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Historical Society of the Phoenixville Area

204 Church St, Phoenixville, PA 19460

610-935-7646   hspa@verizon.net

www.hspa-pa.org   or   www.phoenixvillehistoricalsociety.org

Speakers Since 2002

   Speakers in 2010:

          March:   Our speaker was Valley Forge resident and local historian Mike Bertram. His topic was a slide show called "Fire & Water - A History of Valley Forge Industry".   He showed old photos and drawings of the historical Valley Forge community.

          June:   Our speaker was Ron Sloto, who is a Senior Hydrologist with the U. S. Geological Survey.  He has worked on a wide variety of water resource issues and has published over 70 reports, abstracts, and journal articles on water resources, geophysics, geology, and mineralogy.  He recently published a book titled "The Mines and Minerals of Chester County, Pennsylvania".  His power point presentation was about the mines in the Phoenixville area.

    Speakers in 2009:

          March:   Our speaker was Jeff Amerine, who is a Society member and serves on the Board of Directors of the Schuylkill River Heritage Society.   He presented a program on the bridges that were built by the Phoenix Iron Company and its subsidiary, The Phoenix Bridge Company.

          June:   Our speaker was Eugene L. DiOrio, Executive Director of the Graystone Society of Coatsville, PA.   He presented a program on the history of the Lukens Steel Co. and the Lukens National Historic District, which was established in Coatsville in 1994.

          September:   Our speaker was William Watson, Ph.D., who is a History Professor at Immaculata University.   He gave a presentation on the "Duffy's Cut Project". He has been leading the investigation and archological dig on the mysterious deaths in 1832 of 57 Irish immigrants who worked for the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad. They were buried in a mass grave in Malvern next to the railroad tracks.

          December:   Our speaker was Nancy K. Loane, Ed.D. She gave a presentation on the "Love Letters from Valley Forge".   She came in period dress and described the Valley Forge encampment using letters between family members and soldiers at Valley Forge.

   Speakers in 2008:

          March:   Our speaker was Sandy Momyer, who is the Archivist at Yellow Springs and a Society member.   She gave a graphic presentation about the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the country school at Historic Yellow Springs.

          June:   Our speaker was Laurie Rofini, who is the Director of Chester County Archives and Record Services.   She presented a program entitled "Grant me Relief from this Loathsome Jail: Down and Out in Early Chester County".

          September:   Our speaker was George Vinter, who is an early American re-enactor. He gave a presentation about 18th and 19th Century toys, games, and other play items from early America.

          December:   Our speaker was Gus Spector, MD, who is a physician at the Phoenixville Hospital and author of four books about old images depicting Philadelphia.   He gave a slide show presentation about old post card images depicting Philadelphia.

    Speakers in 2007:

          March:   We had a speaker from the Wharton Esherick museum give a presentation about the "The Life and Work of Chester County Artist and Craftsman - Wharton Esherick".   A slide show and lecture provided a history of a unique local museum and discussed the life of a local artist and craftsman.

          June:   Oue speaker was Leon Rowe, who is a retired Avon Grove schoolteacher.   He gave a presentation about the art and rewards of post card collecting, which he and his wife have been doing for over 40 years.

          September:   Our speakers were Linda Ries and Steve Noel from the PA State Archives.   They gave a presentation about the Pennsylvania Civil War Muster Rolls Project that is being conducted by the PA State Archives.   The Muster Rolls Project is a massive effort to preserve original Civil War documents containing information on the more than 360,000 Pennsylvanians who served in the Union Army.

          December:   Our speaker was Mr. Set Momjian, who is a retired Ford executive and a former U. S. Diplomat at the U. N. and a noted authority and collector of Presidential porcelain.   He gave a presentation about Presidential china. He spoke about his White House experiences with Presidents and First Ladies going back to Lyndon Johnson in the 1960s.

    Speakers in 2006:

          March:   Society member and board member Ryan Conroy and Paul Johnson, who teaches history at Upper Dublin High School, gave a presentation on the history of photography from its beginnings in 1840.   They spoke about the different types and processes that developed during the formative years and how to identify and date old photographs.

          June:   Our speaker was Eloine Dunlap of New Jersey, who is a former school teacher.   She gave a presentation on Colonial Art. Since her retirement she has taken a serious interest in museum art exhibitions.

          September:   Our speaker was Vincent Martino, Jr., who is a lifelong resident of Phoenixville and an author of a book about Phoenixville.   He gave a presentation about "Phoenixville, Then and Now".   He has acquired an extensive post card and photograph collection of the Phoenixville area.

