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The McCarl Industrial and Agricultural Museum
of Beaver County and The Hamilton Tool Forge and Foundry are the
newest museum facilities in the County.
The Keith Blaho Collection is featured.
These facilities have been built by the
Little Beaver Historical Society in Darlington, PA.
This is a work in progress. Ground was broken
about eight months ago, and the buildings were recently completed.
The facilities were opened to the public
on May 31, 2008 for a sneak preview..
The Society is about halfway done with the
displays and the collection of industrial and agricultural artifacts.
The McCarl Industrial and Agricultural Museum
of Beaver County ( IAM Beaver County) was the dream of several
members of the Society who had the desire to preserve and publicly
display a few remnants of the Golden Age of Industry in the County
which ran from around 1900 into the 1980's. And since farming
had been the root occupation of the area, a farming display was
also planned.
The Hamilton Tool Forge and Foundry, a separate
building, was also envisioned as a facility where the arts of
forging, blacksmithing, and foundry techniques could be demonstrated
and taught.
What visitors see today are the first steps
in trying to develop this vision.
The first seed money came from Jay Leno
who donated $5,000 to get the project started. Other donations
and grants soon followed. Major donors include the McCarl family,
Fred Hamilton, Arthur Nesbitt, the Delos Duff family and others.
Senator Gerald LaValle and Representative Chris Sainato helped
obtain grants for the project. Many people and organizations donated
anything from a few dollars to thousands. Many others donated
time and materials so that this project could advance.
A few of the many display items in these
buildings include a Champion Horizontal Engine manufactured in
Beaver Falls in 1903 and weighing 8,000 pounds. This is the only
still existing engine built in Beaver County.
A turn of the century Corliss Steam Engine
is not only displayed but operating.
An early Keystone Driller Company of Beaver
Falls steam engine and a Downie Water Pump are displayed and operated.
Other items include wire forming machines
from Townsend Co. in New Brighton.
Several machines from Moltrup Steel Co.
in Beaver Falls are displayed, including a bar straightener designed
and built by the Moltrups.
A number of early farm machines and horse
drawn items are included in this exhibit.
Numerous displays showing various aspects
of Beaver County's heritage are presented.
Many more machines, engines, and artifacts are still to be brought in. Text and story line are being developed.
This Industrial Museum is always seeking the following: