From staff reports
The Perry Township Historical Society was host recently to a standing-room-only attendance of nearly 200 at its Native American Program at the Perry Township fire hall in West Freedom.
Speaker and archeologist Ken Burkett presented a PowerPoint program about the petroglyphs along the Allegheny River, concentrating on the Parker Petroglyphs which are in Perry Township, Clarion County.
Exhibitors of their personal collections of Indian artifacts were Denny Pollock, Dave Elliott, Bill Merwin, Ed Heeter, Carl Black and Jim Snyder.
In 1976, a group of Perry Township citizens in cooperation with the township supervisors formed a committee with the purpose of restoring the old two-room school house in West Freedom. One room was restored at that time, but the committee became dormant and the original members are all deceased.
In 2016, Kay Caldwell gathered a new group and formed the Perry Township Historical Society which developed the mission, “The mission of Perry Township Historical Society is the discovery, collection and preservation of information and materials pertaining to the history and culture of Perry Township, Clarion County, Pennsylvania, and to encourage the study and appreciation of that history by conducting events, exhibitions and observances.”
Members of the board of directors are Kay Caldwell, Francis Bernard, Janet Dehart, Sally Reed, Jason Pollock, Jennifer Pollock, Elaine Simpson, Kylene Callander, Dan Myers, Jack Buzard, Sally Fritz and Charlotte Callander.
The society has fundraisers and offers annual memberships to support its programs. It stresses the purpose is not just about the old West Freedom School and plans future activities to coincide with its mission statement in providing programs and exhibits pertaining to the township’s history and culture.