New Exhibit Climbs Stairs at Sen. John Heinz History Center

"SmartSteps", sponsored by the UPMC Health Plan, opened this morning in the stairwell of the History Center to encourage healthy activity while highlighting Pittsburgh history with paintings, facts and artifacts. Themes are innovation, sports, Heinz 57, Rosie the Riveter and the French and Indian War.

Kids from the Allegheny YMCA and from Bethel Park actually ran up the stairs, getting cards punched on every floor so they could earn a free prize: a Heinz pickle pin, which is a marketing tool developed for the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago.

Steeler quarterback Charlie Batch was on hand to encourage the kids. He says his foundation, Best of the Batch, has cooperated before with the UPMC Health Plan to promote exercise.

Civil War Exhibit at Heinz History Center

The Senator John Heinz History Center is the first stop on a statewide tour of the Pennsylvania Civil War Road Show, which will be open from 10 am to 6 pm today through Sunday.

The 53-foot trailer housing the interactive exhibit stands across Smallman Street from the History Center on the site of the historic Ft. Pitt Foundry, which supplied cannons and guns to the Union war effort. State Senator Wayne Fontana says even though an explosion killed 78 civilians at the arsenal, people kept working. He says this region played a significant role in the Underground Railroad, saving many people fleeing slavery.

Enactors are on hand in period dress. Major Martin Delany was the highest-ranking of the 180,000 African Americans who served in the Union Army. Listen to his life story. Bands are performing Civil War music at 11 and 2 Saturday and at 12 and 2 Sunday. Adult admission to the History Center is half-price--$5—all weekend, and mothers get in free on Sunday.

Ben Franklin Comes to Pittsburgh

A type-setting tool used by Ben Franklin and the saber he carried in France are two of the more than 150 original objects in the exhibit “Ben Franklin: In Search of a Better World,” set to open at the Heinz History Center Saturday.

The exhibit was assembled from more than 50 different collectors and museums for the 300th anniversary of Franklin’s birth in 2006. The collection was taken on a world tour but only allowed to make one stop in each US state and Pittsburgh lost out to Philadelphia. So when the show was about to be disassembled, History
Center CEO Andy Masich stepped in. He says they asked for the show to be allowed to make one more stop and were granted permission. “Then we redid it,” says Masich. “We added objects to it and we changed the interpretations slightly to make the Western Pennsylvania connection even more apparent.”

Masich says a goal of the museum is to create exhibits where kids and adults can be entertained and informed at the same time and in the same space. To that end, there are more than 30 hands-on displays including a working model of Franklin’s invention to create static electricity and chairs outfitted with foot powered fans that helped to keep him cool during hot Philadelphia summers.

Among the other original artifacts in the exhibit is the “sign of the blue ball” that used to hang outside of Franklin’s Father’s shop in Boston and money Franklin printed for Pennsylvania. “To prevent that money from being counterfeited, he came up with the idea of using leaves. The leaf of a tree, with its intricate vein structure, made an impression on the paper money that could not be counterfeited.” says Masich.

The exhibition highlights several other Franklin inventions, discoveries and writings including his thoughts on slavery, his map of the gulfstream and his bifocals.

Listen to an audio slide show tour of the Franklin exhibit with History Center CEO Andy Masich.

PA Notes Civil War Anniversary

Reenactors donned top hats and Union Blue uniforms, and carried flags, fifes and drums into the state Capitol rotunda Tuesday to mark the 150th anniversary of the Civil War’s first battle. Governor Corbett, House Speaker Sam Smith and other lawmakers – including “Congressman Thaddeus Stevens” – spoke at the ceremony, which kicks off four years of official commemorations and events throughout Pennsylvania’s.

The Commonwealth played a key role in the war, which began in 1861 and ended in 1865. Its defining battle, of course, was fought at Gettysburg, but beyond that, more than 400,000 Pennsylvanians fought in the conflict, including the men who formed some of the first regiments that protected Washington, DC in the war’s early days. More than 30,000 of those Pennsylvanians died on the battlefield. The commonwealth also provided key materials to the Union effort, according to Barbara Franco, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. “It was the supplier of coal. …Pennsylvania’s farms were supplying food. Philadelphia was the center of medical technology and supplies. Uniforms were being sewed in factories in Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. Munitions and armaments were being produced,” she said.

