Export distillery to lead 3rd Bushy Run ‘History Speaks’ event of year

Bushy Run Battlefield will host the White Valley Distilling Company at a speaker event next week as part of its History Speaks series.

Jimmy Battaglia, owner of the Export distillery, will teach attendees the history and techniques of whiskey distilling using a hands-on approach, said Scott Perry, member of the Bushy Run board of directors.

“(History Speaks) is an attempt to bring historical events to people in a way that is more tactile than lectures,” Perry said. “It’s kind of a mixture of a little bit of a lecture with more of a living history type of demonstration.”

Whiskey played a significant role in Bushy Run’s history, Perry said.

The Penn Township site hosted a two-day 1763 clash between British and Native American forces during Pontiac’s War — a war which was heavily influenced by the sale of whiskey and its use as currency, Perry said.

Bushy Run started its History Speaks series in 2018, hosting events four times per year — in May, June, September and October. Almost every event drew a full house, Perry said.

Previous History Speaks events include “Beer Making Through the Ages” by a local brewer and historian and “Tools of the 18th and 19th Centuries” by an industrial archaeologist.

The series was put on pause in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. Since then, Perry said each event has drawn about 20 people.

He hopes to see an increase in attendance and a spike in attendees’ interest in history.

“I always hope something like this spurs people into learning about the history of the time,” Perry said.

Snacks and drinks will be provided at the event, Bushy Run Museum Manager Matt Adams said.

“It’s really a fun one to organize and a pretty casual one,” Adams said. “People seem to enjoy themselves.”