Tony Barge A Bit Hit At Historical Society Dinner

Those who attended the Ellwood City Area Historical Society’s 38th season kick-off dinner held at the Connoquenessing Country Club on September 8th were treated to a toe-tapping music session by the incomparable Tony Barge.

The meeting, the first of the 2025-26 season for the Society, was a great beginning as Barge not only entertained with some country music classics, but also gave an interesting background of the country music genre in the Ellwood City area. Names like Leroy Cortez and “Dave Mac” Dave McCandless were mentioned as two of several talented performers from this area. Barge noted that his parent’s, Howard and Rose Frisk Barge, were the biggest influence in his country music career.

To everyone’s delight, Barge also conducted some sing-a-long songs like “You are my Sunshine,” John Denver’s “Take me Home Country Roads,” and the crowd-pleasing hymn “In the Garden.”

The dinner opened with Board member and past president, Everett Bleakney giving the invocation and leading the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. During the dinner, Society President, Bob Morabito, recognized the Officers and Board members: Andy Kindle, Beth Wysomierski, Lois Liebendorfer, Angela Hyde, Jane Kocher, Rosemary Morgan, Everett Bleakney, Blanche Novak, Dylan Baney, and Eric Krchmar. He also recognized this year’s Scholarship Committee chaired by Bleakney and including Kay Houk, Mary May, and Hyde, noting that this year the Society has gone over the $100,000.00 mark in scholarship awards.

The Accessioning team led by Kocher and including Barbara Neff and Liebendorfer were also recognized as well as the volunteers and donors that allow the Society to meet its mission to collect, protect, preserve, and make available the rich history of the Ellwood City Area. The 50/50 raffle was won by Judy Cosky and mums were given as door prizes.

Founded in 1988, the Ellwood City Area Historical Society meets every second Monday from September through November, and January through May. All meetings are no charge and open to the public. They also operate a free museum that displays related local artifacts, located at 310 5th Street in Ellwood City. Membership in the Society is $10.00 for an individual and $ 25.00 for a family.

The October’s meeting at the History Center will feature a discussion by the nuns of the Monastery of the Transfiguration and November will feature the magic of Ellwood City Dentist Dr. Brad Brown. The general public is invited to attend all Historical Society events.