The PHMC is leading a four-year effort to remember the war, primarily through the Pennsylvania Civil War 150 commission. The group has created a mobile museum that will travel to every Pennsylvania county over the next few years. “A 53-foot tractor trailer,” Franco explained, “which expands to become a one thousand square foot exhibition space. The exhibits are very interactive. There’s connections back to the website. People can share a story and be able to download that.” The events and ceremonies will peak in 2013, approaching Gettysburg’s 150th anniversary.

African American History Contest in 19th Year

Contributions of African American pioneers in medicine and healthcare is the focus of the 2011 African American History Essay Contest. Students from the Pittsburgh Area from the ages of 6 to 18 are invited to submit an essay for a chance to win $500.

Russell Bynum, spokesman for the contest, says students do not need to be African Americans to enter their essay. He says that along with essays, students can submit poetry, videos, music and artwork. "We had one young lady. She won first prize in her category, but she also did a song. And we actually created some CD's and that kind of thing for her."

Bynum says once essays are submitted they are divided into age groups and then go to a panel of judges provided by the contest's sponsors. He says the judges and participation levels changes every year with the subject of the essay.

Essays are due by March 31st to the question "What African American healthcare worker, or supporter, do you admire, and why? How has that person impacted society?" Entry forms can be found online.

Thousands To Lose Health Insurance in PA

A state-run health insurance program for 40,000 low-income Pennsylvanians will expire Monday, but the Corbett Administration won’t step in to extend adultBasic.
Republican Governor Tom Corbett blames his Democratic predecessor for adultBasic’s demise.
Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley says Governor Rendell shouldn’t have extended the program’s rolls, knowing its funding agreement was expiring.

"It’s unfortunate that Governor Rendell never lived up to his commitment. But the fact is, it’s unsustainable, and there’s no money in the budget for it."

adultBasic supporters aren’t giving up hope. At a Capitol rally, Reverend Amy Reumann of the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry urged Corbett to step in and save the program.

"We don’t accept it at this point. We still think there is room. And if he could simply function in the role to bring all the players to the table, where there could be some negotiation around, how can we continue it? Do the blues still have a charitable obligation, and if so, what form is that going to take? What could be the role of other insurance agencies out there?
I think there are still solutions and possibilities out there, if there’s a will. And we look to him to give that moral leadership."

Philadelphia-based Community Legal Services has threatened to sue over Corbett’s decision to end the program. Harley brushed off the threat, saying, “the state gets sued about 70 times a week.”

Heinz History Center Commemorates The Pittsburgh Courier

An in-depth look at The Pittsburgh Courier's past 100 years will take the form of a new exhibit called America's Best Weekly: A Century of the Pittsburgh Courier. Housed in the Senator John Heinz History Center, the exhibit will feature rare photos, artifacts, and videos that will highlight the Courier's impact on journalism and social issues.


The Pittsburgh Courier was founded in 1910 as a small start-up publication and quickly grew to become a prominent weekly news source for African Americans by the 1930s. By the 1950s, the Courier produced 21 national editions printed at its offices in the Hill District.

Samuel Black, Curator of African American Collections at the History Center, says the people of Western Pennsylvania should come out to learn more about the Courier. "It's a great local story. It is one of the most successful of the local stories where you have a newspaper founded in this city, basically from nothing, to become the most widely read African American newspaper in the mid-20th century."


The exhibit, which opens on February 11th, will include items such as the oldest known existing copy of the Courier, and a recreation of the 1950s newsroom. Black says the Courier's coverage of African American issues and civil rights made it a national sensation and one that the region should be proud of.

Historic Review Commission Hears Arguments on Arena

While Penguins fans were pouring into their team’s new home last night, members of the Pittsburgh Historic Review Commission were undertaking a marathon session that will lead to a decision on just how historic the Penguins old home may be.

A group of citizens have filed a petition with the commission asking that the nearly 50-year-old civic arena be designated as historic. Such a designation would make it harder for the Sports and Exhibition Authority to move forward with its plan to tear down the structure and redevelop the land. Those filing the petition say using the historic designation was their last resort to save the arena while members of the Sports and Exhibition Authority say razing the structure was their last option after looking unsuccessfully for a way to reuse the Igloo.

Both sides called several witnesses and spent nearly an hour and a half each outlining their case.

