Articles
These articles by Robin Van Auken run the gamut of topics such as Inspiration, Writing, Publication, and Promotion. Other topics, such as Archaeology, Sports, Travel, History, Science and more, creep in. Robin is a writer of local history books and contemporary fiction. She lives in the Highlands of Pennsylvania and has advanced degrees in Anthropology and Communications. Enjoy the variety.
Also included in this library are contributions by historians and authors Lou Hunsinger, Jr., Tom “Tank” Baird, and Joan Wheal Blank. Some of these articles were published on the Historic Williamsport website operated by Robin, and are now the News of Yesteryear series.
- To see Robin’s articles, keep scrolling below. They are mingled in with Lou’s and Joan’s.
- To see Lou’s articles and contact him directly, CLICK THIS LINK.
- To see Tank’s articles and contact him directly, CLICK THIS LINK.
- To see Joan’s articles and contact her directly, CLICK THIS LINK.
Browse the Articles Library
Devil’s Den
The Devil's Den in Florida is a dramatic freshwater spring, and popular for scuba diving and snorkeling. To reach the Den, visitors must descend narrow, limestone steps to the karst. Lycoming College Nautical Archaeology [...]
Doing the Difficult
I recently had a great, and at the same time miserable, experience. I'm working towards my Advanced Open Water PADI Scuba Diving certification, and completing the Deep Dive is one of the tasks I selected. I knew it would [...]
Solo Camping
I spent a week solo camping, as a way to kick start my writing this summer. I viewed solo camping as a "Writing Retreat." Constant Companion: Chubbers, an Australian Shepherd-Husky Mix.Constant Companion: Chubbers, an Australian Shepherd-Husky Mix. Confession: [...]
National Archives Releases Civil War Documents, Photograph
National Archives Releases Civil War Documents, Photograph Interested in the ephemera of the Civil War? The National Archives has released thousands of documents and photographs from the American Civil War, and Wikimedia Commons is organizing them. [...]
Kids Dig ‘Arch in the Park’
Muncy Historical Society, Northcentral Chapter 8, Lycoming College Unite to Offer One-of-a-Kind Archaeology Experience to Area Youth MUNCY -- Arch in the Park is a hands-on heritage program designed by students for students. Organized by communication students at Lycoming College, [...]
Grit Chronicles: Suffrage in Williamsport
On occasion, I share historic news reports and here's one of interest, in honor of Women's History Month. People don't often think of Suffrage as a community effort, but without commitment on the local level, the 19th Amendment would never [...]
World of Little League Museum videos
Hands on Heritage assisted the World of Little League Museum cast and videotape local children in the "Where in the World of Little League Museum" series to celebrate the 2015 Little League World Series. The videos were part of [...]
Our Milestone: 35 Years Together
We celebrated a milestone in the Van Auken family: our 35th wedding anniversary. I made a short video for my sweetheart that summarized some of the adventures we've had this past year, and I'm looking forward to many more. Van [...]
Muncy Heritage Park Offers River Access
Muncy Heritage Park offers river access. MUNCY — River enthusiasts, canoeists, and kayakers have another gorgeous access point to the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, this one overlooking a significant historic site: the Last Raft Crash [...]
Get a Great Night’s Sleep
Have you, your family, or a friend ever had difficulty sleeping? For years, I've struggled with going to sleep and remaining asleep. I would lie awake for hours, agonizing over my "To Do" list or tasks I hadn't completed. [...]
Small Changes Ripple Outward
Small Changes Ripple Outward I spent a delightful 12 minutes watching a Ted Talk by Shawn Achor, a psychologist who teaches about positivity and its effect on happiness. Shawn Achor(Photo courtesy Alexismbr, Wikimedia Commons) Not only [...]
Hands-on Heritage: Keeler Company
Hands-on Heritage: Keeler Company Hands-on Heritage: Keeler Company The E. Keeler Company, manufacturers of boilers, etc., conduct Quo of the old industries of the city. The business was established in 1864 by J. Heathcote & Company, who conducted [...]
Hands-on Heritage: Market Square
Hands-on Heritage: Market Square This 1875 photograph shows the southwest corner of Market Square in downtown Williamsport. Bustling with downtown traffic despite the muddy thoroughfares, Williamsport's booming lumber trade summoned entrepreneurs eager to capitalize on the region's wealth and new [...]
Ask a Curator Day
We're all curious about what goes on behind closed doors, and that's true for museums and galleries and historical societies, as well as private residences. Spencer Baird My favorite closed doors are at the National Museum of American [...]
#TBT: Mother Instinct Outweighs Appetite
Odd, Strange and Curious: A #TBT from Grit: America's Greatest Family Newspaper, brought to you by Hands on Heritage. Mother Instinct Outweighs Appetite June 6, 1946
Kitchen Sink Bars
I like the portability and stability of Lara Bars when I'm in the field. They hold up well in the backpack, and they're not outrageously expensive. They are a treat, however, and when I'm shopping, I'm already spending more than [...]
Williamsport: Boomtown on the Susquehanna
Williamsport: Boomtown on the Susquehanna (Robin Van Auken and Louis E. Hunsinger, Jr., Arcadia, 2003) This book relates the history of Williamsport, as well as many towns and boroughs of Lycoming County. Williamsport, a struggling frontier village that grew into [...]
The Story of Little League Baseball®
Play Ball! The Story of Little League Baseball By Lance and Robin Van Auken Play Ball! The Story of Little League® Baseball is the remarkable story of Little League® Baseball, from the first diamond in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to the playing fields [...]
Little League Baseball World Series
The Little League Baseball World Series (Robin Van Auken, Arcadia, 2002) This book is a photographic companion book to Play Ball! The Story of Little League Baseball (Penn State University Press 2001). It profiles more than five decades of the [...]
Lycoming County’s Industrial Heritage
Lycoming County's Industrial Heritage (Robin Van Auken and Louis E. Hunsinger, Jr., Arcadia, 2005) This book reviews Northcentral Pennsylvania’s rich industrial history, first in lumber and then in manufacturing. After the Lumber Boom, many company towns collapsed. Boards of trade [...]
Muncy Postcard History Series
Muncy (PA) (Postcard History Series) (Robin Van Auken, Arcadia, 2006) Muncy Postcard History Series by Robin Van Auken examines the small river town of Muncy, Pennsylvania. Founded shortly after the French and Indian War, Muncy was the earliest European settlement [...]
Kickstart Your Writing with a Retreat
I've been on a hiatus from my fiction writing career. It wasn't intentional; I let other tasks and chores get in the way, and failed to prioritize. Crystal Lake Lodge My writing is [...]
Crash Site Remains Worst Airline Disaster in Lycoming County History
Allegheny Airlines Flight 371 crash site One man's quest to memorialize the victims of the worst airline disaster in Lycoming County history, the crash of Allegheny Airlines Flight 371 on Bald Eagle Mountain, is coming to an end. The [...]
Thinking Like Leonardo
Thinking Like Leonardo I've been pondering the concept of a New Renaissance. I've been wondering if it's possible to think like Leonardo da Vinci. On the topic, Parade magazine's resident genius Marilyn Vos Savant once wrote she would: "... found a [...]
Just Below Your Feet
Just Below Your Feet is Stephanie Bowen, right, and Sara Griggs A year ago, during American Archaeology Field School, one of my students asked about Cultural Resource Management in Pennsylvania. I told her about CRM and about [...]