Memories that Linger: the Unpublished Story of Robert H. Coleman

On Tuesday, August 13, 2024 Bruce Chadbourne gave a talk titled: “Memories that Linger: The Unpublished Story of Robert H. Coleman” for a lecture series for the Cornwall Iron Furnace Associates. This presentation is a summary of the decades of research on the Coleman family of Cornwall, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania by the late John and Margery Feitig, whose research materials have since become part of the archive of the Cornwall Iron Furnace. For over five years Bruce has been cataloging the materials, producing a finding aid and in the process writing a number of popular stories that have appeared in the online news source LebTown and in publications of the Mount Gretna Historical Society.

The speaker, Bruce Chadbourne, is a retired bivocational Christian minister with a career that began as an officer in the United States Nuclear Navy, followed by antisubmarine engineering and program management. He taught corporate education around the country for various universities and corporations. At the same time, he became licensed in ministry, serving as a Bible instructor, hospice worker and assistant pastor. Moving to Cornwall Manor six years ago, he continues to serve in ministry at Cornwall Manor and at the Lebanon Rescue Mission. Additionally, he volunteers at the Cornwall Iron Furnace giving tours and performing research.

Bruce's interest in history stems from having grown up in central New York in the historic Erie Canal region. In addition to being a student of church history, his own family genealogy originates with the landing of a little ship, the Pied Cow, in New England and his great grandfather building one of the region's first sawmills in 1634, contributing to the start of the forestry industry in greater Maine.

This video will be of interest to people interested in the story of iron production, Pennsylvania history, Cornwall history, and the American Gilded Age.