Great entertainment to be featured at Historical Society Ice Cream Social

For the second consecutive summer, Gen. Grose is hosting a big birthday party on his front lawn.

Last year, it was a celebration of Henry County’s 200th birthday. On Saturday, June 10, it will be the city of New Castle’s turn.

The event will be held Saturday, June 10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Henry County Historical Society and Museum, 606 S. 14th St., New Castle.

While ice cream will again be the featured dessert to celebrate the citiy’s 200th birthday, a smorgasbord of activities will accompany the confection delight.

Kevin Stockrock

Museum directors are again thrilled to have Kevin Stonerock perform. He will take those in attendance back in time to the Civil War through story and song inside the museum starting at 12:30 p.m.

Stonerock is a product of the Midwest, born and raised in the small town of Greensboro. He currently serves as a board member for the historical society.

His website says he was Americana before the word became a staple in the music lexicon—an amalgamation of traditional country and roots rock, with the sensibilities and lyricism of a folk artist. Whether in concert, on stage doing any one of several original monologues, writing a play or crafting a song, first and foremost, Stonerock is a master storyteller; an introverted extrovert who is more comfortable in front of a crowd than in one.

Stonerock will make audience members feel like they’re interacting with someone who was actually there in the heat of Civil War battles.

Kevin Stonerock (l) and The Chords of Friendship (right) will again provide their unique sounds of yesteryear at the Henry County Historical Society Ice Cream Social Saturday, June 10. Stonerock will perform inside the museum at 12:30 p.m. while The Chords of Friendship will fill the air outside with sounds of yesteryear beginning at 2 p.m. on the front lawn.

Chords Of Friendship

Then at 2 p.m., the Chords of Friendship will fill the air with music of the past. This group was formed in 2015 by local musicians Sharon Day and Jeff and Bev Glascock for the purpose of enjoying and sharing acoustic musical instruments and fellowship and friendship. Members decided early on not to charge for their performances and that music would be shared as simply a gift to their audiences.

Sharon Day, a retired elementary teacher, owned and played many acoustic instruments, and had spearheaded the annual Raintree Music Festival. The Glascocks were also retired teachers. Jeff built dulcimers for himself and several group members.

The group has performed at many nursing homes, assisted living centers, and churches and several civic organizations in Henry and

Delaware Counties. They specialize in mountain and folk music of the Civil War period and early Depression Era, plus gospel tunes. The group recently formed two subgroups–a ukulele group called the Strumalongs, whose music includes the 20’s Era music and beyond, Folk music of the 60’s, plus various rock and roll artists from the 50’s through the 80’s; and last summer formed a steel drum group called the Steel Drummers, which plays tropical island music. The Strumalongs have Rung the Bell for the Salvation Army the past two years at the New Castle Kroger and have been very popular at this event.

Instruments the group plays include mountain and hammered dulcimers, acoustic and bass guitars, harmonica, mandolin, autoharp, harp, banjo, dulcibanjo, ukebanjo, ukulele, washboard, spoons, steel drums, and cajon.

Group members include: Tana and Charlie Black, Margie Chapel, Georjean Cory, Sharon Day, Paula

Edwards, Jeannine Euckert, Wayne Ferguson, Cheryl Flaherty, Roy Herrmann, Ken Holmes, Debra Hopseker, Lynn Schultz, Sally Taylor, and Terry Yoakum.

Other Attractions

The ice cream social will be sprinkled with other items of interest throughout the day, including:

• Self-guided museum tours from 11 a.m. to noon. Come meet founders of the Henry County Historical Society, a special display with photos and info about the men who created this organization way back in 1886. The Henry County Historical Society and Museum is the oldest, continuously operating organization of its kind in Indiana.

• “Welcome to Rose City,” a new exhibit that explores the literal roots of the flower power that made New Castle famous in the early 1900s.

• Dollhouse miniatures, local artisan and pioneer trade demonstrations.

• Local authors Ricky Cottman, Darrel Radford and Donna Cronk