paint. Thanks to Terry Courson & Clarion Sherwin-Williams!
Terry Courson restored the windows, and scraped & painted the church.
Window before
Window after.
historic Licking Cemetery Mausoleum
Flag pole installed by volunteers.
Clarion American Legion
Guest Todd Curll shows 1928 church photo.

MoRE ABOUT THE HISTORIC LICKING CHURCH

CCHS thanks Tim Rudolph from Tim's Shrubs & Hedges for donating

his time to trim the hedges at The Sutton-Ditz Museum!

Tim Rudolph
Overgrown hedges at The Sutton-Ditz Museum.
Tim trimming the hedges.

CCHS thanks Clarion Rotary for trimming shrubs & weeding at

The Sutton-Ditz Museum in time for 2013 Autumn Leaf!

Clarion Rotarians at The Sutton-Ditz Museum: Casey O'Toole & daughter Anna, Mary Lea Lucas, Scott Burns, Dan Parker, Jamie Lefever, Theresa Edder, Truman Mills, Mary Louise Logue, Gary Frank, Rick Tote
Gary Frank
Jamie Lefever, Casey O'Toole & Dan Parker
Rotary President Jamie Lefever & Secretary Dan Parker
Truman Mills
Anna O'Toole
Theresa Edder & Truman Mills
Scott Burns
Casey O'Toole
Rick Tote, Project Chair
Mary Louise Logue & Casey O'Toole
Anna & Casey O'Toole

Clarion Rotarians at The Sutton-Ditz Museum: Casey O'Toole & daughter Anna, Mary Lea Lucas, Scott Burns, Dan Parker, Jamie Lefever, Theresa Edder, Truman Mills, Mary Louise Logue, Gary Frank, Rick Tote

CCHS is in partnership with

The Clarion Chapter DAR

to collaborate on important projects that celebrate the history and culture of Clarion County, PA.

By capitalizing on the resources of each, the partnership will allow The CCHS &

The CCDAR to reach new and expanding audiences.

Like us on facebook!

Facebook

Tour the Sutton-Ditz Museum, research genealogy and Clarion County history at the Fulton Library & Archives, book a Victorian Tea at the Sutton-Ditz Museum or take a craft class. There's always something to do at The Clarion County Historical Society!

Discover Clarion County PA History!

Callensburg PA History, Clarion PA History, East Brady PA History, Emlenton PA History, Foxburg PA History, Fryburg PA History, Hawthorn PA History, Knox PA History,

Leeper PA History, Lucinda PA History, Marble PA History, New Bethlehem PA History, Rimersburg PA History, Scotch Hill PA History, Shippenville PA History, Sligo PA History,

St. Petersburg PA History, Strattanville PA History

~ CCHS MISSION STATEMENT ~

Our goal is to ensure that our heritage will be preserved for future generations, and that everyone who comes through our doors feels welcomed, challenged, delighted, inspired and moved.

The purpose of The Clarion County Historical Society is the discovery, collection and preservation of materials pertaining to the history and culture of Clarion County, Pennsylvania, and to encourage the study and appreciation of that history by conducting events, exhibitions, and observances which will share the story of the individual character and distinction that makes Clarion County unique.

The Sutton-Ditz House Museum was established for the exhibit of items relating to and significant in the history of Clarion County, Pennsylvania, and its residents.

The Ralph J. & Virginia A. Fulton Library was established to assist researchers interested in family history and the history and culture of Clarion County, Pennsylvania.

CCHS is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit educational institution.

~ The official registration and financial information of The Clarion County Historical Society
may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free,
within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999.
Registration does not imply endorsement.

Donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.

All content © Clarion County Historical Society 2013.
Duplication without permission is expressly prohibited.
Designed and administered by Mary Lea Lucas using WEBS

The

Sutton-Ditz Museum

and

The

The Ralph J. & Virginia A. Fulton Library

18 Grant Street

Clarion PA

CLOSED

due to

Coronavirus

clarionhistory@comcast.net

Our volunteers

are available and happy to assist you

when you visit our library and museum.

Sorry, at this time we do not offer research services via phone, email or postal mail.

Join CCHS & help preserve our history!

Membership

events

The History of Veterans Day

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, World War I ended. This day became known as "Armistice Day." In 1921, an unknown World War I American soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Similarly, unknown soldiers had been buried in England at Westminster Abbey and at France at the Arc de Triomphe. All of these memorials took place on November 11th to commemorate the end of the "war to end all wars." In 1926, Congress resolved to officially call November 11th Armistice Day.

Then in 1938, the day was named a national holiday. Soon afterwards war broke out in Europe and World War II began.

Armistice Day

Becomes Veterans Day

Soon after the end of World War II, a veteran of that war named Raymond Weeks organized "National Veterans Day" with a parade and festivities to honor all veterans. He chose to hold this on Armistice Day. Thus began annual observances of a day to honor all veterans not just the end of World War I. In 1954, Congress officially passed and President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11 as Veteran's Day.

In 1968, Congress changed the national commemoration of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. However, the significance of November 11 was such that the changed date never really got established. In 1978, Congress returned the observance of Veterans Day to its traditional date. Due to his part in the creation of this national holiday, Raymond Weeks received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Ronald Reagan in November 1982.