The Union County Historical Society
is pleased to announce the release of
Heritage
Volume XXI: Samuel Dale (1741-1804): A Life and Estate in Union County
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This Heritage volume tells the story of Samuel Dale and the
Dale/Engle/Walker House. Forrest Fothergill explains the context
of Dale’s immigration from Northern Ireland to the frontier of
Pennsylvania, describes Dale as a family man in his household, and
highlights some of his accomplishments as a politician. Ted Strosser
follows with an in-depth architectural description of the house, giving
readers a feel for how life might have felt spatially in the home of a
prosperous frontier citizen. One of the important pieces of
information that comes down to us about Samuel Dale is a listing of the
books in his library. James Clements identifies the books in the
collection, gleaning from those titles a notion of Samuel Dale’s
personal interests and intellectual background. Jeannette
Lasansky closes the collection of articles with a perspective on the
Dale family as slaveholders. As one of the few slaveholders in
the area, the Dale family owned slaves relatively late compared to
others in the region. The practice of slavery in Union County is
only recently coming to light. The Dale house plays its role in
that practice.
Samuel Dale
purchased land in 1789 along Buffalo Creek and built his home there in
1793. Dale served the region and the Commonwealth as a Captain during
the Revolutionary War, as one of Pennsylvania’s first state
assemblymen, and as an elected state senator who helped establish the
early government of Pennsylvania. Subsequent generations of the Dale
family owned or occupied the property until 1929, when it was purchased
by Jacob and Maude Engle, who farmed it until 1957. The Engles
sold the property to Ralph Charles and Rosemary Walker who, in their
will, paved the way for the Union County Historical Society to assume
ownership in 2001.
The Historical
Society has restored the house and property. Tours are offered on Sunday afternoons June
through October, and by special request. Included in the tour is
the Dale Library, an on-going project to replicate Dale's book
collection with 18th century and/or contemporary editions. The property
is the site of Rural Heritage Days events in mid-August, celebrating
the traditions and skills of Union County residents. Programs are
offered each February commemorating Black History Month.
Copies of Heritage
Volume XXI: Samuel Dale (1741-1804): A Life and Estate in Union County
are available for purchase from the Society office located in the
County Courthouse, S. Second Street, Lewisburg and at selected
merchants. Members of the Union
County Historical Society receive a copy of the book upon payment of
dues for 2008. Please call the Society at 524-8666 for more
information.
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