CIvil War cannon, rifle and drum demonstration in Rostraver scheduled for next month
The Rostraver Township Historical Society will present a Civil War demonstration of cannons, drums and rifles from that era.
“We have an event every year,” said Stuart Boyd, the vice president of the Rostraver Township Historical Society. “Sometimes we take a trip and next year, we’ll have a World War II symposium for five days. It’s a different event every year.”
This year’s event will focus on the Civil War, as Pennsylvania is only second to New York with the highest number of soldiers who fought in the Civil War.
Boyd said they wanted to focus the event on teaching people about artillery used in the war, and the historical society was able to bring on board Knaps Independent Pennsylvania Battery, which is a Civil War reenactment group to provide a cannon demonstration.
Boyd said another reenactor group will give an infantry rifle drill demonstration.
Along with the reenactors, the event will include the Mon Valley Center for the Performing Arts presenting a fife and drum band performance.
The event, named The Robert J. Cook Memorial Civil War Demonstration, is named after a founding member of the Rostraver Township Historical Society who died in 2019.
Cook was a direct descendant of Col. Edward Cook, who was one of the founding fathers of Rostraver Township as well as a jurist, politician and member of the Provincial Congress in Philadelphia in 1776.
“The Cook family is sponsoring the event on their farm,” Boyd said of the family farm that dates to the 1770s, when Col. Cook settled in the township.
As a fundraiser, the historical society will be having a 50/50 drawing and a raffle of a Civil War bullet collection.
Boyd said a food truck will also be on-site.
“You don’t have to be a Civil War buff to attend,” Boyd said.
The Robert J. Cook Memorial Civil War Demonstration will be held Tuesday, Aug. 9, at the Robert Cook Farm at 347 Cooks Road in Rostraver Township. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., and the program begins at 5:30 p.m.
The entrance fee is $10 for adults, and children under 12 are free. Tickets are available at the gate.
Because the demonstration is outdoors, Boyd suggests attendees bring their own chairs, and because there will be cannon fire, bring some form of ear protection.
In the event of inclement weather, the event will be canceled.
For more information, visit the Rostraver Township Historical Society’s Facebook page or email them at rostravertwphistoricalsociety@gmail.com/.