          December:   Our speaker was Richard Wolf, who is a Phoenixville resident and a retired Federal Park Ranger at the Valley Forge National Park.   He gave a presentation entitled "18th and 19th Century Medicine".   He appeared in period dress and showed authenic medical tools, powders and potions, and surgey instruments.   He explained common treatments such as purging, bleeding, and blistering.

    Speakers in 2005:

          March:   Our speakers were Becky Manley, Ryan Conroy and his parents Mr. and Mrs. Joe Conroy.   They are Civil War re-enactors and members of the "Bucktails", who are based in Phoenixville.  They gave a program about the Civil War era including military and civilian life, jewelry, and cookery.

          June:   Our speaker was Ed Grusheski, who is the general manager of the Public Affairs Division of the Philadelphia Water Department.  He gave a slide show presentation entitled "Life, Death and Rebirth of the Schuylkill River".

          September:   Our speaker was Bruce Mowday, who is the chairman of the board of trustees of the Chester County Historical Society and a journalist.  He discussed his latest book entitled "September 11, 1777: Washington's Defeat at Brandywine Dooms Philadelphia".  He specializes in local history and he has written three pictoral and post card history books.

          December:   Our speaker was Dr. Nancy Loane, who is a member of our Society and who spent 8 years researching her subject gave a presentation about her book, "Present But Not Accounted For - The Women of the Valley Forge Encampment".  Her list of women is headed by Martha Washington, who spent two months in the early part of 1778 at Valley Forge with George Washington.  She has studied more than 400 diaries, journals, letters, returns, orderly books, and periodicals of the Revolutionary War.

   Speakers in 2004:  

           March:   Our speaker was Ray Waltz who gave a slide show presentation entitled "Emergency Money of the Civil War".  He is an active coin collector and photographer of old money.

           June:   Our speaker was Wesley Sessa, who owns 18th Century Restorations of Coventryville.  He gave a presentation about historic preservation jobs of buildings and antiques that take a lot of time and money to accomplish.

           September:   Our speaker was Nancy Webster who is a historian and belongs to the Society of Friends.  She gave a presentation about Quaker customs and ties to the area.

           December:   Our speaker was Anthony Gulotta, who lives in Phoenixville and writes "Poets Corner" for The Phoenix. He discussed poetry and his experiences as a poet.  He has written a lot of poetry and he is sometimes referred to as Phoenixville's "poet laureate".

     Speakers in 2003:

           March:  Our speaker was L. Alan Gehert, the ornithologist at Mill Grove Museum and Audubon Wildkife Sanctury.  Mill Grove was the home of James Audubon. He spoke about James Audubon and his lifelong interest in birds.

            June:   Our speaker was Russell Schulz, USN (Retired).  He spoke about the history of the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge and its mission in our society. Captain Schulz has been a staff member of the Freedoms Foundation since 1995 and was the current executive vice-president.  Its mission is to educate Americans about our national heritage and the basic values of freedom.

           September:  Our speaker was William C. Kashatus, Ph. D, a noted local historian and author of several books.  He spoke in costume as Thomas Paine. Dr. Kashatus spoke about Thomas Paine's famous publication in 1776 "Common Sence" that gave reasons for people to support the American revolution.

           December:  Our speaker was Eric Schmincki, who is a Civil War impersonator.  He gave a first person presentation of Union Civil War General Samuel K. Zook.  General Zook was a native of Tredryffrin Township, who commanded troops during several Civil War battles.  He was killed at Gettysburg. His home is now the Park Ranger Station at Valley Forge National Park.

       Speakers in 2002:

             March:   Our speaker was William C. Kashatus, Ph. D, a noted local historian and author of several books.  He gave a presentation about the Underground Railroad.  He had recently put-up an exhibit about the Underground Railroad at the Chester County Historical Society where he served as the Director of Public Programs.

             June:   Our speaker was Tim McAvoy, who lives in Schuylkill Township near the family brick making plant.  He spoke about his family's brick making business that goes back four generations.  He spoke about the McAvoy family contributions to the area, clay mining from the adjourning property for the brick plant, and the use of the bricks in the area including in Philadelphia.

             September:  Our speaker was K. Ward Vinson, who lives in Langhorne, Bucks County, PA and is a retired history professor at Bucks County Community College.  He gave a presentation in costume as General George Washington.

             December:   No meeting due to inclement weather.

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