Williamsport- The intriguing life of Henry Shoemaker, folklorist, will be the subject of a lecture by author Guy Graybill at the Thomas T. Taber Museum of the Lycoming County Historical Society on Thursday, December 8, 2022, at 1pm. The lecture will be held in the Community Room and will be free and open to the public. Following the lecture, Graybill will be autographing his newest book, Henry Wharton Shoemaker: Scoundrel of the Susquehanna.
"Shoemaker’s true love was the hills, forests, and rivers of north-central Pennsylvania. Shoemaker's grandparents were Quiggles who owned thousands of acres of woodlands and a rustic house at McElhattan he dubbed Restless Oaks after expanding it. Shoemaker spent many months and years there, claiming he traveled among the hills and valleys collecting folk tales from the locals. As Guy Graybill demonstrates, it is more likely Shoemaker spent most of his time with pen and pad inventing short stories set in the region.”
December 8th will be a packed day of activities at the Museum. At 9:30am, the Williamsport Music Club will be performing holiday music. At 10am, the Museum’s Coffee Hour will focus on the history of the L.L. Stearns Department Store, which flourished in downtown Williamsport from 1889 until 1984. Leading the conversation and reminiscences will be Cindy Stearns, direct descendant of founder L.L. Stearns, and several individuals who had long-time associations with the store including Paul Beiter, Pat Houser, and Ralph Lukens, Jr. Their stories are plentiful, but audience participation is encouraged. The talk is free and open to the public and coincides with the holiday exhibit, Shopping During the Holidays: The L.L. Stearns Department Store. The exhibit opens on Saturday, December 3 and continues through Saturday, January 21, 2023.
Graybill will be lecturing at 1pm. For further information, please call the museum at 570.326.3326.