1698 State Route 711, P.O. Box 242, Stahlstown, PA 15687 - Office: 724-593-3102.
The Historical Society Center is open on Wednesdays from 11am to 3pm, and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm.
Past Speakers and Events
Please scroll down to see our various activities of the past!
Our Ohio Star Theater Bus Trip was a great success!
Sugarcreek, Ohio (Tuesday December 12, 2023, One Day Bus Trip)
The Ohio Star Theater presented
"Rhythm and Dance Christmas Special"
Rhythm of the Dance, which has brought audiences around the world to their feet for over 22 years, is returning to the Ohio Star Theater with a new Christmas production. Join us on this festive journey and let the magic of holidays begin with all of your favorite festive songs being performed live by world class musicians, star vocalists and world champion dancers.
November 21st, 2023 Meeting Details
The South Penn Railroad had been under construction for several years when it was abandoned in 1885. Tunnels, culverts, rail grades and access roads are still visible though the PA Turnpike purchased the rights of way in 1937 and was built on much the same route.
Researcher, historian and photographer Russell Love told us the story of the railroad and why it wasn’t built.
*Everyone is welcome to become a Member of the Chestnut Ridge Historical Society! Please Click Here to download a Membership Application Form to print, fill out, and mail in, or pick up an application form while visiting!
Note: Regarding Future Speakers for Our Monthly Meetings, Chestnut Ridge Historical Society is always interested in hearing from a variety of speakers who have interesting subjects to talk about, such as historical subjects or events, specific subjects of interest, authors, witnesses to events, and personal adventures.
October 17th Meeting
Dr Emily Barth, curator of the McCarl Coverlet Gallery at St Vincent College, told the story of handwoven American coverlets. Topics ranged from how coverlets differ from quilts to how ethnic traditions influenced styles. If anyone had a family coverlet, they were invited to bring it along for a show and tell session at the end of the presentation.
*Everyone is welcome to become a Member of the Chestnut Ridge Historical Society! Please pick up an application form while visiting!
Note: Regarding Future Speakers for Our Monthly Meetings, Chestnut Ridge Historical Society is always interested in hearing from a variety of speakers who have interesting subjects to talk about, such as historical subjects or events, specific subjects of interest, authors, witnesses to events, and personal adventures.
Our September 19th Meeting Speakers were Jim and Louise Sprowls
and they spoke about a few of the things you will see when you visit the Compass Inn in Laughlintown.
Fall is a great time to see the results of the pumpkin carving contest and tour this 1799 stagecoach inn by candlelight while listening to Frightfully True Stories.
Celebrate another bountiful Harvest and the Yuletide to the sounds of a blacksmith at work.
They are and have been period-dressed guides for the Compass Inn, and they will be in-costume for this meeting!
In 1966, Ligonier Valley Historical Society accepted Compass Inn as a gift from the Richard King Mellon Foundation. The Inn underwent extensive restoration and by 1972 opened as a museum and historic site for thousands of visitors each year. By 1980, the architectural firm Stotz, Hess and MacLachlan constructed a working cookhouse and blacksmith shop, as well as a barn, which houses an 1830s-style Concord Stagecoach and a restored Conestoga Wagon. Today, period-dressed docents guide visitors through the Inn, transporting them back in time to the 1830s when the Inn was at its busiest.
As always, the public is welcome to all of our Monthly Meetings!
*Everyone is welcome to become a Member of the Chestnut Ridge Historical Society! Please pick up an application form while visiting!
Note: Regarding Future Speakers for Our Monthly Meetings, Chestnut Ridge Historical Society is always interested in hearing from a variety of speakers who have interesting subjects to talk about, such as historical subjects or events, specific subjects of interest, authors, witnesses to events, and personal adventures.
We were at the Annual Flax Scutching, September 16 & 17, 2023, at Monticue's Grove, Stahlstown, PA!
Our Chestnut Ridge Historical Society Display at the Stahlstown Flax Scutching!
Tuesday August 15th Meeting
Note: Regarding Future Speakers for Our Monthly Meetings, Chestnut Ridge Historical Society is always interested in hearing from a variety of speakers who have interesting subjects to talk about, such as historical subjects or events, specific subjects of interest, authors, witnesses to events, and personal adventures.
Our Summer Picnic was a very nice time!
Aleo Lake Picnic was on July 18, 2023!
