My County’s American History Fair 2022

Jillian here. Happy February!

I was lucky enough to be part of the judging for the American History Fair in my county this year again. There were fewer entries which made me sad, but the students work really hard and it definitely shows. Some are in middle school and some in high school. This year’s theme was diplomacy and debate. I’m sharing a sampling of the displays I liked the most.

I wasn’t really sure what the La Belle Epoque one had to do with diplomacy or debate, but it was very visually appealing. I can’t recall what the paper the students had to provide with their display said, but I liked the board. LOL

Hoping everyone has a great month and stays warm– it’s even cold here where I am- 30s Fahrenheit in the nights and into daytime. Brr!

History Fair

This gallery contains 9 photos.

Jillian here. Happy February. I, for one, was happy to see January leave. I literally was sick the entire month. Kept the cough until February 5, but at least wasn’t sick. Today, I had the privilege of being part of … Continue reading →

Yep. I Know. I’m Late.

I can’t even pretend to be late for a very important date like Alice’s white rabbit. And anyway, where exactly was he going? If he was afraid of disappointing those crazy folks at the tea party, they probably couldn’t even tell what time it was anyway. God forbid if he was trying to make the Queen of Hearts happy since she was all about “off with their heads” and that jazz. How’d she even get to be the Queen of Hearts anyway? Someone as unloveable as she was sure didn’t deserve such a title, did she?

Anyway, I could analyze Alice in Wonderland all day but who wants to do that, right? Is everyone ready for fall? I am. It’s been a long summer of death and sickness all around and it’s time for some fun and what we all love here in the south- Food on a stick season. In this area, we have a ton of fall celebrations including the seafood festival, arts festivals, the fair and Halloween carnivals. At each of these events, you can get all kinds of goodies served on a stick. We have kebobs, teriyaki beef and chicken, corn on the cob, Shrimp on a stick, candied apples, caramel apples, and even candy floss (cotton candy).

What’s your favorite fair or festival food?

Cloudy With A Chance of “Rain Day” by Valerie J. Patterson

Rain Day statue in borough park

According to the rain record, it’s rained on July 29^th 113 of the last 138 years in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.  Now, this may seem an odd thing for someone to track, but in Greene County, we celebrate the fact that one local farmer made a comment to William Allison, a local pharmacist back in the late 1800s, that it always seemed to rain on July 29^th.  Mr. Allison and his brother Albert kept a record of the rainfall until the 1920s when Bryon Daily took over the recordkeeping.  Today, we close off High Street, the main thoroughfare through uptown—we have no “downtown” as you must go up a hill to get to downtown Waynesburg —and we have an old fashioned street fair.  The center of the festival takes place on the courthouse steps.  This tradition began in 1979, and Rain Day is the only celebrated holiday in the world that is not a success unless it rains!!

Greene County Courthouse

1939 marks the earliest record of the notorious “Hat Bet” when celebrities—the likes of which include Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, The Three Stooges, Johnny Carson, Willard Scott, Harry Anderson, Mike Love of the Beach Boys, Fran Drescher, Jay Leno, and the Dixie Chicks, just to name a few—wagered their hats against our rain!  The hats won from the multitude of celebrities who lost their wagers are on display here while others were auctioned off in order to raise funds to begin a hospice care in the 1980s.

High Street

Rain Day festivities include the Miss Rain Day Pageant, comedy and musical entertainment, face painting, food booths, the Texaco Country Showdown, umbrella decorating competition, turtle racing, bubble gum bubble blowing competition, and the Company K Salute.

High Street, 2

The Company K Salute commemorates the courageous Greene County men of Company K, 2^nd Battalion, 110^th Infantry.  The Rain Day festivities are stilled each year and a moment of silence is given in honor of those brave men of Company K.  Nearly half their 250 men were either killed or wounded in France during World War I on Rain Day, July 29, 1918.  The late John O’Hara, a local newsman, is often quoted for having once written, “On that Rain Day in 1918, it rained bullets on the men of Company K.”

Young or old, the people come out to celebrate and hope it pours!

If you’d like to know more about Rain Day, navigate the Rain Day website, which can be found at: Rain Day

If you’re going to be in the area and would like to enter your turtle in the race, just come on over…but you might want to bring your umbrella!

Until next time…may the rain in your life always be a cool summer shower and a cause for celebration!!