Committee Updates - February 2026

Program

With the cold snowy weather upon us, the Program Committee is engaged in planning the programs for the new year.   Much time will be spent developing displays and researching for our upcoming events.  Many of our programs will require extensive work and hours of preparation.  It takes more than serving refreshments to plan and execute our busy schedule of events.

The Program Committee hard at work planning for the upcoming programs.

In March the society will be hosting a special awards program for the local students who designed artwork interpreting the Spirit of America’s Semiquincentennial.  This artwork is featured in the 2026 calendar published by the Indiana County Tourist Bureau.  HGSIC was approached by the executive director, Laura Herrington, of ICTB to host the event as a cooperative effort between the two non- profit organizations. This is another event where the Program Committee continues to network with other organizations to expand our outreach in the county.

The author series slated for the Spring will include a variety of genres.  Tom McMillan, the author of The Year that Made America : From Rebellion to Independence,  will deliver a summary on the seven critical months leading up to the Declaration of Independence.   In late April, Dr. Charles Cashdollar is scheduled to present his book, The IUP Story : Indiana University of PA from Normal School to University.  James Gindlesperger will return to the society on May 28, 2026 sharing “Bullets and Bandages”, an overview of the medical conditions following the Battle of Gettysburg.

Mark your calendars for May 20, 2026 as HGSIC welcomes the Indiana County Fife and Drum Corp.  This group consists of 31 students from every school district in Indiana County under the direction of Paul Rode, Zach Karcher, and Luke Hamilton.  Join us as this group brings sounds from our past to honor  America’s 250^th anniversary.

In late May the committee will be busy setting up a display which will honor all veterans and active service members in Indiana County.  The display will focus on the six branches of the US military and be available for visitors during the months of June and July.  A special event to honor these veterans and active service members is being planned by the Program Committee, Jonathan Bogert, Laura Herrington of ICTB,  Sheriff Fyock, Wesley Wertz of the American Legion Post #141,  and David Taylor  of the VFW 1989.  Join us on Friday, June 26, 2026 in Memorial Park followed by a reception in the museum to pay tribute to our local veterans and service members.

Please check future newsletters for more details on these events.  The committee hopes to see you at some of our 17 scheduled programs for 2026.

Fundraising

The fundraising committee is excited to announce our upcoming calendar of events for the year! We have designed a lineup that balances returning favorites with a few new surprises. Your support of these events allows us to continue our work, so mark your calendars! 

Dust off your thinking caps. We are kicking the year off with a high energy Time Travelers Trivia. It promises to be a fun-filled evening of friendly competition, laughter, and brain-teasing questions. Whether you are a history buff, a pop culture expert, or just looking for a great night out with friends, this is the event for you. Remember–the evening comes with a meal.

It will soon be time for spring cleaning, so why not do it with a purpose? Our Oldies But Goodies Sale offers a chance to find unique items and give a second life to some previously loved items. We will begin collecting items on designated dates in April. Please start setting aside your “treasures” now. Whether it’s vintage glassware, books, or toys, your donations are what make this sale a success. 

We will again host our three teas. These elegant and entertaining afternoons have become a hallmark of our fundraising efforts, and we advise you to purchase your tickets early. We can’t wait to welcome you back to our linen-covered tables.

In addition to the teas, keep an eye open for returning favorites from years past. We are also in the early stages of planning one or two new events to keep our calendar fresh and exciting.

None of these events would be possible without our dedicated volunteers and our generous members and their friends. Hope to see you there.

Museum

Happy New Year from the Museum Committee!  Like many people, we are starting the new year off with hope and change for the coming months. Maybe there are weight-loss goals, but not in the usual sense.  The committee has an ambitious set of exhibits for the year and is excited for them to come to fruition with the hope that all the hard work and determination we envision at the start of the new year will carry on throughout.  What do we have planned, you ask?

If you are not aware, this year marks the 250th birthday of the United States of America, and the planned exhibits for the year will showcase the many ways the Indiana County community has evolved, helped to shape, and been affected by the new nation.  The first revolving exhibit of the year, “Indigenous Tribes to Colonial Revolutionaries: Indiana County from prehistory to 1784”, focuses on the people who called the region home prior to European contact as well as the first Europeans to settle the area, and will conclude with how those people were involved in the American Revolution.  I’m not saying this simply because I’m a historian and teacher, but the Revolutionary War is a fascinating subject.  The fact that so many people of (then) Westmoreland County’s meagre population were involved in the War in some way shows exactly how far the King’s reach really stretched and how many people were willing to fight for rights they believed to have been infringed upon.  The same is said not just for the settlers but also for the county’s indigenous populations.  This exhibit will open February 17th with the opening reception to be held on February 20th.  A side note on the reception: there will be foods available that the colonists would have eaten, maybe a recipe from Mary Washington’s own collections, and several colonial reenactors (I am so excited!).

The second revolving exhibit, “Building a Nation, Building a County: Indiana County from 1785 to 1840”, will continue the story of the formation of Indiana County.  Where were the first towns and are any of them still here?  What were the burgeoning and growing businesses and industries that would go on to shape not only Indiana County but also the United States?  What changes were made in Indiana County that would have a lasting impact on the community?  This exhibit is set to open on August 11th with the reception to be held on August 21st.  With both exhibits, special attention will be paid to the first families that lived here, so you may well find or recognize some of your own ancestors within the text and images.

Finally, if you have visited the museum recently, you may have noticed some major changes that began last year in regards to the Mining exhibit.  A major renovation of this space is underway, and the plans for that area are grand indeed.  There will be new display areas, an organized flow with signage, rebuilt walls thanks to Vince Beatty and the Buildings and Grounds committee, and a fresh coat of paint.  This project has been in the planning stages for some time, and it is so good to see those plans finally becoming a reality.  The committee’s new year’s resolutions of weight loss?  Only in the sense of losing old and dated display cases and walls that do not serve the overall vision and purpose of the museum.

Here’s to new spaces in 2026!  The goal of the committee is that you will come and visit our exhibits this year and that maybe you will learn a thing or two about our community and how truly remarkable it is.  The first people to call the area home were able to survive the climate, flora, and fauna of the time and form permanent settlements here.  That the people living in the wild of Western Pennsylvania were able to drop everything for a cause they believed in is something to say.  In transforming and building, the people of this county shaped not only their own lives, but those of future generations.  The resilience shown in these stories is truly worthy of exhibition.  Hope to see you there!