Bear Wrestling at the CCC Camp

Alvin R. Berry, now of Florida, grew up in Blackwell PA. He remembers visiting the Civilian Conservation Corps Camp. His story of a pet bear that wrestled sounds like a tall tale, but he has the picture to go with the story.

This photo taken summer 1934 at the CCC Camp about ½ mile or more upstream from the Dixie Run Bridge on H/way 414. Also on Oregon Hill about where Love Hollow Rd leads to Dixie Run. The man is my Uncle Lee N. Robertson holding me (age 1 ½ yrs) the other 2 children are probably my brother Bob & cousin Donnie Robertson. The critter on the ground is a live bear. The men at the camp had this pet bear, their favorite pass time was wrestling with the bear. He said the bear always won & it never hurt anyone.

Membership Renewal for 2025

The first 2025 issue of Voices from the Archives was mailed out this week. Membership renewal cards are included for members due for renewal. Annual memberships go from Jan 01 to Dec 31.

Covington Highlights:

We have added a large number of Covington photos and records to our online catalog at Online Collections | History Center. These include Covington school photos, high school classes, alumni programs. We will add captions where we can.

Try this: Go to keyword search and type "Covington High School"

or This: Go to Search by Term, select Subjects, select C, select any of the Covington categories listed.

or This: Subject Search for Covington, Pennsylvania | History Center

Caption on photo: Joyce Daknich, Frances Lisowski, Bonnie Wakley, Martha Bogaczyk

Spring Events 2025 Coming Soon

March 30, Sunday, 2 PM. Third Annual Celebration of Mansfield's Outstanding Women. The History Center, 61 N. Main St., Mansfield. More Information soon

April 12, Saturday, 1 PM.  “LAQUIN: The Rise and Fall of a Pennsylvania Lumber Town”

Based on the new book by the same name, LeRoy Heritage Museum President and Bradford County Historical Society Executive Director, Matthew Carl, will discuss his popular new book about the history of the lumber town of Laquin, located in southern Bradford County, PA. The 512-page book , released at the end of 2023, was 31 years in the making and over 750 copies have been sold. He will also present a PowerPoint presentation taking the audience on a tour of Laquin. The new book may be purchased at the event and Matthew will sign copies at the conclusion of the program.

The History Center, 61 N. Main St., Mansfield

Kelsey Academy Programs will be announced soon and included here.

High School Reunions 2025

Is your high school class gathering this year?Let us know when, and we'll be glad to invite you to the History Center to remember the town and the [people you grew up with.

Our Library: History and Genealogy

     Our History-Genealogy Library is open any time the History Center is open. We invite you to stop by to browse, dip into volumes, do research, or just sit and read. We can search our database if you are looking for some specific book or topic. You can also check out a volume on loan to take with you.

Wander Through our Records Online

Online Collections | History Center (pastperfectonline.com)

While we have nearly 30,000 cataloged items, about 5,000 of them have so far been uploaded in our online catalog where you can see them.

Take a look. The ONLY way to learn your way around this utility is to read the guidelines and poke every link. Just explore, go wandering. You'll be surprised.

You will find lists of people (all by name at birth), lists of subjects, or try searching on keywords which is just about anything. Our genealogy database of local connections includes over 100,000 individuals. Over 11,000 of them are also included in our museum files with links to schools, cemeteries, businesses, etc. People are only included online if we have an object or photos associated with them, although they are in our files if they are/were local (lived here, buried here, went to school here). If your family is not shown, send us photos so they can be.

You can select Random Images and follow something that catches your eye.

Try searching for advertisements. They link to businesses and the life stories of the people who ran them, and even the buildings they operated in.

You can also link to the online catalogs through our landing page at joycetice.com.

We have lots more fine-tuning and linking to do for our online presentation, but you'll be surprised what you find when you get lost in our files.

Renewed Members - New Members - Join us for 2025

We'd like to have twenty new members for 2025. As a bonus, we'll send each of them an earlier journal issue from 2019to 2024 in addition to the 2025 issues as they are published. You can send a check or pay by PayPal. Directions link from the button at left.

If you are planning a reunion, consider a casual afternoon Meet & Greet at the History Center's Museum of Us. In an informal environment, you can chat with your friends, watch a slide show of Mansfield's historic photos, and find traces of yourself, your friends, and your family. Many of our exhibits are designed for those who grew up here. The Blue & Gold Room is full of MHS sports mementos. The pictorial display includes YOU along with all the other MHS graduates in its first hundred years.

Thank You to Our Gold Level Sponsors

Law Offices of Larry Mansfield

VFW Post 6757

Mansfield Auxiliary Corporation

Lutes Foundation