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BELLEVILLE -- Katelynn Renno isn't old enough to drive let alone fire a cannon during the Revolutionary War.
That didn't stop the Belleville Mennonite School eighth-grader from putting a brave, heroic face when portraying Margaret Cochran Corbin, a woman who fought in the American Revolutionary War, during the school's recent Living History Museum project.
Eighth-grade students at Belleville Mennonite School created living museums by choosing Pennsylvanians who influenced history. Each eighth-grader selected their own individual, such as Corbin, William Chester Ruth, Winfield Scott Hancock, Florence Lois Weber or even Henry Harley Arnold to name a few. (Haven't heard of these folks? Read on.)
"This project allows students to learn to research using reliable sources," explained Belleville Mennonite School middle school teacher and principal Jessica Geissinger.
"In addition, students learn to take note cards in order to create an outline and, eventually, a research paper," she added. "Following this process, students write and memorize a speech which they present. Painting and creating their sets are the steps which allow students to practice their creative ideas. There are so many great skills which students gain through this project."
That's why it's remained such a student favorite over the years.
Geissinger said students usually spend around two months on the entire process of the project, which makes it a very large undertaking.
When selecting a hero to highlight for her school assignment, Renno selected Margaret Cochran Corbin "because of her fighting spirit, what she believed in and how brave she was."
On Nov. 16, 1776, Margaret's husband, John, was one of 2,800 American soldiers defending Fort Washington in northern Manhattan from 8,000 attacking Hessian troops under British command.
Margaret was too nervous to let her husband go into battle alone, so she decided she wanted to go with him. Since she was a nurse, she was allowed to accompany her husband as a nurse for injured soldiers.
John was on the crew of one of two cannons the defenders deployed; when he fell in action, Margaret took his place and continued to work the cannon until she too was seriously wounded.
"She took over her husband's cannon whenever he fell in battle," Renno said.
Historical accounts say that Margaret was standing next to her husband when he was wounded. Immediately, she took his post, and because she had watched her husband, a trained artilleryman, fire the cannon so much, she was to fire, clean and aim the cannon with great ease and speed.
This impressed the other soldiers and was the beginning of her military career. She later became the first woman in U.S. history to receive a pension from Congress for military service when she could no longer work due to injury.
Renno kept her museum background very simply, hanging an American flag on one side and painting a cannon on the other. She wore a white blouse and blue dress, which was a common style during the time period. She talked to other students and visitors who wanted to learn more about Margaret.
"I was very pleased and surprised by how many people gravitated toward my set," Renno said.
Geissinger was pleased with how all of the student projects turned out. They were on display during the school's Open House.
"This was an especially great group of students for the Living Museum project," Geissinger said. "The eighth-grade classes were independent, prepared and did an excellent job.
"They were one of the best groups I have had for meeting deadlines and working to their potential," she added. "I am incredibly proud of them."
William Chester Ruth
Carter Sunderland chose Ruth, a machinist, business owner and patented inventor who lived in both Chester and Lancaster counties, because the two shared a tie to farming.
"I saw what kind of impact he had on the agriculture industry with all the inventions he had," Sunderland said.
Born in Ercildoun, Chester County, as a child, Ruth proved insatiably curious about machinery, dissembling and reconstructing machinery around his family's farm much to his father's chagrin. Between 1924 and 1950, Ruth designed and patented numerous mechanical devices. His first came in 1924, the combination baler feeder, an after-market device that collected straw safely and efficiently into the chamber of a baler.
"It made it more interesting because I saw how he put things together and how he created it," Sunderland added. "I knew what some of the stuff was."
Ruth also was determined to succeed despite any obstacle, such as not receiving much of an education. "I learned if you put your mind to certain things, they can still turn out," Sunderland said. "You might have to try and try if you failed the first time. He never gave up. His put his mind to it and had an impact on the agricultural industry."
Sunderland painted his backdrop to resemble a barn and had miniature farm equipment on his display table, along with bales of hay sitting on the floor beside it. He sported denim overalls and a beret-like cap.
Winfield Scott Hancock
Ian Kauffman picked Hancock, who was known to his United States Army colleagues as "Hancock the Superb" for his personal leadership at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. Hancock served with distinction in the Army for four decades, including service in the Mexican American War and as a Union general in the American Civil War.
"I wanted to do somebody who fought in the Battle of Gettysburg and the Civil War,' Kauffman said. "It turned out pretty good."
Kauffman stood at his living museum post, desk out in a military uniform from that era and sported fake facial hair, similar to what Hancock had. His background included the words, "Hancock the Superb" with photos of the soldier on one side, and a map of the area on the other. His desk featured a lantern from the time period.
Hancock also participated in the military Reconstruction of the South and the United States' western expansion and war with the Native Americans at the Western frontier.
Florence Lois Weber
Addison Crownover was stumped on who to portray until she started researching important women from Pennsylvania. Weber's name popped up and the more Crownover read, the more the filmmaker and director, screenwriter, producer and actress piqued her interest.
"I looked her up as a last resort," Crownover recalled. "I couldn't find anyone who hadn't been done before. (After reading more) she really did interest me. I'm really happy with how it turned out."
Weber is identified in some historical references as among "the most important and prolific film directors in the era of silent films."
Weber also taught Crownover at least one valuable life lesson.
"One thing that I learned was you don't have to be somebody important to change history," she explained.
Crownover's set had the Universal logo painted on the back wall, along with a large movie reel. There was a typewriter, clipboard and lamp on her desk, and she was dressed in a suit.
Henry Harley Arnold
Ethan Miller chose Arnold because his family used to be in the United States Air Force, much like Arnold, one of the first military pilots worldwide.
Arnold was an American general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army and later, General of the Air Force. He was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps, commanding general of the U.S. Army Air Forces, the only U.S. Air Force general to hold five-star rank and the only officer to hold a five-star rank in two different U.S. military services.
"I did not know that he was the first General of the Air Force in history," Miller said. "To him, the sky had no limits."
Born in Gladwyne, in suburban Philadelphia, Arnold attended Lower Merion High School, graduating in 1903. The athletic fields at the school are named after him.
He had no intention of attending West Point - planning to enter the ministry - but took the entrance examination after his older brother defied their father and refused to do so.
"It was actually kind of fun," Miller said of the project and of learning about Arnold. His backdrop was painted sky blue with clouds and a plane hanging from the top. He sported a military uniform similar to what Arnold would have worn during his heyday.