Open house Thursday at Wilder Museum
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An open house is on tap at the Wilder Museum on Thursday night.
It will be held in honor of the museum's founder, Robert O. "Bob" Wilder, who donated the museum -- and many National Forge artifacts -- in Irvine to the Warren County Historical Society in 1996.
The museum will be open from 6 to 8 p.m. for this event.
"The Ellwood Group has kept up the tradition and added several more pieces to the collection that continue to represent the historic importance of the National Forge to the community," WCHS Managing Director Michelle Gray said.
The Wilder Museum is named for Robert Wilder's father, Clinton, who founded National Forge in 1915 in Erie. It was purchased by the Irvine Steel Forge Company two years later.
Gray said that several local historians and authors will be participating in the open house.
That includes Civil War historian Ike Borland, Kinzua historian Kevin Sheldon, Marcia Kleinert who has written two books about Kinzua as well as oil images displayed by Cathy Southwell.
Robert Wilder "was highly respected in the community for his integrity, honesty, and true goodness to those around him," Gray added.
Thursday's open house is free and open to the public.