Simpler Times Museum is a group of five buildings full of priceless history. It is a hidden treasure at 111 Simpler Times Lane, Tidioute (four miles north of Tidioute on Route 62).
The museum, which focuses on the development of the oil industry and other local history, was established by Bruce Ziegler 22 years ago. Ziegler, who is now almost 90 years old, still pumps 20 oil wells with the help of his son. He and his wife, Annis, have been married for 65 years and have six children, who help him out at the museum.
The Zeigler family also owns property on Kelly Hill in Queens and rents land for people to build hunting camps on. One of the camp owners is San Diego Padres third baseman Chase Headley. Ziegler owns 100 gas pumps, around 150 globes, 14 Ford cars, 80 engines, 100 tractors, and countless other artifacts that are displayed in the museum.
Each of his Fords is unique; the oldest is 101 years old and still runs. The newest one in his collection at the museum is a 1966 red Mustang. He also has several seemingly random items, such as ball caps (all donated), license plates, a sewing machine, an old Coke dispenser, and a Homer leafless roll-top extension table.
Visitors walking through the museum might be a bit overwhelmed initially, but when they slow down to focus on specific items, much can be learned. For example, talking to Ziegler about a photo of the suspension bridge in Tidioute reveals that the company that built the local bridge also built the Brooklyn Bridge.
Made in Warren County
These days, it’s considered surprising to find an item made in the United States. Then, it seems almost impossible to find when you narrow that down to things made in Pennsylvania and even Warren County. You won’t find items made locally in a mall or supermarket, but you can find them at Simpler Times Museum.
One of the museum's draws is seeing the fantastic things the residents of this county have produced. The younger generations may not realize that Warren County had its own golden age. Many young people now living in the area may think Warren County is a boring place and are eager to leave, but if they took the time to learn about the rich history in this area, it might instill pride in their area’s past and encourage them to live here as adults.
As Ziegler shows off the displays in his museum, he constantly explains that specific displays were made in Warren, Sheffield, Clarendon, and many other local towns. Warren County was and is still a considerable part of the oil well industry. Pennsylvania became the third state to enter the oil industry when Edwin Drake struck oil on the banks of Oil Creek in Venango County in August 1859.
Visitors
Simpler Times Museum doesn’t draw the most visitors to area museums, but Ziegler is perfectly fine with that, as he says he doesn’t care about the “hordes” of visitors. He prefers that his visitors be interested in history, specifically the history of the oil industry. When students visit the museum on field trips, he provides a list of questions for them that he hands out. The list sends the students on a scavenger hunt.
He believes it allows the students to see more and be forced to ask questions that they can learn from. Visitors report that the museum’s atmosphere is very welcoming, and Ziegler is a treasure trove of information about each museum display. It would be challenging to learn about each display in one visit so that visitors could go back several times and learn new and interesting things each time.
