This month we are taking quick trip to Spring Mountain, PA, which lies along the east side of the Perkiomen Creek and is still a popular destination. Spring Mountain covers 401 acres and contains a dense forest which covers 335 of the 401 acres.
Vacation
Rockbridge Alum Springs
This month we are thinking of warmer weather in Rockbridge County, Virginia. Rockbridge opened as a resort in the 1830s by James Campbell, who hoped to exploit the growing interest in the nearby waters. The resort was then sold to brothers John and William Fraizer in 1850, and they began buildings its 36 buildings by 1853.
A Day at the Beach? Mothers at the Children’s Seashore House
– by Meggie Crnic, Senior Lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania
As I carried the hefty, bound volumes to my research station, I wondered what stories they might reveal. Unwrapping the protective covers, I maneuvered a book to examine its spine. It was a Children’s Seashore House (CSH) patient log book from the 1920s.
From my previous research I knew that the CSH was a pediatric hospital in Atlantic City, NJ. It opened in 1872 to care for Philadelphia’s children who could not otherwise afford time at the seashore. The CSH was a beachfront institution where physicians used “marine medication,” to care for children with a range of pediatric disorders. At the hospital children experienced sea-air, sea-water, and sun bathing as their therapies. Elite medical research supported marine medication and prominent physicians on both sides of the Atlantic prescribed patients time at the shore. The belief in the curative and restorative powers of marine environments transcended national, cultural, religious, and class boundaries. It also gave rise to a vast network of pediatric seashore hospitals in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Royal Victoria Hotel
This month we are leaving the United States and heading to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas’ capital, Nassau!
The American Civil War (1861-1865) brought an unusual increase in affluent American southern tourists to the Bahamas when Nassau acted as a blockade for the exchange of American goods. The Bahama government, hoping to cash in on the industry, built its first luxury hotel, the Royal Victoria Hotel.
The Paxinosa Inn
This month we are joining the library team on their travel up towards Bethlehem, PA, for Caitlin’s wedding!
The Paxinosa Inn was a short-lived, but popular, destination for locals in the Philadelphia and New York areas. The inn was named after the 18th century Shawnee Chief who lived in the area and negotiated trade routes with the French.
The inn opened on July 3, 1888, and sat along the Weygadt Mountain (meaning wind gate), overlooking the Delaware River. The home was built entirely of wood and held 82 guest rooms. A. Stanley Standford and his sister oversaw the building and its daily activities.
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Lake Minnewaska
This month we are traveling to the East Coast and visiting Lake Minnewaska in New York!
Minnewaska State Park Preserve is located in Ulster County and spans 22, 275 acres. The park overlooks the Catskill Mountains and is known for its hiking and biking trails, along with swimming, snowshoeing, and picnicking. Historically, the property was known for much more.
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French Lick Springs
This month we are visiting French Lick Springs, Indiana.
The first inn and hotel was built around 1832 – 1845 when Thomas Boweles, a physician, purchased the land near the mineral springs and opened it to visitors during the summer months. The hotel has had renovations, partially because of fires and ownership.
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