June 20, 2023
Our June 20, 2023 Monthly Meeting Speaker was???
Our May 16, 2023 Speaker was Thomas Soltis, retired Sociology Professor from Westmoreland Community College.
He is the author of “An Unwelcome Visit from the Spanish Lady: The 1918 Influenza Pandemic in Western Pennsylvania”.
In a recent article in the Tribune Review, Professor Soltis noted the similarities between both the 1918 and the most recent pandemic.
(Tribune Review Photos)
April 18, 2023 Monthly Meeting
Our April 18, 2023 Monthly Meeting Speaker was Barry Hauger who shared memories of his Grandfather, Clyde Hauger.
Local resident Clyde Hauger was a pilot for All American Aviation (later US Airways) during the 1940s and for Bruno Ferrari's Latrobe-Dill Construction until he was killed in a crash in 1957.
Note: Regarding Future Speakers for Our Monthly Meetings, Chestnut Ridge Historical Society is always interested in hearing from a variety of speakers who have interesting subjects to talk about, such as historical subjects or events, specific subjects of interest, authors, witnesses to events, and personal adventures.
March 21, 2023 CRHS Monthly Meeting
We enjoyed watching a video which was provided by CRHS Member Kathy Maestrol. The video was created by the Latrobe Area Historical Society and it was called "Home Front: Latrobe in WWII".
In addition, our agenda included the Nomination of all Officers and two Board of Director's positions.
At the April Monthly Meeting, additional Nominations may be offered.
Our Christmas Luncheon Buffet on December 17, 2022 was a great success!
Several attendees were winners of our Basket Raffle!
November 15, 2022 CRHS Monthly Meeting
Our Speakers for the November meeting were father and son David and Allen Scherb. Allen creates handmade, historically correct longrifles, photos of which can be seen at laurelridgeflintlocks.net.
Laurel Ridge Flintlocks, operated by Allen Scher, focuses on recreating historically correct American Longrifles from the time period of 1760 to 1825.
Note: Regarding Future Speakers for Our Monthly Meetings, Chestnut Ridge Historical Society is always interested in hearing from a variety of speakers who have interesting subjects to talk about, such as historical subjects or events, specific subjects of interest, authors, witnesses to events, and personal adventures.
October 18, 2022 CRHS Monthly Meeting
Our Speaker was Theresa Gay Rohall, the Executive Director of the Ligonier Valley Historical Society.
Laughlintown's Compass Inn was built in 1799 and she told us why it's still a great place to visit.
Note: Regarding Future Speakers for Our Monthly Meetings, Chestnut Ridge Historical Society is always interested in hearing from a variety of speakers who have interesting subjects to talk about, such as historical subjects or events, specific subjects of interest, authors, witnesses to events, and personal adventures.
September 20, 2022 CRHS Meeting
We viewed a one-hour film titled "Invasion on Chestnut Ridge".
Over the years many mysterious events have occurred along the length of Chestnut Ridge in western Pennsylvania, and this film told us about the investigations that have followed.
Note: Regarding Future Speakers for Our Monthly Meetings, Chestnut Ridge Historical Society is always interested in hearing from a variety of speakers who have interesting subjects to talk about, such as historical subjects or events, specific subjects of interest, authors, witnesses to events, and personal adventures.
August 16, 2022 Meeting
Our Speaker was Kristin Miller who did a Powerpoint Presentation of the history and projects of the Southern Allegheny Museum of Art.
SAMA has five locations, (click here for more info) including one in nearby Ligonier, where you can view an art exhibition or attend an educational event.
Note: Regarding Future Speakers for Our Monthly Meetings, Chestnut Ridge Historical Society is always interested in hearing from a variety of speakers who have interesting subjects to talk about, such as historical subjects or events, specific subjects of interest, authors, witnesses to events, and personal adventures.
Our Summer Picnic was a great success!
Here's a note from CRHS Member, Tom Beck:
Aleo Lake Picnic was on July 19, 2022!
Bus Trip In Ohio was Great!
Our Overnight Bus Trip in Ohio was a Fun Event for All!
Here's our Group Photo!
(Click on photo to enlarge!)
It was on August 1st and 2nd, 2022
At the Amish Country Theater
We saw "Sail On: The Beach Boys Tribute"
June 21, 2022 Meeting
Our Speaker was Bruce Shirey who did a photo presentation of "the story of moving the Lefeure Log House" from Jeannette, PA to Historic Hanna's Town in 2020.
