Throughout February, MotorCities National Heritage Area is paying tribute to Black History Month through its educational project -  Making Tracks, a content-rich website depicting the lives of African Americans in the evolution of the automotive industry in Detroit.  The term "Making Tracks" refers to America's "Great Migration," when nearly 6 million African Americans moved north seeking better jobs in industrialized cities such as Detroit, Chicago and New York. The Great Migration had a major impact on Detroit and the automotive industry due to Henry Ford's famed $5 per day workday. The population of the city increased by more than 1,000 times between 1820 and 1930.

Making Tracks  highlights the stories of George Washington Carver, Ed Davis, C.R. Patterson, William Perry, Rev. Charles Hill - each of whom had a unique and important role in automotive heritage. See More : www.makingtracks.org.  

The Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area sponsored a series of day-long workshops on maintaining historic properties and enhancing the visitor experience. The workshops are led by the Greater Hudson Heritage Network's collection care professionals, and other professional consultants.  Through the program "Historic Housekeeping Made Simple," participants learn proper hands-on methodology of collections care working directly with collections at four sites in the Hudson Valley. The workshop equips attendees with the knowledge and skills necessary for cleaning, handling, and storing collections along with the tools to teach volunteers these critical skills.

"Creating Best Ever Visitor Experiences," workshop presents concrete examples of how to positively interact with visitors, create welcoming and engaging experiences, and inspire lasting and meaningful memories for visitors, as well as for staff and volunteers. This workshop features discussions, hands-on work sessions and creative problem solving of real-life museum, historic house and historic site situations. Contact B eth Campochiaro at

beth.campochiaro@hudsongreenway.ny.gov for more information.

Arabia Alliance hosts Southeast National Heritage Areas meeting

Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance, in conjunction with the National Park Service, hosted the 2017 Southeast Region National Heritage Area Meeting at the Arabia Mountain NHA in January. Twelve heritage areas from the southeast region gathered to discuss best practices and receive updates regarding the NHA Program. The meeting culminated with a tour of the historic Flat Rock Archives and Flat Rock Slave Cemetery.

"Flat Rock Archives is a national treasure that preserves and shares the legacy of a traditionally African American Community. We're so proud to share with other National Heritage Areas the work that Johnny Waits has done to bring awareness to those stories that bridge culture, community and the American experience," says Mera Cardenas, executive director of Arabia Mountain NHA. "This tour is an affirmation that this site is drawing people from all over the country to learn about compelling aspects of our shared history."

Natalie Gelb, Executive Director of Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area (LHV), is retiring this spring. Ms. Gelb served LHV since 2004. Among her accomplishments is the development of the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, a 70+ mile trail system which is a catalyst for health and fitness, and it is an engine for economic development in the region. 

Ms. Gelb founded Heritage Valley Partners, a non-profit development partner of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority. She spearheaded monthly Heritage Valley Roundtable sessions promoting partnerships among arts, cultural, historical and environmental organizations, and created many educational and interpretive programs and initiatives. In 2006, she received the Margaretta Belin Chamberlin Award of the Scranton Area Foundation and, in 2015, she was the recipient of the SAGE (Scranton Awards for Growth and Excellence) Award for Woman of Excellence.

The Lackawanna Heritage Valley Board of Directors appointed Joseph J. Corcoran as the new Executive Director. A Scranton native, Mr. Corcoran has a long history of service to the community, including 20 years as a Lackawanna County Commissioner. He is among the founders of Lackawanna Heritage Valley, and served as the organization's board chairman for several years. 

Book News: Passage to Chicago: A Journey on the Illinois and Michigan Canal in 1860  by illustrator and historian Tom Willcockson was commissioned and published by the Canal Corridor Association, the coordinating entity of the Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Area. The  well-researched and gorgeously detailed maps and illustrations in this book provide fascinating insights into the history of the Illinois & Michigan Canal NHA. Tom worked closely with the Association to recreate the sights, sounds, and challenges encountered by a family-owned canal boat on a journey from LaSalle-Peru to Chicago, just before the American Civil War. 

The  Association used their network of editors and historians to ensure the historical accuracy in the 191 illustrations, maps, and descriptions featured. I&M Canal historian Ronald S. Vasile wrote the forward. The book furthers their goal to tell accurate, interesting, and compelling stories of the rich history of the Illinois & Michigan Canal NHA. To purchase visit www.iandmcanal.org 

Colorado's National Heritage Areas Driving Tour 

The Cache la Poudre River, Sangre de Cristo, and South Park National Heritage Areas are partnering to develop a landing page, brochure, and marketing program designed to educate visitors about Colorado's three National Heritage Areas, inspire tourists to drive the Heritage Areas Route, and identify potential collaborations with other tourism industries.

The Colorado Tourism Office awarded an $11,000 matching grant in support of the project. The landing page will include a map of all three areas and how to travel to each NHA along a loop-type tour. South Park NHA will focus on education through interpretive exhibits and heritage trail items. Sangre de Cristo NHA will look at historical and cultural elements by offering tours and classes. The Cache la Poudre River NHA will highlight how local industry can play a role in Heritage Areas through railroads, ranching, and beer.  See the current guide: colorado.com/complete-guide-colorado-national-heritage-areas

The NYS Canal System was recently designated a National Historic Landmark, placing New York's operating canals among the premier historic sites in the United States. In January, Congressman John Katko, representatives of the NPS, NYS Canal Corporation, and NYS Historic Preservation Office, and nearly 100 people gathered in Syracuse at an event hosted by the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor to celebrate.

