Farewell to the Fair!

The last in my series on the Bloomsburg Fair. This is a look at the colors of the fair, and the gigantic produce that was grown and displayed.

Can't wait until the 158th Bloomsburg Fair!

The Fair that Wasn't...2011

 A photograph on the wall documents the floodwaters around the building these pictures were taken in.

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A fairgoer looks at the photographs while highwater markers are visible on the wall.

Another pair of signs depicts the difference in depth between Agnes and Lee.

A fountain stands as a tribute to the flood victims, and is filled with coins and wet paper money. The flood of Bloomsburg did not gain the attention of Katrina, but the devastation was just as mighty.

The flood of 2011 was caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee in early September. The rain, which lasted for several days, caused the worst flooding in the history of Bloomsburg, located in Columbia County in Pennsylvania. The Susquehanna River and Fishing Creek exceeded their banks, and left the fairgrounds inundated under 10 feet of water. The previous measuring stick for flooding disaster had been held by Agnes, a June hurricane that flooded miles upon miles of the Susquehanna River from New York state through Maryland. High waters came again in June of 2006, but none left behind the devastation of Lee. The rains hit only weeks before the fair was to open it's annual event in September. For the first time in it's history, the 157th annual Bloomsburg Fair was cancelled. In 2012, the 157th fair was held, with shiny clean buildings, and most of the vendors back in their familiar locations. Many of the homes around the fairgrounds remain empty, condemned after they were knocked off their foundations by the flood waters. The opening of the fair this year was a testament to the hard work of the many fair volunteers and community members of the town of Bloomsburg, which boasts the title of the only "town" in Pennsylvania.

Some pictures of the flood ravaged town can be seen here:

CNN report

Cleveland.com

Yahoo picture gallery

Inside the Agricultural Building

The Agricultural Building was a sea of color with all of the fall flowers and vegetables. It is one of my favorite buildings at the Bloomsburg Fair!

Bloomsburg Fair 2012

The sign that has been hanging there for many, many years.

The poultry exhibit, featuring one big chicken!

The newly installed skyride... 

and what people do best at the fair, pictured below!

The Bloomsburg Fair returned this year after having to cancel last year due to the flooding of September 2011. It was a beautiful day last Sunday to take in the fair on it's second day! The sights, the smells, the food! I love Bloomsburg in the fall!

Around the Farm Museum, The Final Chapter

Last in a series of pictures from the Farm Museum.

Around the Farm Museum, Part II

More of the details that can be found around the Farm Museum.

 

Around the Farm Museum

Some views of the details around the Bradford County Farm Museum.

The Farm Museum Buildings

The Sugar Shack was originally operated on a family farm. Inside you can see the original items used for gathering sap and making it into syrup, including wooden buckets, tapping equipment, and a large vat for boiling down the sap.

The Gregory Inn was build in 1822 to serve as a stopping place for stagecoach travelers between Williamsport, Pa and Elmira, NY, or from Athens, PA to Wellsboro, PA. It displays a number of women's items from the 1800's including sewing machines, and clothing and quilts. It served as a stop on the Underground Railroad in the mid 1800's. The nearby herb garden represents the herbs used for cooking and dyes.

The Carriage House was moved from the Troy Fairgrounds, where it sat for many years as a gathering spot and housed displays inside. Currently the Carriage House is home to over 50 carriages, sleighs, and wagons.

The  Little Children's Church was transformed from a chicken coop into a church by a group of children in the 1930's. It  contains many of the original furnishings.

Visit the Bradford County Heritage Association for more information about these unique building.

A Closer Look...

The oxen drawn sled with a huge vat for collecting sap in the winter...

 

A silhouette of the bell on top of the School House....

 

And the benches on the front porch of the Gregory Inn....


....Some details from the buildings at the Troy Farm Museum.

Troy Farm Museum and Historic Village

The Troy Farm Museum is part of the Bradford County Heritage Association. It is located on Route 14, just north of Troy and adjacent to Alaparon Park. The Troy Farm Museum is comprised of a recreated village that includes many historic buildings. The Farm Museum itself has  an extensive collection of rare farm implements, tools and artifacts reflecting 200 years of the local agricultural heritage. It is open from May through October.