Hanna's Town is an unincorporated community and important historical and archaeological site located in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.
May 17, 2022
Our May 17, 2022 meeting of the Chestnut Ridge Historical Society was fortunate to have
Dale Dix and Jan Hostler Stewart, along with one of our CRHS Founders, Tom Dix, join us
to show a slideshow of their recent "Adventures in the Netherlands and in Belgium"!
The highlights included trips to WWII Cemeteries, and to WWII Museums where Dale's father, Tom Dix
was lauded and saluted by the many people who they interacted with throughout the trip!
This was a colorful presentation in addition to being very moving, since Tom Dix, as a Veteran of WWII,
was honored wherever they went during this "Adventure in the Netherlands and Belgium"!
November, 2021
Our Speaker for November 16, 2021 was Dale Dix of Greensburg. Dale is a CRHS member and he has spoken on other occasions regarding his various travels to other countries over the past several years.
Dale's topic was that at our meeting, he did a live-interview with his 96 year old father, Thomas Dix, to create an Oral History of his father's life from the time that he entered the U.S. Navy at age 18, his history during World War II, and his many years of community service since! Tom has kept Community Service at the top of his priorities for his entire life. Our area owes a debt of gratitude for Tom Dix's accomplishments that have made our community richer in many many aspects.
Dale Dix Tom Dix
The 60 Surviving Members of the U.S.S. Minivet Minesweeper Crew U.S.S. Minivet
Note: Regarding Future Speakers for Our Monthly Meetings, Chestnut Ridge Historical Society is always interested in hearing from a variety of speakers who have interesting subjects to talk about, such as historical subjects or events, specific subjects of interest, authors, witnesses to events, and personal adventures.
October, 2021
Our Speaker for October 19, 2021 was Darren Sherry. Mr. Sherry recently retired from teaching in Punxsutawney School District, He was a former Board member of the Punxsutawney Historical Society. Now he is the business owner of "Digital Transfer Solutions" in Punxsutawney, PA.
Call Mr. Sherry at 814-952-2526 for Details on having your memories transferred to digital!
Note: Regarding Future Speakers for Our Monthly Meetings, Chestnut Ridge Historical Society is always interested in hearing from a variety of speakers who have interesting subjects to talk about, such as historical subjects or events, specific subjects of interest, authors, witnesses to events, and personal adventures.
September 30th Bus Trip to see "Queen Esther" was was a great success!
Our Bus Trip Plans are "on-hold" for the time-being. Watch our website for future plans.
Click here to see a preview of "Esther".
September 18th and 19th
Here is our Historical Display at the Stahlstown Flax Scutching Festival! It was a great time to visit with our community!
September, 2021
On September 21, 2021 our Speaker was Bob Stutzman, of the Ligonier Valley Rail Road Association! Mr. Stutzman penned a 2014 book about the Ligonier Valley Railroad and is a founder and former president of the Ligonier Valley Rail Road Association, which organizes a tour and operates a museum in the Ligonier Township village of Darlington, PA.
Bob Stutzman
June 15, 2021
Chestnut Ridge Historical Society welcomed Ed Kelemen as speaker for the meeting on Tuesday June 15, 2021. Mr. Kelemen is an author, playwright, and columnist who has been involved in over 300 paranormal investigations. One result is his five book series, the Haunted Pennsylvania Collection.
Ed Kelemen
May 18, 2021
Our speaker was Mr. Duaine Fuoss of Mount Pleasant, PA, who has found many Native American artifacts in Southwestern Pennsylvania!
At the age of 6, Duaine Fuoss found what was later determined to be a side-notched spear point used by Native Americans living in this area roughly 3,000 years ago. In the mid-1960s, a teen-aged Fuoss had conducted enough research to begin uncovering area sites where tribes, including the Iroquois, Shawnee and Monongahela, periodically dwelled and hunted. Called “Meadow Walker” by the Lakota Sioux, he has to date located more than 50 Native American sites from Kecksburg in Westmoreland County, to Broadford in Fayette County.
Centenarian Honor Roll Project is completed!
This photo of 16 local residents who reached at least 100 Years Old, is located on a Wooden Plaque on the wall at the Chestnut Ridge Historical Society Center! (click on Image to open and print)
Past Speakers and Events