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| Wyoming County Historical Society | |
|---|---|
| Name | Wyoming County Historical Society |
| Formation | 1950s |
| Type | Historical society |
| Headquarters | Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania |
| Region served | Wyoming County, Pennsylvania |
| Leader title | President |
| Leader name | (varies) |
| Website | (official website) |
Wyoming County Historical Society
The Wyoming County Historical Society is a regional organization dedicated to preserving the heritage of Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, interpreting local narratives of Northeastern Pennsylvania, and promoting research into the lives of people associated with Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, Mehoopany Township, Torrance Township, Lackawanna River, Susquehanna River and adjacent communities. The organization engages with collections tied to notable figures such as William Maxwell, John Franklin], (New York?)] and institutions including Wyoming Seminary, Nanticoke, and links to wider movements represented by Pennsylvania Dutch, Anthracite Coal Region histories.
The society emerged in the postwar era amid regional revitalization efforts associated with Civil War Centennial, U.S. Bicentennial, and local preservation campaigns inspired by organizations like the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Founding members included descendants of settlers from Wyoming Valley and activists who worked alongside preservationists from Tunkhannock Borough, Kingston, Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre, Scranton Cultural Center, and volunteers from Lackawanna County. Early archives document interactions with federal programs such as the Works Progress Administration and state initiatives connected to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
The society's mission centers on collecting, conserving, and communicating records related to Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, reflecting narratives tied to Mauch Chunk, Minersville, Wyoming Valley, Pocono Mountains, and rural communities across Northeast Pennsylvania. Activities include archival stewardship informed by standards used by the Society of American Archivists, exhibit development comparable to peer institutions like the Steamtown National Historic Site, and scholarship support akin to projects at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University and the Pennsylvania State Archives. Outreach often intersects with regional tourism promoted by entities such as VisitPA and cultural programs linked to Pennsylvania Folklife Program.
Collections span manuscript collections, family papers from households linked to Tunkhannock Academy, business records from local enterprises comparable to archives at the Hazleton Historical Society, photographs referencing events like the Great Flood of 1936 and the Hurricane Agnes (1972), and cartographic holdings including maps of Susquehanna County and early plats of Wyoming Valley. The archives include oral histories modeled after methodologies at the Library of Congress, letters exchanged with figures connected to the Pennsylvania Railroad, and artifacts comparable to holdings at the Mercer Museum and State Museum of Pennsylvania. Conservation follows protocols championed by the American Institute for Conservation.
The society operates a museum and stewards historic properties reflecting architectural styles from Georgian architecture through Victorian architecture and vernacular farmsteads of the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition. Exhibits contextualize agricultural implements similar to those in the Heinz History Center, domestic life mirrored in collections at the Ephrata Cloister, and industrial relics associated with regional railroads like the Lehigh Valley Railroad and the Erie Railroad. Interpretive programming may involve partnerships with the National Park Service and site conservation informed by the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
Educational programming includes lecture series featuring scholars from University of Pennsylvania, Penn State University, Lackawanna College, and Mansfield University, school outreach aligned with curricula from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, hands-on workshops resembling those hosted by the Smithsonian Institution, and walking tours highlighting landmarks such as local courthouses, churches tied to Methodist Episcopal Church and Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton, and sites connected to regional events like the Susquehanna River floods. The society also supports genealogical research drawing on resources like the National Archives and Records Administration and collaborates with genealogy groups similar to the New England Historic Genealogical Society.
Governance is maintained by a volunteer board and officers following nonprofit frameworks akin to BoardSource recommendations and filings compliant with the Pennsylvania Department of State. Membership tiers offer benefits paralleling those at the American Association for State and Local History and include volunteer opportunities, research privileges, and participation in annual meetings patterned after those held by the New-York Historical Society and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Funding derives from membership dues, donations, grants from foundations such as the Kresge Foundation and state arts agencies like the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and competitive awards similar to those administered by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts. Partnerships have included collaborations with municipal entities in Tunkhannock Borough, county offices in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, educational institutions, and regional cultural networks like the Northeast Pennsylvania Heritage Area and tourism initiatives coordinated with Visit Luzerne County.
Category:Historical societies in Pennsylvania