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s e r v i n g tay l or , ol d f or g e , moosic & surrounding areas triborobanner.com | July 27, 2017
Youngsters had a blast at the Touch a Truck event in Avoca. |PaGe 3
Crowds came to Montage for a recent comedy show |PaGe 5
A church in Duryea had a three-day summer picnic |PaGe 10
GivinG History a Home The Old Forge Historical Society continues to grow
By Josh McAuliffe
special to The Triboro Banner In 2015, members of the Old Forge community came together with the intent of unearthing the borough’s rich and varied past. Two years into its short history, the Old Forge Historical Society already boasts a number of achievements. The group, which meets at 7 p.m. on the last Thursday of the month at the Old Forge Borough Building, is now about 25 members strong, with an ever-growing collection of artifacts and plans to find a permanent home. New members are always welcome. According to historical society co-chairman Sal Luzio Sr., the group is a fun forum for residents looking to “roll up their sleeves” and play the role of historical detective. So far, the group has accumulated, and has begun to catalog, an extensive array of old photos, documents, family histories, film footage and other various types of memorabilia – “anything that would speak to our past,” said Luzio, noting items can be scanned, loaned or donated outright. “We really want to build our artifacts
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and archives. We’re asking people to bring things to us,” Luzio said. The artifacts can pertain to all realms of Old Forge life, from the businesses that formerly stretched along Main Street to the borough’s mining and manufacturing past to the ethnic groups that settled there. The group also seeks materials related to borough churches, athletic teams and schools. All those things, Luzio said, contribute fibers to “the tapestry of Old Forge.” Besides collecting items, the group has made programming a key component of its mission. Among other activities, the group has hosted speakers, held exhibits at Peoples Security Bank and conducted a tour of the home built by the Stewarts, the borough’s founding family. “We’re doing things that will draw people to the society,” Luzio said. Meanwhile, the historical society is currently working with WVIA to help produce an Old Forge version of the station’s popular “Our Town” series. In addition, the group recently received its federal tax ID, which will allow it to apply for grants and purchase items tax-free, just like any other nonprofit. And, with the borough’s assistance, the group may soon have a permanent home at the former St. Lawrence O’Toole rectory on South Main Street. Luzio envisions the three-story, 19th century Victorian house serving as a combina-
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Coal miner's helmets, lanterns, and other coal mining artifacts from the past were part of a recent display put together by the Old Forge Historical Society.
PHOTO USED COURTESY OF THE TIMES-TRIBUNE
tion meeting place, museum and visitor center. It would also be available to other groups, Luzio said. “There’s a really strong possibility that that’s going to come to fruition,” he said. Of course, big plans like those will take a robust fundraising operation. Donations, grants and fundraisers will all play a role. On Sunday, Sept. 24, the historical society will host its second Designer Purse Bingo from 1 to 3 p.m. at Eagle McClure Hose Co., 375 Milwaukee Ave. All money raised at the purse bingo will benefit the historical society’s mission.
“We just want to be able to preserve these things for future generations, so that they know what the town was about,” Luzio said. Want to get involved? The Old Forge Historical Society meets on the last Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. in the lower level of the Old Forge Borough Building. (Use the rear entrance.) For more information on the group, call 570-335-0025, or visit the group’s Facebook page.