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I recently received my copy of “The Casting Call”, the newsletter of the Wagner and Griswold Society.  In it are photos of the 2021 Convention that was held in Little Rock, Arkansas that I did not attend.  I also see that the Griswold & Cast Iron Cookware Association Convention will be held in Florence, Kentucky in April and I will not be able to attend that either.  Instead of being sad, and missing all the cast iron fun, I have decided to focus a little on the cast iron collection here at the Hagen History Center.

This Memorial Day, “The Wall That Heals,” a portable version of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. will visit Erie. In recognition of the visit of “The Wall That Heals,” the Hagen History Center will recognize the 59 servicemen from Erie County that are among the over 58,000 Americans who gave their lives in Southeast Asia. Each week, a few veterans will be featured on our social media. The week of Memorial Day, several servicemen will be honored.

Last week’s retelling of the burning of the Steamship Erie (please look for blog #82 if you missed it) had me looking through old newspaper accounts. When I saw the names of Henry and Israel Vosburgh who were employed on board as a cook and waiter respectively, I had heard of those names before and knew exactly where to look.  In 1996, the book “Journey from Jerusalem – An Illustrated Introduction to Erie’s African American History 1795-1995 by Sarah S. Thompson with additional research and essay by Karen James was published. In it is a wonderful account of this prosperous black family as well as many others. Unfortunately, the book has been out of print for a while. There is talk from time to time here at the Historical Society about reprinting, which I feel is important.

This Memorial Day, “The Wall That Heals,” a portable version of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. will visit Erie. In recognition of the visit of “The Wall That Heals,” the Hagen History Center will recognize the 59 servicemen from Erie County that are among the over 58,000 Americans who gave their lives in Southeast Asia. Each week, a few veterans will be featured on our social media. The week of Memorial Day, several servicemen will be honored.

I have been mesmerized by this print hanging in the Watson-Curtze mansion in the men’s lounge off the 3^rd floor ballroom.  Have you seen it? It is an artist’s rendition of the burning of the Steamship Erie in 1841. 

This Memorial Day, “The Wall That Heals,” a portable version of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. will visit Erie. In recognition of the visit of “The Wall That Heals,” the Hagen History Center will recognize the 59 servicemen from Erie County that are among the over 58,000 Americans who gave their lives in Southeast Asia. Each week, a few veterans will be featured on our social media. The week of Memorial Day, several servicemen will be honored.

In the early 1900s, Erie was considered THE center of the engine and boiler manufacturing industry.  I have read that Erie had more engines and boilers manufactured here than in any other city in the United States and perhaps the world! Time marched on and as technology changed, so too did these machines.  Let us look at one company which started small then eventually merged with a company we have all heard of.

This Memorial Day, “The Wall That Heals,” a portable version of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. will visit Erie. In recognition of the visit of “The Wall That Heals,” the Hagen History Center will recognize the 59 servicemen from Erie County that are among the over 58,000 Americans who gave their lives in Southeast Asia. Each week, a few veterans will be featured on our social media. The week of Memorial Day, several servicemen will be honored.

What are you doing for St. Patrick’s Day this year?  I will be at the office; it is a workday after all.  I am not of Irish decent, not that it matters to celebrate.  I have heard that everyone is Irish on March 17^th!  I celebrate St. Joseph’s Day on March 19^th which is an Italian or Bavarian holiday.  My Bavarian (German)  grandfather (Joseph) would take all his colleagues out for drinks after work then enjoy a huge meal at home.  I celebrate on a smaller scale yet remember my Bavarian roots while doing so.

Sarah A. Reed was born on March 16, 1838, into a prominent Erie family. She was the eighth and final child of William and Elizabeth Reed and the great-granddaughter of Seth Reed, one of the original settlers and a Revolutionary War veteran.