2018 Sep 9 Valley Forge

Located just West of Philadelphia.  This is one man's  eclectic collection of Americana as described by the web site.  The building was once a tire manufacturing plant and is huge filled with this collection.  We rode on a tram through the main part of the museum.

The best part was his collection of calliopes and our guide played several of them for us.

 Above is a piano with two key boards, the top actually made the rolls with the holes that were used in these player pianos and calliopes.  This man was so talented that we produced hundreds of these rolls that were then reproduced and sold.

 Below a calliope that played two violins.  Really unusual.  So nice that we could hear so many of these instruments play.

You name it this man collected it.  

 Remember the Maytag man.

 Below our tram carrying us through it felt like miles of these collections.

 Below the beginning of the Valley Forge tour.  During the Revolutionary War, Washington pulled the troops back to regroup in Valley Forge.  This was late 1777 after a bitter loss to the British at Brandywine a little bit East of Valley Forge.  A battle was never fought at Valley Forge.  It was during the winter and 12,000 soldiers and 400 women and children built 1500 log huts and two miles of fortifications.  A Prussian officer Baron von Steuben was given the job of training the troops.  He taught the soldiers new military skills and to fight as a more unified army.  These reforms in supply systems and fighting tactics, along with reforms in military hygiene and army organization became the foundation of the modern US Army.

 Below the National Memorial Arch honors the soldiers' perseverance.

Below is the house that Washington rented while at Valley Forge.  A lot of responsibility fell on him to run a new country and also lead these soldiers.