1902: A Year of Transition and Change

Take a Trip Back in Time to 1902 – A Year of Transition and Change”

On the evening of February 21st from 7pm to 9pm guests of the Phelps Mansion Museum will have a unique opportunity to take a trip back in time to the year 1902. Museum visitors will have the opportunity to meet and interact with several individuals from 1902, individuals who truly helped to change the world.

1902 was a time of change. President Roosevelt, who took office just a year ago after the assignation of President McKinley, is himself making a number of changes and ushering in a modern America, An America that is about fairness to everyone. Women are banding together to promote universal education and to increase workplace safety. There is a movement to limit the number of hours that children under 16 work to just 60 hours a week! Several inventors have developed products that will help revolutionize food production, including Mr. Kemp’s new manure spreader. Mr. Ransom Olds has created a new horseless carriage that seems to have caught some interest, though we all agree the it can never replace its horse-drawn predecessor. Even the very food that we put on our tables is changing. Several new ingredients are being added and it is unclear if they are helpful or harmful. Even in rural areas of the country as the sun sets after a long day, our homes are brightened by an electric light. Here we are at the start of a new century. Just imagine what other new advancements we will see as the 1900’s unfold.

Our guests from the past will include: Miss Caroline Hills, a founder of the Monday Afternoon Club and a teacher in Binghamton. Miss Hills seeks to reduce child labor in order to give them an opportunity for education and to increase workplace safety. Mr. Joseph Kemp, inventor of the 20th Century Manure Spreader which is built in his very efficient factory in Newark Valley. He is also an advocate of wholesome food for all Americans. Nikola Tesla a brilliant inventor involved in everything from electricity to wireless messaging, George Westinghouse who invented the railroad air brake and worked with Mr. Tesla to develop our electrical grid. Marguerite Westinghouse who was an avid animal rights activist and provider of specialized horse shoes for working on icy roads

The evenings program is part of the effort of the Phelps Mansion Museum to help share stories from the past with the community. The February 21st interactive presentation is open by reservation. Participants are encouraged to interact with our guests from the past. The 1902 program has been made possible thanks to the cooperation of the 1890 House, Newark Valley Historical Society, the Phelps Mansion Museum members and Yesterday’s Gentlemen, a NYS business dedicated to bringing the past to life one character at a time. For further information or to make reservations, contact the Phelps Mansion Museum at 607-722-4873.

Admission for this evening:  Adults $10, Students 13-17 $5.00 and children 12 and under FREE