The Tyrone Area Historical Society recently acquired a new piece for its increasing collection of Tyrone memorabilia.
Thanks to the efforts of three area residents, the chair that once belonged to John Lyons Porter, known to many as “Uncle Johnny”, is now on display in the train station.
Porter organized the first boy scout troop in Tyrone in 1911.
The chair, which originally sat in Porter’s office at Camp Anderson, was removed from the camp by Ken Trimble, a scout master from Troop 26.
Trimble removed the chair from the camp to be repaired and refurbished. In July 2006, with a combined effort from Trimble, Brian Bressler and John Hiller Jr., the chair was reupholstered and afterwards was donated to the museum.
It is on display in the train station with a small exhibit dedicated to Porter including a portrait, safe and information from an old Tyrone directory.
The portrait of Uncle John Porter on display once hung in the Tyrone YMCA. It was painted by J.K. Johnston in 1937.
With the recent acquisition of Porter’s office chair, a corner of the train station has been dedicated to Uncle John, providing a brief glimpse into his life here in Tyrone.
The Tyrone History Museum opened in November 2002 and contains a selection of Tyrone-related artifacts, photographs and displays.
It also features a time line spanning the 150-plus years of Tyrone’s existence along with exhibits that change from time to time.
The Tyrone History Museum is open Sunday and Wednesday from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
Visit the Tyrone Area Historical Society’s webpage at http://www.tyronehistory.org/.
