19th-century civil-rights pioneer in spotlight

Authors of Octavius Catto book to speak at Chester County Historical Society Daniel R. Biddle and Murray Dubin, authors of the acclaimed biography of 19th-century Philadelphia civil rights pioneer Octavius Catto – Tasting Freedom: Octavius Catto and the Battle for Equality in Civil War America – will discuss Catto’s life, legacy, and milieu on Friday, March 7, at 7 p.m. at the Chester...

Lecture on county’s mining history, Feb. 25

The French Creek Mine, circa 1887, is just one part of the rich history of mining in Chester County. The Chadds Ford Historical Society plans a lecture, Feb. 25, on this fascinating subject. WEST CHESTER — To Celebrate the new “Mines and Minerals of Chester County” exhibit in the conference room of the Chadds Ford Historical Society, the organization kicks off the Spring Lecture Series this...

Advocacy groups to hold free expungement session

Workshop will be held at La Comunidad Hispana on March 6 Past brushes with the law don’t necessarily have to cloud a person’s future: La Comunidad Hispana’s (LCH) Legal Assistance Program is offering a free workshop on policies and procedures that will help qualified people expunge minor criminal records, a LCH news release said. The workshop will take place on Thursday, March 6, at 5 p.m....

Seminars to offer ideal way to bee informed

Chester County Beekeepers eager to create buzz about annual event Curious about beekeeping? Concerned about the reported decline of pollinators? The Chester County Beekeepers Association (CCBA) is promoting a sweet way to be educated. The group will hold its annual seminar on March 15 at West Chester University’s Merion Science Center, a forum that offers an excellent opportunity to get information...

Lecture to focus on fabric of bygone eras

Presentation will be part of Chester County Historical Society Antiques Show Jan Whitlock The Chester County Historical Society (CCHS) is hoping residents will mark their calendars for the 32nd Annual Chester County Antiques Show, a major benefit that will be held from April 4 to April 6 at the Phelps School in Malvern. Included in this year’s program will be the Mary Elizabeth Robinson...

County agencies offering spring support groups

Wednesday evening sessions available for adoptive or kinship families Operating on the premise that there’s strength in numbers, a consortium of county departments and agencies has announced the spring schedule for post-adoption and grand-family support groups. The sessions, which will meet from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the county’s Government Services Center building (601 Westtown Rd., West Chester)...

Weather interferes with transit – and meeting about it

County officials seeking public input at rescheduled session on March 5 The recent weather has wreaked havoc with transportation in numerous ways. A meeting organized by the Chester County Planning Commission (CCPC) in partnership with the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) to get input on a county-wide Public Transportation Plan had to be rescheduled a couple of weeks ago. Originally...

Monday is ‘Family Day’ at Chesco Historical Society

Variety of activities will include reenactors for Revolutionary, Civil Wars Noah Lewis will portray Revolutionary War hero Ned Hector during the Chester County Historical Society’s Family Day on Monday, Feb. 17. The Chester County Historical Society is promising an educational, entertaining program of family fun and enrichment on Monday, Feb. 17,  from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The 2014 Family Day,...

Chester Countians invited to join dance flash mob

Agencies join forces for annual event on Friday to protest gender violence  Organizers hope to surpass the numbers and spectacle that the 2013 awareness event generated. An annual organized flash mob dance on Feb. 14 aims to protest gender violence and promote empowerment, organizers said.  The Chester County Fund for Women and Girls, the Domestic Violence Center, the Crime Victims Center...

Program to explore ‘reverse Underground Railroad’

Chesco Historical Society brings ‘History on Tap’ to Kennett Square  “History on Tap,” a program of the Chester County Historical Society that combines insight and discussion with food and drink, is coming to Kennett Square. On Monday, Feb. 24, at 6:30 p.m., Chris Densmore will present “The Kidnapping of Thomas Mitchell, 1849” at the Half Moon Restaurant. Mitchell,...