The Chester County History Center has a packed calendar of events in August that are sure to inform and fascinate participants:

“My ancestors were from Chester County, what records do you have?” “Do you have birth records?” “When did my ancestors get married?”These are some of the most frequently asked questions our reference archivists receive from genealogists. While there’s a lot of genealogical data available at the Chester County Archives, the records here are limited to those exclusively created by the Chester County Government.

As you walk the streets of West Chester, you’ll see names like Darlington, Butler, and Everhart. But do you know the history behind the names? Many of West Chester’s leading citizens are buried at Oaklands Cemetery (founded 1854), but there are dozens of stories that remain untold as well. Join the education staff of the Chester County History Center to learn true tales of the soldiers, statesmen, lawyers, doctors, musicians, athletes, artists, and more that found their final rest at this garden cemetery outside of West Chester.

The Underground Railroad was a network of people offering shelter and aid to enslaved men, women and children on their journeys to freedom. This family-friendly walking tour will visit eight locations around downtown West Chester that served as a backdrop for the people involved in this clandestine operation.

The tour covers approximately 1.25 miles, lasts 90 minutes, and is entirely outdoors.

Oaklands Cemetery has served as one of West Chester’s primary memorial landscapes since 1854, but it also holds a place within the larger world of well-designed garden cemeteries that redefined the burial ground during the middle decades of the 19th century.

This talk will provide a historical framework to help us better understand cemeteries like Oaklands and the desire of their creators to form public landscapes that would console and edify those who visit them. Knowing more about these often neglected memorial spaces leads us to value them and to make a concerted effort to better preserve them.

On Friday, Aug. 12 from 2 PM to 4:30 PM, drop off your stuffed animal or favorite toy at the front desk of the Chester County History Center. We’ll take them on an adventure through our museum, even into the secret spaces that the public is usually not allowed to go! Don’t worry about missing anything, we’ll take lots of pictures of every adventure that we’ll send to an adult’s email address as they’re happening, so you can check in with your friend and see what they’re up to. At 7 PM, we’ll read them a bedtime story that you can join in by Zoom to read along with us!

On Saturday, Aug. 13 from 11 AM to 2 PM, come pick up your friend and enjoy a scrapbooking craft of their adventures overnight.

Learn more about these August events at the Chester County History Center.