It has been thirty years since my last visit to the Arden Trolley Museum. An old friend, Kevin Abt, here for a visit, suggested we remedy that omission. It was particularly appropriate for me; my recent column on trolleys in this area has peaked my interest in them. Kevin was one of my first students… [Read More]
Oyler: The Steinbeck Museum
Twenty-five years ago, when she was in high school, my daughter Sara wrote an eloquent paper on John Steinbeck, terminating with the conclusion that he was America’s greatest writer. Knowing full well that that honor belonged to William Faulkner, I corrected her, initiating a heated disagreement. Since then, every time I read something by Steinbeck,… [Read More]
Oyler: The Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad
One of the highlights of our recent family vacation in California was a trip to Felton and a ride on the Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad (RCBT). This was a nostalgic journey for me; my wife and I had ridden this train twenty years ago, with our daughter Elizabeth. This time our… [Read More]
Oyler: Happy Birthday, Grandpa!
I have just returned from a delightful family vacation in California. My 90th birthday occurred in the middle of the month; that was sufficient excuse for us to justify an extravagant experience. It was the first time we have all been together in several years, and the opportunity was greatly appreciated by all. The venue… [Read More]
Oyler: Huzzah For the Liberty Pole!
July 4, 2021, turned out to be a red-letter day for me. I had not visited the Oliver Miller Homestead since the pandemic, so I decided to take advantage of one of their special events, the re-enactment of Independence Day. For once the weather cooperated, giving us a bright sunny day with the temperature being… [Read More]
Oyler: Clang, Clang, Clang Went the Trolley
Every so often the subject of Bridgeville’s absence from the network of streetcars in this area pops up, usually as part of a story of a young man stranded in Carnegie late at night and being required to walk home. Somehow the trolley-building boom at the beginning of the twentieth century got no closer to… [Read More]
Oyler: Can You Help Identify This Curious Artifact Found Near Chartiers Creek?
I visited the Bridgeville Area History Center this week to borrow a copy of the 1907 R. L. Polk Business Directory for Bridgeville in support of one of my projects – a series of maps of Washington Avenue down through the years. I am starting with the Sanborn 1906 Insurance map as a source and… [Read More]
Oyler: The Bridgeville High School Brunch Club
One of the best things about the gradual relaxation of the pandemic restrictions is the fact that our high school brunch group is now able to get together in person again. We normally meet twice a month; our most recent get-together was the third time since things began to improve. Following the forty-fifth reunion of… [Read More]
Oyler: Historical Society Recap—Mother Teresa
The Bridgeville Area Historical Society provides the community with many valuable services, the most popular of which may well be its monthly series of historical programs. Most of these are “one-shot” deals, a speaker with specific knowledge on a particular event or subject; others are return visits by versatile presenters whom we know will excel… [Read More]
Oyler: The Bridgeville High School Collection
Ed Chabala has been a major supporter of the Bridgeville Area Historical Society since its inception. I visited the History Center last week to pick up his recent donations – high school yearbooks from 1945 and 1947, a photograph of the 1941 football team, and an aerial photograph of Mayer Field in 1940. I also… [Read More]