The petitioners argue that the arena meets several of the 10 criteria used by the review commission when it considers the “significance” of a structure. Among them is “Its exemplification of important planning and urban design techniques…” Preservation Pittsburgh President Scott Leib says the civic arena was one of the nation’s first attempts at large-scale urban renewal. “Unfortunately it’s a sad aspect of the building and what it represents, but at the same time it is part of our history and we need to acknowledge that,” says Leib. Pittsburgh City Councilman Daniel Lavelle countered that argument during the Sports and Exhibition Authority presentation. “Preserving structures without understanding the historical impact such structures had and continue to have on the community is comparable to those who defend the right to fly the confederate flag on state buildings in the south when there are clear negative connotations to many who would enter such buildings,” says Lavelle.

The petitioners also argued that the engineering and design that went into the building at a time when there were no computer drafting programs shows the need to preserve the structure. Sheet metal worker Harold Shetter has done work on the building, “this building represents the pinnacle of Pittsburgh’s ability to produce the materials for, and build a structure that has never been replicated anywhere in the world.”

University of Pittsburgh History of Art and Architecture Professor Frank Toker says the arena perfectly fits the review commission’s criteria that reads, “its unique location and distinctive physical appearance or presence representing an established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood, community or the City of Pittsburgh.” He says, “I propose to you that the civic arena is historically the most representative building now standing in the city of Pittsburgh.” To counter that claim the SEA asked VisitPittsburgh Board Member Jeffery Letwin if he agreed. “If you go through our visitors guides of the past years, there is no place where the arena is a tour stop,” says Letwin, “ as a mater of fact, in our latest edition we have a section on historic places, historic points of interest, the arena is simply not listed.” He says from a visitor and tourism perspective it does not represent Pittsburgh. “we market the teams, not the venues,” says Letwin.

SEA Executive Director Mary Conturo says the Authority is currently working with the Heinz History Center, the NHL Hall of Fame, CMU and other entities to preserve pieces of the building and important documents related to its planning, construction and use.

Gettysburg Monument on a Coin

A well-known monument at Gettysburg National Military Park is now also on a US Quarter. The United States Mint released the 6th coin in its America the Beautiful Quarters Program today with a ceremony at the park. The coin (as seen to the left) features George Washington on the front and a depiction of the 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument on the reverse. The monument stands on the battle line of the Union Army at Cemetery Ridge. Inscribed on the back are the words GETTYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, 2011 and E PLURIBUS UNUM. The coin's reverse was designed by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program Master Designer Joel Iskowitz and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Phebe Hemphill.

US Mint Associate Coordinator for sales and marketing says the process of selecting the 56 designs began back in 2009 when the mint reached out to the governors of all 50 states to get their input on what should be featured. Also to be released this year; Glacier National Park MT, Olympic National Park WA, Vicksburg National Military Park MS, Chickasaw National Recreation Area Site OK.

The United States Mint is also offering free lesson plans based on the America the Beautiful Quarters Program, which are available at the US Mint’s website.

Band of Brothers Subject Dies

One of Pennsylvania's most famous veterans has died. Major Dick Winters was born in Lancaster County, and lived in Hershey, Dauphin County, for the bulk of his life. He rose from lieutenant to major during World War II, leading a company of the 101st Airborne during the D-Day invasion, and earning the Distinguished Service Cross for destroying a German battery aimed at Utah Beach. Winters also fought in the Battle of the Bulge and ultimately captured Hitler's Bavarian headquarters. He was also awarded the Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars.

Stephen Ambrose's "Band of Brothers" book and the accompanying HBO miniseries made Winters' and Easy Company's exploits famous. “It really just blew all of this out of the water. And it took him a bit by surprise. Because while he knew the story was important, he didn't realize how significant his story seemed to everyone,” says Nikki Soliday, the executive director of the Hershey Derry Township Historical Society. The group features an exhibit recreating Winters' home office and World War II memorabilia.

Soliday says she is always asked the same question, “Is he really as good as he is portrayed in the miniseries? “And my answer is always the same: he's better. His values, his character really are the foundation of him.” And that character kept him modest according to Soliday, “Never once did, in anything that I spoke to Major Winters about, did he take personal credit. It was always the men in the company. The officer really was the caretaker. The unit belonged to the soldiers.”

