TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11: Rumble Seats and Tail Fins: Lansdale’s love affair with the car
Narrators of the program, Society president Dick Shearer, and Steve Moyer explained how the automobile changed the lives of area residents, giving them more independence to travel and explore the countryside where and when they wanted. The show included images and stories of Lansdale’s earliest home-made horseless carriages, with tales of the thrills and perils of early motoring and how the public’s fancy for these new machines spurred a thriving business for auto dealers. [photos]
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, Extra! Extra!
The history or the The Reporter and Lansdale journalism. The show was narrated by former Reporter editor Dick Shearer with a special appearance by former Reporter photographer Willard Krieble. [photos]
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, Up, Up and Away, The History of Aviation in the North Penn Region
Steve Moyer, the society’s photo archivist, described the arrival of manned flight in the region. A licensed pilot and owner of an antique airplane, Steve discussed early airports, planes and pilots as well as the fascination of area residents when they experienced their first trip up into the skies.
The show also featured a video presentation that includes rare film footage of a Ford Tri-Motor plane at the old Lansdale Airport on Welsh Road, as well as the story of the first transcontinental charter flight from Camden to Glendale, Calif. in 1934. The TWA Douglas aircraft, filled with North Penn area residents, crossed the nation in 23 hours – not counting several stops along the way. The aircraft – huge for its time – circled above waving crowds in Lansdale before heading west. [photos]
SATURDAY DECEMBER 1, 9:30 am to 4:00 pm
Fourth Annual Holiday History Tour
TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, American Olean Tile: The Rise and Fall of an Industry Giant.
From its roots early in the 20th Century through its demise after a series of ownership changes nearly 80 years later, the program traced the highs and lows of Lansdale’s leading industry. [PHOTOS]
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, Until Death Do Us Part.
We looked back at how we reported and commemorated the passing of loved ones over the past century. Times have changed and so have the rituals. The presentation examined how funeral customs and news coverage of death have changed over the years
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, Then You Saw It, Now You Don’t
This program was a follow-up to the Society’s popular presentation of our last year’s program on May 8, 2007, which featured more than 200 photo images that focused on changes to the North Penn area landscape during the past century. This year’s program, narrated by Steve Moyer and Dick Shearer , included dozens of new additions to the Society’s extensive photo collection. The presentation featured a wide array of then-and-now images photographed years apart from the same angle. Some showed drastic changes that have taken place over the years; others drew attention to sights and scenes that have survived the test of time.
TUESDAY, APRIL 8, Annual Society Banquet at Wm Penn Inn
Largest Crowd Ever Honors Mayor Mike
More than 160 people, the largest number ever to attend a Lansdale Historical Society banquet, turned out on Tuesday, April 8th, at the Wm Penn Inn to honor Lansdale’s Mayor Michael DiNunzio, as this year’s recipient of the Edwin G. Holl Historic Achievement Award. Mayor Mike is the fourth winner of the award and it was presented to him for his many decades of service to the North Penn Valley as a businessman, public official and booster of Lansdale’s rich history as well as its potential for the future. “Without question, no one has been as avid a supporter of Lansdale over the decades as Mayor Mike has,” said Society President Dick Shearer. “His life story mirrors the growth of the town. It is a powerful example of what an individual can accomplish through a commitment to hard work and public service to the community.” The Edwin G. Holl Award, named for the late senator, is presented annually to a person, group or organization who promotes historical preservation raises public awareness of local history in the North Penn region.
TUESDAY, MAY 13, A Portrait of North Wales
This was the topic of the Lansdale Historical Society’s final Community Program of the 2007-2008 season. The large turnout that was anticipated, did materialize, with nearly 200 in attendance on Tuesday evening (May 13) and a somewhat smaller crowd on Thursday (May 15). Both of the programs were held at the Lansdale Parks and Recreation Building. The programs were kicked off by Society President, Dick Shearer, followed by the slide show prepared and narrated by Steve Moyer. There was considerable audience participation as Steve traced the history of North Wales from its earliest days as a tiny village on the Sumneytown Turnpike through to its present status as the second-largest borough in the North Penn area.
