Houtzdale Area Historical Society opens its doors

— Ad Bargain photo by Andy Stine

By Andy Stine

astine@altoonamirror.com

HOUTZDALE — Longtime Houtzdale resident Larry Kokoskie, who died in December of last year, had a dream to make a historical society in his town. His wife, Carol, who passed away only about a month later, shared the same dream.

Their wishes are being fulfilled less than a year after the Koskoskies’ deaths as the Houtzdale Area Historical Society has been formed.

The society has leased the former M&T Bank in the town, and will hold a grand opening from noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 3-4. There will be a ribbon cutting with the Greater Clearfield Chamber of Commerce on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

Larry Kokoskie was a longtime collector of historical items in the Moshannon Valley area, and donated much of his items to the society.

“About a year ago, he said, ‘I’m not doing well. We need to form a historical society and have a museum,'” HAHS president Rusty Christoff said.

Christoff is also a collector of local history and has also donated a lot of his items to the new museum. There are also items from local community members that will be displayed.

“One year ago we started and we had nothing,” Christoff said. “We started a society, and we started raising money.”

There were also plenty of items donated by local historian Dave Wulderk, who also served as a history teacher at Moshannon Valley High School. Many students took his popular local history class that went on field trips to local historical landmarks.

Wulderk, who passed away in 2021, will also be recognized at the grand opening along with the Kokoskies.

The Houtzdale Area Historical Society will not just focus on the history of Houtzdale, but also the surrounding communities of the Moshannon Valley area of Brisbin, Morann, Madera, Smoke Run, Ramey, Janesville, Glen Hope and Ansonville.

“There’s well over 1,000 items in here to be seen, and some of them have never been seen before,” Christoff said. “It’s kind of an exciting thing for people who are nerds about history.”

While Larry Kokoskie and Wulderk were the driving forces of this project, Christoff has also been a collector of the history of the Moshannon Valley for 40 years.

“Any time I saw something Houtzdale-related, I gathered it up,” Christoff said.

“I’ve always loved the history of the area since I was a kid. I remember these towns when they had main streets and businesses. That’s gone.”

Along with artifacts and various local items on display in the new museum, there are binders filled with local news. For instance, if a Ramey resident would want to learn more about the history of their town, there is a binder for it that was made by Larry Kokoskie.

There are also rooms dedicated to the railroads and the schools, dating back to the old Houtzdale and Madera High Schools.

There are also issues of the Houtzdale Citizen newspaper, dating back to the 1870s. The newspaper ceased publication in the 1960s.

Christoff has a goal to get a school grade into the museum to share the local history.

“I’d like to show them pictures of where the Sherkel Theater stood or Anderson’s Department Store or Sahlaney’s (Department Store) with a picture and say, ‘Here was a theater that held 600 people. Here’s where the opera house stood,'” Christoff said.

Christoff said there has been plenty of financial support from the local lodges and businesses. The society has raised enough money for the first year to pay the rent for the building and utilities.

“The enthusiasm that I’m hearing is pretty phenomenal,” Christoff said. “A lot of people who have stayed in the area have an appreciation for the past, an appreciation for what was here. I had an entire basement full of stuff that’s never been seen. I think the community is going to be impressed.”

During both days of the grand opening, the Houtzdale Area Historical Society will be collecting used eyeglasses to donate to the Houtzdale Lions Club. Light refreshments will also be served during the two-day event.