One of the area's special artistic treasures is the Edwin L. Drake Memorial situated within Woodlawn Cemetery along Route 8 on the north side of Titusville.  Erected in 1901, the combination of Yosemite granite and bronze statuary were officially dedicated in 1907.  As the inscription on the backdrop indicates, Henry R. Rogers donated this to the community.  At the time seated on the Standard combination executive committee in New York, Rogers was serving as the first President of National Fuel Company as well as corporate president of all of the Standard Oil pipeline companies. 

   After more than 100 years, the memorial is unfortunately showing its age.  Cracks have appeared in the façade of the memorial, and a chunk of granite has broken because the structure appears to be shifting somewhat.  Apparently the original bonding of the giant slabs of granite has broken down, and water has frozen in the cracks.  In addition, "The Driller" (the central statue) is rotting from the inside out; green patches of oxidized metal can be observed.

  The Titusville Woodlawn Corporation has secured the preservation services of the Erie-based firm of Fiske and Sons to initially stabilize, and then in 2011 preserve the monument.  This company previously worked on the drilling rig on the grounds of Drake Well Museum, the engine house at McClintock Well #1, and the gold-gilded peacocks from Latonia Theatre which today are displayed inside the Venango Museum in Oil City.   

   The Oil Region Alliance recently donated $3,000 to this effort.  The nationwide non-profit Petroleum History Institute furnished $1,000.  The total endeavor is estimated to cost approximately $44,000.  Donations are being received at Woodlawn Cemetery, P. O. Box 97, Titusville, PA   16354.  For more information, contact corporation President Stephen Coleman.              

On October 12, staff from the National Heritage Areas and various National Park Service facilities gathered in Salem, Massachusetts, for a NHA Workshop at the Hawthorne Hotel. 

National Park Service personnel and members of the Alliance of National Heritage Areas paused beside a commemorative bell in downtown Salem, MA, during several days of training, tours, and business meetings.

Essex NHA served as the hosts for this day of training and an extended bus tour on October 13, followed by an ANHA Board meeting on October 14. 

   During the NPS training, The Alliance's Vice-President for Heritage Development,

Salem, MA, experiences five seasons -- spring, summer, autumn, winter, and Halloween which lasts the entire month of October.  This carved pumpkin greeted ANHA guests on the front stoop at the home of the Eecutive Director of the Essex National Heritage Area.

Marilyn Black, gave a presentation on the "MGM2 Experience at the Oil Region in Pennsylvania, 2008."  The Alliance, like most of the heritage areas in the Commonwealth, surveyed in person more than 500 people at varied heritage, recreational, and special event venues to collect data on their demographic profiles, levels of expenditures during the visit, and related information.  MGM2 is a standard econometric tool which was developed for the NPS and modified for use by Heritage Areas.  Mrs. Black was on a panel which briefed attendees about previous evaluation studies, economic impact studies, and measurements of visitor expenditures.

   While attendees at the training and ANHA meetings focused on the maritime, early colonization, and industrial history of Essex County, MA, most of the folks lodging in Salem participated in the city-wide "Haunted Happenings," a month-long string of events, displays, entertainment, vendors, and more taking various spins on the Salem Witch Trials of long ago.  For instance, mixed in with the statues of Nathaniel Hawthorne and other colonists are also statues of Samantha (from Bewitched), The Wicked Witch and Glenda the Good Witch (both from Wizard of Oz), and the like.  Marilyn summed it up, "Salem is quite a trip in October."