The designation includes the Erie, Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga-Seneca canals. Direct successors of canals built during the 1820s, these waterways were enlarged to their current dimensions between 1905 and 1918. They remain in service passing commercial and pleasure vessels between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes. The landmark designation recognizes the canal for its role in shaping the American economy and settlement, as an embodiment of the Progressive Era emphasis on public works, and as a nationally significant work of early 20th century engineering and construction. Its 450 miles of navigation channels, locks, lift bridges, dams, power houses, and maintenance shops together represent a significant, distinctive, and exceptional entity. Erie Canalway NHC spearheaded the nomination; to read more visit:  eriecanalway.org/

Cane River National Heritage Area, Inc. (CRNHA), hosted a lunch and learn lecture entitled, "Backyard Birding: A Discussion on Migratory Birds in the Red River National Wildlife Refuge" on January 27, 2017 at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Grand Ecore Visitor Center. Fifty bird enthusiasts attended to listen to guest lecturer, Terri Jacobson from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, discuss the migratory birds traveling through the refuge. Jacobson demonstrated bird-watching techniques to use at home or in the field and led the group on a walk around the Grand Ecore Visitor Center. 

"Situated on a bluff 80 feet above the Red River, the center provides a unique vantage point for visitors to catch a glimpse of the birds traveling through the region," remarked Cynthia Sutton, CRNHA President/CEO. 

Cane River NHA, Inc. manages the daily operations and visitor relations of the Grand Ecore Visitor Center in partnership with the US Army Corps of Engineers. The Grand Ecore Visitor Center is a US Army Corps of Engineers site on the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway, a 236-mile segment of Red River extending from Shreveport, Louisiana to the Mississippi River. 

South Carolina Lake Greenwood Signage Project

South Carolina National Heritage Corridor (SCNHC) partnered with the Greenwood CVB to research, design, fabricate and install 35 interpretive signs at key points of interest, as part of their Lake Greenwood Tourism Destination Plan  which created a branding and marketing strategy for the area as well as gateway and vehicular way-finding signage around the Lake.  

These interpretive signs provided historic information as well as lake travel information to enhance the visitor experience. The shoreline touches four counties and surveys suggested that most visitors were familiar with the county from which they accessed the lake, they rarely explored other counties. The signage was designed to encourage exploration and discovery of historic points of interests and also key tourism sites and local businesses. The project was so successful the county requested more signs. 

Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area (LHV) in Scranton shared the findings of the 2016 Trail User Survey and Economic Impact Analysis which shows that the economic impact of the trail in 2016 was $91.9 million in Pennsylvania, with $72 million generated in Lackawanna County.  There were approximately 315,000 visits to the trail in 2016, marking a 145 percent increase in usage since 2009. Urban Partners, a community and economic development firm, prepared the analysis. 

"We are delighted that this study has validated our belief that the trail has a tremendous effect on our community," said Natalie Gelb, Executive Director, LHV. "It has created a new awareness and participation in health, wellness and social activities, and it is a valuable economic development asset, generating revenue for local businesses. The trail enhances our quality of life, and it attracts people to live and work here."

Honoring Labor Anniversaries 

Since the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area was brought to life 10 years ago, they assisted more than 26 communities, contributed to the revitalization of 33 historic buildings, facilitated in the restoration of historic buildings with 110 MPNHA grants, breathed new life into towns as part of Main Street revitalization efforts and provided educational opportunities, including 27 episodes of Discovery Road, MPHNA's TV show, and the book Legends, Lore & True Tales in Mormon Country.

The MPNHA contributed to the development of an agritourism/ equestrian center, three veterans' memorials, trails and biking paths, three museums, commemorative kiosks and pavilions, a railroad village and interpretive visitors centers. The MPNHA partnered with several groups along the corridor to record and preserve the  story of early pioneers through the digitization of oral histories and development of heritage interpretation presentations in communities. The MPNHA also provided support for several community and cultural celebrations in the heritage area.

Crossroads of the American Revolution is working closely with state, county and municipal governments to post signs marking places of Revolutionary significance with the Crossroads logo. Most recently, Union County officials partnered on signage marking key sites as well as the Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route and a walking trail to the Battle of the Short Hills site. Rampant development in the county has obliterated key battle sites and obscured many witness buildings, making it even more important that the stories are told and the sites are united with a common brand.

Other markers were recently erected at key state parks including Washington's Crossing, Princeton Battlefield and Monmouth Battlefield, with more to come! More information: nj.com/union_county_unveils_new_signs.

In March, the Oil Region Alliance (ORA) will issue a Request For Proposals for consultant services to design a visitor center in or near Franklin, Venango County, PA in the heart of the Oil Region National Heritage Area.  

ORA established three of the four visitor centers planned in their Management Action Plan - Inside the Crawford Center in Emlenton, with the theme "Blue River, Black Gold"; inside the Perry Street Train Station in Titusville, with themes "Moving It - The Transportation of Oil; and Settlement of the Queen City"; and inside the Venango Museum of Art, Science & Industry in Oil City with the theme "Oil City - Hub of Oildom." Each center is located in an existing heritage attraction, whose personnel operate the center using materials and exhibits furnished by the ORA.  C onsultants interested in the project should contact Marilyn Black, mblack@oilregion.org to receive a complete RFP package.

New NHA Staff: Jordan Williams joins Poudre Heritage Alliance as  Administrative Assistant. A Washington state native, Jordan now lives Fort Collins, CO and looks forward to actively supporting the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area.  His background is in sports/recreation management, but he is excited to fuse his passions for conservation and education with his new position. In his spare time, Jordan can be seen bicycling around town, running the trails with his cattle dog Aska, and beer tasting at local breweries.