The Spring-Ford Area Historical Society recently announced its schedule of programs for the 2019 calendar year. All programs are held at the Royersford VFW, 730 S. Fourth Avenue, Royersford, and begin at 7:30 p.m. SFAHS programs are free of charge and open to the public. Save these dates on your calendar and join us!
Wednesday, April 10:
"Low Bridge, Everybody Down!" - 363 Miles Paddling on the Erie Canal - Jay Doering
Long-time East Coventry Township resident, and current Spring-Ford (Linfield) resident, Jay Doering started the hobby of kayaking seventeen years ago. He and a friend, Jay Mackley of Red Lion, PA took their first trip while in their late fifties. Because both owned cabins on the Susquehanna, their first adventure was a 444 mile paddle starting from the Susquehanna’s headwaters in Cooperstown New York and ending at the Chesapeake Bay eleven days later. Thus was started an annual tradition of interesting kayak adventures which has continued through last year when they engaged in a one day paddle around Manahattan Island. Their most unique trip was from the Niagara River to the Hudson on the Erie Canal acomplished in three segments. Jay Doering will descibe this adventure as well as the history and current uses of the canal using pictures to document the pair’s experiences.
Wednesday, June 12:
"It's Wash Day" - How Laundry was Done, 1700-1940 - Bob & Susie Lee
Bob and Susie Lee of Newmanstown, PA know all about how the wash was done, starting in the 1700’s and continuing into the “modern” era of the 1940’s. The Lees are ready to share their "traveling museum" of extensive antique laundry day collection and knowledge of Wash Day, taking their audience back to the old-fashioned laundry days when pushing a button just didn’t get it done. Soaps, machines, and all kinds of other tools, a total of six tables of artifacts, will be on display and passed around as they are explained with a mix of humor and history.
Wednesday, September 11:
"In the Dough" - A History of Latshaw's Bakery - Dave Willauer
Dave Willauer, and his brothers, Brad and Neil were the fourth generation of their family to work at Latshaw’s Bakery, formerly located at 26 South Main Street in Spring City. Founded in 1896 by Hosea E. Latshaw, the bakery served the communities of Spring City and Royersford for more than 90 years. (The bakery’s history goes back to 1882.) While the bakery closed to the public in 1974, the memories of the store and the baked goods it sold continue to linger in the minds and taste buds of area residents who enjoyed them. Join Dave and his brothers as they reminisce about working at the bakery, tell its history, and display and explain a wide variety of photographs and artifacts from the bakery’s past.
Wednesday, November 13:
"Harold Amster's World of Photography" - A glimpse at selected images from the negatives in the collection - William Brunner
Harold Amster passed away in 1996 at the age of 74. A life-long resident of Spring City, Amster was well-known for his photography, capturing an amazing number of new-worthy events that were published in local newspapers. Amster was also a wedding photographer and took many family portraits. In 2018, Ruth Marquette, Amster’s daughter, donated a box of 3”x4” black and white negatives to the museum of the Spring-Ford Area Historical Society. Numbering between 2,000 and 3,000 images, the collection is a veritable treasure trove of scenes, buildings, businesses, floods, fires, snow storms, family photos…and just about anything you can think of. The negatives are being converted by former local photographer Glenn Holcombe and are of high quality with incredible detail. Several have been shared on Face Book and have received wide-spread and positive reactions. Society President, William Brunner will share selected images from the collection.