The West County Historical Association offers education programs that allow students to explore local history through lectures, stories, and hands-on activities. Students attending the programs will:
- Discover how a small group of daring local citizens helped escaped slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad.
- Learn how the building of the Erie Canal caused Girard's population to double in size in the 1840s.
- Find out who Dan Rice was and how he transformed the quiet farming community of Girard into a "show town".
- Hear tales of ordinary Girard residents whose accomplishments made their lives extraordinary.
All educational programs, except history camp, are available at no charge to Erie County school students!
Programs are available throughout the school year and include:
- Walking tours of downtown Girard focusing on Girard's circus history, the Erie Canal era, local ghost stories and legends, and the area's involvement in the Underground Railroad.
- A living history program features Reverend Charles Shipman, superintendent of the Underground Railroad in western Erie County during the mid-nineteenth century. This program can be presented either in the classroom or at the Universalist Church, a former Underground Railroad station located on Myrtle Street in Girard.
- Students may also explore the Underground Railroad in depth at our permanent exhibit, Secret Road to Freedom, located at the Hazel Kibler Museum. This tour also includes a look at the life and times of circus clown and entrepreneur Dan Rice and his contributions to the West County.