On September 15 and 16, The Farm Museum will host the Pennsylvania Heritage Festival. Perfomances and reenactments of times gone by will be held, as well as fine arts and crafts, food, and farm products.

This is a little gem of a museum that is put together by a strong group of volunteers. When you are travelling historic Route 6, the museum is just a short distance and well worth the time to visit!

Penn State Lion Shrine

The Penn State Nittany Lion Shrine is said to be the most photographed spot on campus. It is also believed to be the second most photographed object in Pennsylvania, following the Liberty Bell. Numerous graduates and bridal parties have been photographed near the Lion. It was donated by the class of 1940, and is located near Rec Hall.  Rec Hall is one of the most recognizable buildings on the Penn State Campus, and is home to  to Penn State Men’s & Women’s Gymnastics, National Champion Men’s & National Champion Women’s Volleyball, Men's and Women's Soccer and Men’s Wrestling. 

In 1966 Sue Paterno (wife of football coach Joe Paterno), and a friend secretly splashed water-soluble orange paint on the Nittany Lion statue the week of the Syracuse game in an effort to raise some school spirit for the game. It rained, and the small amount of paint they had splattered on the lion washed off. But the Syracuse fans were still blamed for the incident.  The following year in an effort to get even, the Syracuse fans covered the statue in oil-based paint, which was tougher to remove. Since then, Students and Alumni, led by the Lion Ambassadors, guard the Lion Shrine every homecoming.

I was on the Penn State Campus earlier this week for a training program. My travelling companions and I were not sure exactly where to find the shrine, and drove around the campus (mis)guided by gps looking in vain for the statue. We finally stopped among the many students milling about the campus, and unfortunately stopped in front of a group of foreign students, who thought we were looking for the recently removed Joe Paterno statue. The young man adamantly informed us that there was "No more statue...statue gone!" We repeated again that we were looking for the lion statue, and he struck the famous Joe Paterno pose with his finger in the air indicating Number 1, and said, "You mean this statue?". Being teachers (in fact 2/3's of us were teachers of middle school and high school students) we managed to keep a straight face until we pulled away, still unsure of where to find the lion!

Marie Antoinette Lookout

A few miles west of the Wyalusing Rocks on Route 6 sits the Marie Antoinette Lookout. It provides a scenic look at "French Azilum" along the Susquehanna River. French Azilum was intended as asylum for loyalist refugees of the French Revolution. The French Azilum Historic Site interprets the history of the late 1790's settlement. It was hoped that it would provide a safe haven for Marie Antoinette, but it is unknown whether she ever knew about it. About fifty houses were built along the horseshoe curve in the river.

The lookout itself was built in the 1930s on Historic Route 6 as a WPA (Works Progress Administration) project. It was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, which provided jobs for unskilled workers following the Great Depression. Much of the original stone walkways and gazebos still exist at the site, which shares its parking lot with a small bar/restaurant.

Wyalusing Rocks

 

The view from the Wyalusing Rocks, located along Route 6 outside of Wyalusing, Pennsylvania. The scenic lookout is located 500 feet above the winding Susquehanna River. The Eastern Delaware Nations describes the spot as a lookout and signaling point for Indians living along the river in the 1700s. The rocks rise above the Susquehanna, and provide a wide view of fertile farmland and the surrounding Endless Mountains.  Pennsylvania Route 6 has been named by National Geographic as one of the most scenic drives in America. The view only looks to get more beautiful as the autumn season progresses!

The Red Rose Diner....Ladies Invited!

 

The Red Rose Diner is located on Main St., in Towanda, Pennsylvania. It was build in 1927, and according to a written statement on the diner’s menu, “it was the first model designed to entice women (to come to the diner). The little tables were added for the ladies and stained glass windows afforded female customers privacy from oglers out on the sidewalk.” It was restored in 1998 in Lancaster, PA by George Tindall, and was eventually moved to it's location in Towanda, PA.

It's has a quaint appearance on the outside, and from my memory, has a lot of old wooden decor on the inside. It was a bright spot to see on an overcast and humid day during the first weekend of September.