Winters died at age 92.

Group to Save Nunnery Hill Incline

A North Side community group is hoping to preserve what remains of an incline that stopped running more than 110 years ago. In 1887 Samuel Diescher designed an incline to move people up and down Nunnery Hill in what is now Fineview. Fineview Citizens Council program manager Ed Lewis says the incline had an unusual run. “Part of its construction to accommodate the hill was to design it so it curved at the midway point,” says Lewis. The Fineview council contends it was the first funicular built in the city with a curve. Plans show it took a 70-degree bend.

All that remains of the incline is a wall along Henderson Street and a two-story brick building that served as the lower station on Federal Street. All remnants of the upper station are gone. The line would have terminated on what is now Meadville Street. The Fineview Citizens Council has applied for historic designation for the structures and has already made it through two steps of the approval process. The Incline stopped running in 1899.

The lower station is now a privately owned apartment building. Lewis says from the front it is hard to tell the building had any other use, but from the back you may notice something unusual. The back of the otherwise brick building is wood shingles. It was originally open in the back to allow the car to enter. “What we want to see is that the wall be preserved, that it be stabilized, and that we have some interpretive signage telling people the story of this incline and letting people know what was there,” says Lewis, “right now people don’t even know it exists because it is so overgrown. This would draw attention to it and make people feel a sense of civic pride in the neighborhood.” Lewis says the effort is part of a larger strategic push to preserve and improve the neighborhood’s assets.

Lewis says if the council is successful in getting the historic designation, it will launch a fundraising campaign to cover engineering and restoration costs. However, Lewis says he has no idea how much it will cost.

Samuel Diescher designed several other inclines in he region including three that are still in operation. Diescher is credited with the Mon and Duquesne Inclines in Pittsburgh, and the incline in Johnstown, which carries traffic to the top of Yoder Hill.

Fiftieth Anniversary of Iconic World Series Win Celebrated

Several thousand people gathered in Oakland Wednesday at the spot where Pittsburgh Pirate Bill Mazeroski hit the home run that beat the Yankees in the final inning of the last game of the 1960 World Series.

Among those gathered were Mazeroski and 1960 teammates Dick Groat, Bill Virdon, Bob Friend, Vernon Law, Hal Smith, Joe Christopher, George Witt, Joe Gibbon, Bob Oldis and ElRoy Face were there. Vera Clemente, widow of Roberto, and their son Luis also attended.

A sidewalk plaque commemorating the 50th anniversary of the World Series -clinching home run was dedicated near where the Forbes Field Wall used to be. It shows an image of Mazeroski hitting third base and going for home.

Every year, hundreds of fans gather at the spot at the same time of the game to listen to a recording of the game in real-time.

Soldiers and Sailors To Open Century Old Time Capsule

Century old artifacts will be revealed tomorrow as the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum removes and opens its cornerstone. The time capsule opening will kick off a year-long celebration of the museums 100 year anniversary which will include a Cannon Blast Celebration on Friday October 9th.

Vice President of the Hall and Museum John McCabe says those opening the time capsule have an idea of what’s going to be included, but hopes to be surprised.

“What we expect to find we kind of know because there were newspaper articles that were printed that we have from 1908 that list the types of items that are in there,” McCabe says, “Obviously we’re hoping that maybe there are some things that aren’t reported.”

McCabe expects to find rosters of the armed services of the time, newspapers, currency from the period, and photographs of the President at the time, Teddy Roosevelt. The capsule is roughly 20 by 12 inches and stands about 12 inches high.

“It’s not very big,” McCabe says. “It’s somewhere around an oversized shoebox size.”

The capsule will be refilled and replaced with modern artifacts to be opened sometime in the future. A committee has been assembled to decide what artifacts from this area will be placed into the cornerstone before it is replaced.

The items found in the cornerstone will be on display at the museum starting Friday night for the Cannon Blast Celebration and will remain there throughout the year.

