The Wyalusing Valley Museum Association was founded in 1980 to preserve and interpret the rich history and culture of the Wyalusing Valley and contiguous area of the southeastern corner of Bradford County, in order to educate area residents and visitors about our past.
About The Museum
The museum does this through on-site exhibits and through outreach programs in the schools and community. Museum exhibits are open for regular hours on weekends in the summer and early fall, and are available year round for individuals and groups by appointment. The museum serves local residents who want to learn more about the place where they live, as well as visitors interested in learning more about this area. The Wyalusing Valley has a fascinating history connecting the area and its residents to regional, state, national and international events.
Board of Trustees 2020
President: Mary Skillings
Vice President: Ruth Parsons
Treasurer: Karl Peterson
Secretary: Sheryl Balcomb,
Members-at-large: Mark Madill, Marsha Eaton, Melody Buck, Ann Overman, Larry Roberts, Ben Chamberlin, Laurie Manney, Mary Neiley, Steven Lewis
Museum Staff
The staff of the museum consists of a part-time year-round curator and part-time seasonal museum guides.
Curator: Morgan Clinton
Museum Guides: Irene Melly
There is no fee to visit the museum. Funding for the regular operation of museum comes from donations, memberships, grants and fundraising events.
History of Wyalusing
The original name for Wyalusing was M’chwihilusing which stands for “place of the old man” or “good hunting grounds,” sometimes translated as “home of the old warrior.” Before 1750 Wyalusing was known as Gohontoto and occupied by the Tehotachsee tribe who were killed off by the Cuyugas during war time. In 1752 Chief Paupunhank, along with approximately twenty families, built the village of Wyalusing.
The Revolutionary War brought General John Sullivan and his troops to Wyalusing where they spent a couple of days before moving on. The Army stayed on the Welles farm (now the museum grounds) and also started the Wyalusing Cemetery where they buried two of their fallen soldiers. In 1778, Wyalusing was burned to the ground by Indians sympathizing with the British. After the Revolutionary War, the settlers slowly returned to Wyalusing and built the borough (incorporated in 1887) on the Gaylord family farm.
The area grew rapidly during the 1800’s due to its rich agriculture. The Welles family built and ran the Welles Mill Company in 1820 and the family still runs the business to this day. Wyalusing was a hub on the North Branch Canal system and soon after that the railroad, bringing many people to the livestock sales and the numerous stores. Main Street has not changed much and many of the buildings look the same as they did over a century ago. The Wyalusing area is very rich in history so visit the museum to take a step back in time.
The museum is moving!
Thanks to the generous support of our community we have purchased a new building. In the meantime visit our temporary exhibit in the Lodge Hall Annex on Church Street!