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The McCarl Industrial and Agricultural Museum
of Beaver County and The Hamilton Tool Forge and Foundry are the
newest museum facilities in the County.
These facilities have been built by the Little Beaver Historical
Society in Darlington, PA.
Ground was broken in the Fall of 2007.
The facilities were opened to the public
on May 31, 2008.
The McCarl Industrial and Agricultural Museum of Beaver County
( IAM Beaver County) was the dream of several members of the Society
who had the desire to preserve and publicly display a few remnants
of the Golden Age of Industry in the County which ran from around
1900 into the 1980's.
And since farming had been the root occupation
of the area, a farming display was also planned.
The Hamilton Tool Forge and Foundry, a separate building, was also envisioned as a facility where the arts of forging, blacksmithing, and foundry techniques could be demonstrated and taught.
The first seed money came from Jay Leno who donated $5,000 to get the project started. Other donations and grants soon followed.
Major donors include the McCarl family, Fred Hamilton, Arthur Nesbitt, the Delos Duff family and others.
Senator Gerald LaValle and Representatives Jim Marshall and Chris Sainato helped obtain grants for the project.
Many people and organizations donated anything
from a few dollars to thousands. Many others donated time and
materials so that this project could advance.
A few of the many display items in these buildings include a Champion Horizontal Engine manufactured in Beaver Falls in 1903 and weighing 8,000 pounds. This is the only still existing engine built in Beaver County.
A turn of the century Corliss Steam Engine
is not only displayed but operating.
An early Keystone Driller Company of Beaver Falls steam engine and a Downie Water Pump are displayed and operated. A Keystone Driller Model 3 Skimmer is also on display.
Other items include wire forming machines from Townsend Co. in New Brighton, items from Westinghouse.
Several machines from Moltrup Steel Co. in Beaver Falls are displayed, including a bar straightener designed and built by the Moltrups.
Artifacts and pictures from many other local
factories are displayed.
A number of early farm machines and horse drawn items are included in this exhibit.
Numerous displays showing various aspects of Beaver County's heritage are presented.