HEINZ HISTORY CENTER AFFILIATION

Heinz History Center AffiliationIn 2013, the Donora Historical Society joined the Heinz History Center's - History Center Affiliate Program (HCAP). Since then, we've worked on numerous projects together, most of which are listed below:
  • October 2012 - Brian Charlton presented at the Heinz History Center as part of the Environmental Teen Town Hall & National Youth Summit on the Dust Bowl by Ken Burns with a live webcast with the Smithsonian Institution.
  • September 2013 - Brian Charlton wrote an article for the Heinz History Center's Western PA History magazine titled, "Cement City: Thomas Edison's Experiment With Worker's Housing In Donora." The magazine can be found on our Cement City page.
  • Fall of 2013 - HCAP sponsored program with Cal U of PA Honors English class titled "Digital Storytelling". The result was the video found on our 1948 Smog page titled, "A Town Called Donora".
  • October 2013 - Heinz History Center helped organize and staff our first Environmental Conference titled, “Commemorating the 1948 Donora Smog Disaster -- a seminal moment in environmental history”.
  • March 2014 - we hosted a group of Heinz History Center docents for a special Cement City Home and Walking Tour, as well as lunch and a tour of the Smog Museum.
  • Spring 2014 - HCAP sponsored program with Cal U of PA Honors English class titled "Digital Storytelling". The result was the video found on our Cement City page titled, "Cement City: A Digital Story".
  • September 2014 - as part of the HCAP Affiliate Ambassador's series, Brian Charlton presented "Donora and the 1948 Air Quality Crisis" at the Heinz History Center that was filmed and aired by C-SPAN and can still be seen via our 1948 Smog page.
  • October 2014 - Heinz history Center helped organize and staff our second Environmental Conference titled, "1948 Smog: Digital Storytelling".
  • Fall 2014 - HCAP sponsored program with Cal U of PA Honors English class titled "Digital Storytelling". The result was the video found on our Cement City page titled, "Cement City: The Initial Proposal".
  • March/April 2015 - hosted the Heinz History Center's traveling Civil War Exhibit for six weeks.
  • Spring 2015 - HCAP sponsored program with Cal U of PA Honors English class. The result was editing this website.
  • August 2015 - Donora Historical Society and Smog Museum featured in Heinz History Center's Western PA History Magazine - Summer 2015 in their HCAP Spotlight article.
  • December 2015 - helped the Heinz History Center receive a national award from the American Association for State and Local History for the traveling Civil War Exhibit.
  • September 2016 - submitted a project application on "Digital Storytelling" with the Heinz History Center and Cal U of PA to the Appalachian Studies Conference to be held in 2017 at Virginia Tech University.
  • March 2017 - presented "Digital Storytelling" with the Heinz History Center and Cal U of PA to the Appalachian Studies Conference at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, VA.
  • March 2017 - awarded the Heinz History Center travelling WWII Exhibit for February 1 to April 7, 2020.
  • Fall 2017 - HCAP sponsored program with Cal U of PA Honors English class titled "Digital Storytelling." You can read about it here in a Herald-Standard article titled, "Cal U honors student's premier digital stories on regional historic sites."
  • April 2018 - presented "Cement City" with the Heinz History Center and University of Pittsburgh's Osher Adult Continuing Education classes.
  • Fall 2018 - HCAP sponsored program with Cal U of PA Honors English class titled "Digital Storytelling." Two class groups. WWII theme.
  • April 2019 - presented "Stan 'The Man' Musial" with the Heinz History Center and University of Pittsburgh's Osher Adult Continuing Education classes.
  • Spring 2019 - HCAP sponsored program with Cal U of PA Honors English class titled "Digital Storytelling." One class group - two featured stories.
  • Feb/March/April 2020 - hosted the Heinz History Center's traveling WWII Exhibit for nine weeks.
  • Fall 2021/Spring 2022 - participated in the “Civic Empathy through History” Project for a permanent display at the Smog Museum.
  • Fall 2021 - HCAP sponsored program with Cal U of PA Honors English class titled "Digital Storytelling." One class group - two featured stories.
  • Fall 2022 - launched the “Civic Empathy through History” Project with a permanent display at the Smog Museum. See the photo on the left below.
  • Fall 2022 - HCAP sponsored program with Cal U of PA Honors English class titled "Digital Storytelling." Two class groups - Steelworker's Children and Bruce Dreisbach.
  • Spring 2023 - HCAP sponsored program with Cal U of PA Honors English class titled "Digital Storytelling." One class group - Eldora Park.
  • Summer 2023 - finished the “Civic Empathy through History” Project with a virtual display on the Heinz History Center's website.
  • December 2023 - Donora Historical Society and Smog Museum featured in Heinz History Center's Western PA History Magazine - Winter 2023 in their HCAP Spotlight article centered on our “Civic Empathy through History” Project. See the photo on the right below.
  • Fall 2023 - HCAP sponsored program with Cal U of PA Honors English class titled "Digital Storytelling." One class group - 1940s household items.

To Donate to the Donora Historical Society and Smog Museum, please use our PayPal option to the right.
If you would like to add a note along with your donation, please consider sending an email to:donorahistoricalsociety@gmail.com