Coal and Coke Heritage Center serves as inspiration for music festival
The idea for the music festival was born in the mind of Dr. Emmanuel Osagie. Evelyn Hovanec recalls “When he (Osagie) first toured the campus and visited the museum before taking his seat as chancellor at Penn State Fayette, he was pleased to see what we were doing. A few months after, he indicated he wanted to help the center. He came up with the idea. Basically he called together a group, and his committee is working to accomplish his ideas.
“It is a much more impressive musical line up than we had imagined,” she continued. “We’ll never reflect all the ethnic groups, but many will be recognized. Nothing represents all the ethnic groups involved in the industry better than the photograph in the lobby of the museum.
“We will be in the heritage center that day giving tours and answering questions,” she added.
The photograph retired Penn State English Professor Hovanec refers to is a 1924 panoramic of a scene from Lambert on the Fourth of July. The photo depicts an array of ethnic groups celebrating Independence Day together.
Hovanec, one of the founders of the museum, will be on hand during the music festival.
Pam Seighman, museum curator, describes the signature photo.
“It is on the cover of the book, ‘Patchwork Voices,’ which is in its fourth printing,” Seighman said. “The photograph is synonymous with the book. Also, the photo we have is displayed in its full length. It is significant to the center. It welcomes visitors into the museum.”
The Coal and Coke Heritage Music Festival line up includes performers of many ethnic backgrounds.
Visitors will have an opportunity to join in the celebration of southwestern Pennsylvania’s melting pot with Fred Adams, The Atlanta Drumline, Augsburg German Band, Harold Betters, Chuck Cantalamessa, Ferla-Marcinizyn Guitar Duo, Lisa Yvonne Ferraro, FiddleKicks, MCG Jazz Pittsburgh Jazz Legacy Project, The NewLanders, Ray Ryan New Orleans Riverside Band, River City Brass Band, Simple Gifts, Sweet Birdie String Band, The Fabulous Softwinds and The Sammy Bill Orchestra.
They can enjoy ethnic foods, crafts, arts and a Kiddie Zone with inflatable games, balloons and a train.
Among the arts and craft vendors will be local authors of historical books. The museum staff is also very excited about Dr. John Enman’s upoming book titled, “Another Time
, Another World
: Pennsylvania’s Bituminous Coal
, Coke and Communities.”
At Pennsylvania’s 2008 Abandoned Mine Reclamation and Coal Mining
Heritage Conference
(Aug. 12-14) held in State College, Dr. Enman presented “Pennsylvania Patch Towns,” where he discussed these planned communities (patches) whose layout was largely determined by the needs of the mines they supported as well as the construction of the dwellings and variations from one patch town to the next.
This material is included in Dr Enman’s forthcoming book, which is in its initial stages of production.
“He has been able to expand the understanding of the different styles of patch houses,” Seighman said. “It is really a very interesting project to see how many types there are. Single story, the shotgun, three-story, two family, two-story house, flat roofed. His recent presentation at Penn State was very interesting.”
Enman taught geology/geography at Washington and Jefferson College in Washington not far from the Connellsville Coke Region.
Hovanec, Seighman and Elaine H. DeFrank, administrators of the Coal and Coke Heritage Center, Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, diligently uncovered in the center’s voluminous print and photo files much contemporary data that expanded and embellished the bare text and provided fruitful insights.
The center’s resources added authenticity to this study of an industry that once, economically and socially, dominated life in much of the western half of Pennsylvania during the late 19th and 20th centuries.
Visitors will have an opportunity to meet Hovanec, Seighman and DeFrank at the Coal and Coke Heritage Museum during the music festival.
They are encouraged to come armed with their regional history questions and historical songs.
Details about the music festival schedule and tickets can be found at www.coalandcokemusicfest.org. Tickets are also available at the Holiday Inn, Penn State Fayette, the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce, Uniontown High School, Laurel Highlands Visitor Bureau, the Connellsville Redevelopment Authority and the Herald-Standard.