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Tuscarora museum showcases stolen pieces during ceremony

Sentinel photo by MIKE GOSS The crowd enjoys the program during the festivities at the Tuscarora Academy Museum Sunday.

MIFFLIN — Years of emotion swelled in Jessica Eaton Guyer’s head as she spoke to the crowd which came to the Juniata County Historical Society’s Tuscarora Academy Museum Sunday afternoon to celebrate its opening and the return of three historical items.

Guyer, the museum’s curator, had spent countless hours inventorying and organizing the museum’s collection of antiques, along with other dedicated volunteers. She was angry that thief Michael Kinter Corbett had so brazenly stolen priceless pieces of history from the museum – albeit 45 years ago.

“I’m willing to bet that when a guy from Delaware walked into our museum in 1979, and walked out pocketing three items from our collection, he wouldn’t have guessed that his act would lead to the creation of this 900-page detailed inventory of every item in our collection,” Guyer boasted of the volunteer efforts.

“The theft was violating and unfortunate, but lessons learned do lead to improvements in both cataloging and better security,” she added. “So, what I’m trying to say is, I know what and where everything in that building is located, so between our Brinks security system and me, just don’t even try it – I will go to great lengths to save our county’s history!”

She was overjoyed to finally have those prized possessions returned to their rightful home after decades.

“There’s an old adage that blesses those who plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit,” Guyer said. “When the Academy planted the trees, you see around this campus for Arbor Day celebrations in the 1880s, they couldn’t have dreamt we’d be here today celebrating our 53rd year as a museum.”

And Guyer was overwhelmed by the show of support from volunteers in getting the museum ready for this special occasion.

“We rely on our volunteers and contributing donations from members and guests to keep the historical society running,” she added.

Like a proud parent, Guyer couldn’t wait to unveil the new parts of the museum to those in attendance, who had come to see not only those relics but the other changes at the museum including the debut of the new Doty Room permanent exhibit.

“This new exhibit will give you a glimpse into the Doty’s home, their life, and their many connections within the county whose contributions we still benefit from today,” she explained.

The Doty family descended from Mayflower passenger, Edward Doty. He participated in the first encounter, the first Thanksgiving, and the first duel fought in New England. When his descendants settled in Juniata County in 1790, those Doty firsts continued with the county’s first doctor lineage, first Masonic lodge and first bank.

But the stars of the show were the three returned items: a Sharpe flintlock pistol that had been in the Culbertson family for 200 years before being donated to the society; a Colt 45 that was used in World War I by Alfred J. Bartan, also donated by Viola Culbertson; and an Albert System fife, used by Civil War veteran J. Marshall Donnelly of East Waterford.

“These pieces of history were returned to us, thanks to the efforts of a top-notch law enforcement team,” Guyer said, who thanks Det. Brendan Dougherty, Det. Andrew Rathfon and Assistant U.S. Attorney K.T. Newton.

“When I received a phone call in 2020 from Detective Dougherty saying they may have recovered some of our items in an antiquities raid, he said it was only by the grace of a police report they found from 40 years earlier that led them to us,” Guyer recalled. “That police report was filed by our very own retired State Trooper Jerry Eaton.”

This was a one-day-only display of the returned antiques at the museum. Invitees at the event included the law enforcement team who made the return of these items possible.

Sunday also marked the opening of this year’s Special Exhibit Room. Typically, the museum has an annual theme for the room, but this year they wanted to get more items out on display.

“The room has many of the new donations we’ve received, such as the uniform of one of the 17 young men in Juniata County drafted to Vietnam and documents from the White House and Mamie Eisenhower to a McAlisterville business,” Guyer said.

The room also has some items the museum brought out of storage that have never been displayed before, including a wedding dress made from a World War II parachute, driving gloves and goggles from the early automobile days, cradle quilt that rocked the babies of Civil War Gen. Robert McAllister as well as the general’s engraved walking cane.

The museum, located at 472 Academy Rd., is open Sundays through the end of August. Hours are 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, visit juniatacountyhistoricalsociety.org or find them on Facebook.

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