Sister City Artifacts Get New Home

Pittsburgh City Council members unveiled a new display of sister city artifacts this morning that date back to the 1940’s. The Sister City program was launched after World War II “as a means to put a global community back together,” says Councilman Doug Shields. Along with the Sister City materials, the city has put on display documents created when Pittsburgh annexed other municipalities including Allegheny City, which is now the north side. Shields says for too long the documents and gifts were locked up in a vault where no one could see them. City Clerk Linda Johnson-Wasler says when she travels she often visits other city council chambers and has seen displays like this one and is happy to see Pittsburgh now has one. The cases, created by City Carpenter Fred Best, are flanked by the flags of the countries of each of the 16 sister cities. Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak says the items represent more than a list of cities, “Every relationship that is displayed here in these cabinets allows our city to have a stronger place on the international stage and it draws attention to Pittsburgh as a place of international commerce and democracy.” The display was put together with the help of the staff of the Heinz History Center.

Religious Art Exhibit Coming to History Center

From October 2nd through January 9th, the Senator John Heinz History Center will host "Vatican Splendors: A Journey Through Faith and Art", an exhibition of more than 200 items from the Vatican, along with more than fifty local artifacts of religious and historical significance.

History Center President and CEO Andy Masich says he agreed immediately to host the exhibit, not only because he knew the Vatican collection is world class, but because 60% of Western Pennsylvanians self-identify as Catholic, and people of any religion will find the art and history fascinating.

There will be a perfect copy of Michelangelo’s “Pieta”, which Masich says was used to restore the vandalized original in 1972, plus art works by Bernini and Giotto. Some items are 2,000 years old and some as recent as bronze casts of Pope John Paul 2's hands, which visitors will be able to touch.

Masich says the reliquaries are especially fascinating, both from the Vatican and from the Chapel of St. Anthony in Troy Hill, which houses the largest collection outside the Vatican.

Museum members, local parishes, and religious congregations can get discounted tickets now. They go on sale to the general public September 19th.

African-American Museum Conference Held in Pittsburgh

For three days this week representatives from more than 200 African-American museums are in Pittsburgh for a conference. They are attending sessions on curating and archiving. There were also more specialized sessions on re-interpreting African-American food history and preserving Florida’s African-American civil war heritage.

A museum is defined as an institution that is open to the public, has a collection and does exhibitions. President of the Association of African-American museums Vernon Courtney said although there is a need for such museums, he hopes African-American history and art will work their way into all museums.

"Our history is unique in this country and we hope that at some point in time we work ourselves out of a job when mainstream museums treat African-American history and culture as it does the rest of the history of the nation," he said.

This is the 32nd year the conference has been held. Pittsburgh was selected as the conference host because of the recent opening of the August Wilson Center for African-American Culture.

Carrie Furnace To Get New Life

The Rivers of Steel National Heritage area has taken control of Carrie Furnaces 6 and 7 and several acres of land around it with the hope of turning it into a “first day destination.” Rivers of Steel Director of Museum Collections and Archives, Ron Baraff says there is no better site to help tell the story of steel in the Mon Valley and its impact on the world. “These are the only non-operative blast furnaces in the Pittsburgh District to remain standing,” says Baraff. The 92-foot tall furnaces were constructed of 2.5-inch thick steel plate and lined with refractory brick. They have not been used for nearly 30 years and Baraff says they are in “rough shape.” The immediate plan is to clean up the site and stabilize it before allowing “Hard Hat” tours of the furnace beginning in August. Baraff has much bigger plans for the site. He hopes it will one day host a museum that not only tells visitors the story of how the furnace operated but also the history of innovation at the furnace and the history of the people who ran it and lived near it. The twin furnaces were built in 1907 and produced iron for the Homestead Works until 1978. These furnaces reached their peak production in the 1950s and 1960s when they were producing 1000 -1250 tons of iron a day. Baraff says this will be the focal point for the entire heritage area. He says it will take more than $100 million to fully develop the site. The hopes is to get the National Park Service to kick in a major portion of the funds with the rest coming from foundations, private donors and government entities. “This becomes that attraction that pulls people into the Mon Valley,” says Baraff, “it really allows for economic growth of the region.” The remainder of the 107-acre Homestead Works site is owned by Allegheny County, which plans to develop it into light industrial and residential. The land lies in Rankin and Swissvale and is just up river from Duck Hollow.

