Making History Blog
Q&A with Re-enactor Floyd Dierker
From muskets and blacksmithing to cooking and laundry demonstrations, 18th century life at Fort Pitt roars to life on select summer weekends in Point State Park. Re-enactors (also called…
Making Meadowcroft: From Historic Village to Historic Landmark
This is part three in a series about the making of Meadowcroft. Read part one and part two. As Meadowcroft continued to develop under the leadership of the Millers, it…
Don’t Tread on Me: The Flag of Colonel John Proctor’s 1st Battalion of Westmoreland County, Pa.
One of the rarest objects from the American Revolution resides at the Fort Pitt Museum in historic Point State Park. In honor of Flag Day, we’re taking a closer…
Prehistoric Hunting and the Atlatl
Close up of an atlatl. As the embers begin to die down on a chilly fall evening, you look around the campfire at your extended family group. Everyone has…
Prohibition’s Legacy in Pennsylvania
This post has been adapted from an article featured in the Spring 2018 issue of Western Pennsylvania History. The Keystone State is known for having some of the strictest alcohol…
Making Meadowcroft: From Camp to Village
This is part two in a series about the making of Meadowcroft. Read part one and part three. “I have just reflected on some of the highlights of the…
The Last Letters
The following post is adapted from a talk given by Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives Director Eric Lidji on May 27, 2018 at the Homewood Cemetery as part…
Q&A with Living Historian Elizabeth Hobbs
The Fort Pitt Museum proudly presents living history programs in Point State Park throughout the summer, where re-enactors demonstrate daily life at Fort Pitt during the 18th century. The…
The Edible Schoolyard
In 1996, California restauranteur Alice Waters joined forces with a middle school principal to turn an acre of asphalt into the first Edible Schoolyard. Students in Berkley, Calif., cultivated…
Who’s the Tom Tucker on your Mint Ginger Ale?
The current label of Tom Tucker Mint Ginger Ale, a staple of Western Pennsylvania pop drinkers. Courtesy of Brian Butko. Pittsburghers love quirky traditions, so when cruising the soda…