Local Group Wants Designs For Old Arena

Preservation Pittsburgh has opened a design competition that Board President Scott Leib admits is more of an “ideas competition.” The group is looking for people to submit a proposal for the reuse of the Civic Arena that fits on a single 24X36 inch board. Leib says the designs should reuse the building to, “serve the community well into the future.” He says the Sports and Exhibition Authority has not done a good job of engaging the community in the process. The Penguins and the SEA had originally planed to raze the building and use the footprint, along with the acres of parking surrounding it, for new development. The structure is eligible for historic preservation which means plans to demolish it must go through a review process. Interested designers need to register on the Preservation Pittsburgh web page and pay a $24.00 fee by July 15th. Designs will then be due by August 6th. The designs will be reviewed by a jury of architects, Hill District community leaders and elected officials and then presented to the SEA. Leib says he does not think it will be too late to make a difference in the SEA’s decision process. He admits that the construction of the civic arena shows the best and the worst of Pittsburgh’s past. Leib believes the design of the building showed off new technologies from Western Pennsylvania but at the same time it displaced thousands of residents without much public input and stands as an example of poor civic design. Leib says it is important that the city preserves that past and finds new ways to use the structure for the good of the community.

Tribe Celebrates Pennsylvania Connection

Tomorrow, at the Pennsylvania State Museum in Harrisburg and in Conestoga Town, Lancaster County, the Tuscarora Indians, who now live in western New York, will commemorate the 300th anniversary of a meeting at which they sought permission to re-locate from North Carolina, where they were being persecuted by colonists and the British government.

The actual move didn’t start until 1713 or -14 because war broke out in North Carolina, and the tribe "was badly mauled," in the words of State Museum archaeological curator Kurt Carr. As it turned out, the Tuscarora, originally Iroquoians, did not stay in Pennsylvania but over several decades, continued on to New York, their ancestral homeland, where they were welcomed as the sixth nation of the Iroquois confederacy.

Carr says Pennsylvania historians have largely overlooked the Tuscarora move through the state, but the tribe considers it very significant, and tomorrow’s observance may lead to a search for new details. While most of the movement was up the Susquehanna Valley, the Tuscarora say some members of the tribe went up the Allegheny River Valley.

Tomorrow’s events will include dancers, a Clan Mother, and young men who will retrace the whole journey on foot.

Artifacts Found Downtown

The New PNC building in downtown Pittsburgh holds bank offices, a bank branch, law offices a coffee house, a hotel and the city’s newest display of artifacts. It all began a few years ago when PNC announced plans to tear down a block full of buildings to make way for its newest skyscraper. Architect and urban archeologist Christine Davis says her interest was piqued because she knew there had to be some interesting artifacts buried under the site. She says it was not difficult to sell PNC on the idea of letting her dig around while construction was underway. Her hunch was right.

In all 25,000 artifacts from the 1840’s - 18 60’s were found and preserved. About 500 objects are now on display in the hotel that is part of the new PNC Building. All ten of the floors hosting hotel rooms have a few items on display, each suit features a select object and several artifacts are on display in the hotel’s lobby and on the second floor in the hallway between the restaurant and the business center. Davis says they found a slew of ties between the old use of the land and the current building. In the 1860’s the street held several banks, which she equates to PNC’s operation, a boarding house which Davis ties to the hotel, a tea room that she compares to the coffee house and a botanical and seed store run by the nephew of the founder of the law firm that now has several floors of offices in the building. Jeremiah Knox owned and operated that seed store. Davis ties many of the artifacts to that store. Including seeds that survived the last 150 years 22 feet below street She also found something called a Lithopnane. At first the tiles look like small white relief carvings with few details but when the light is shined through them they take on a whole new look filled with details like a black and white photograph.
Like many of the objects the lithopanes were found in an old well. Also down the well were a few bottles embossed with the name “Doctor Warner’s, Indian Physician Syrup.” Davis tracked the Indian Physician of the 1860’s to doctor Robert H. Warner who is an ob-gyn in Mt Lebanon. Robert Warner says every generation that came after Elisha has included a doctor. The family still has old journals kept by the so-called “Indian Physician” but Robert Warner says they have never seen any of bottles like the one found during this dig. Davis was able to find an old advertisement for the syrup.
Some of the more fragile objects are being preserved by PNC in their archives. PNC’s Gary Saulson says the hotel has jumped on board beyond designating space for the artifacts and a printed guide to a cell phone tour can be picked up at the front desk.

Pictures of more items on display Facebook page.

Listen to a longer version of this story aired on 90.5FM WDUQ.