Greene Artifacts: Lighting the Way

Lanterns are an item that we still use today, though not as often as we once did. Perhaps you’ve used one during a power outage or when camping, and many likely have one hanging in our garage waiting for use. Recently, lantern collecting has become quite the hobby and it’s one that I find that I myself am very interested.

Most lanterns today use kerosene or store-bought lamp oil for fuel, and that has been the case since the mid-1860s. The first kerosene lanterns were beautifully constructed and highly well made, and many of those that have survived over the last century and a half are still in good working order today.

The lantern we are showcasing this month dates to the mid-1930s. This small lantern was made by Embury Manufacturing Company of Warsaw New York. Embury Manufacturing was known for high quality manufacturing standards and a strongly made, very durable lantern.

Specifically, this is a Model 150 Little Supreme Lantern. A smaller lantern with a 5/8th inch wide wick to provide a bright flame and save on fuel usage. These model 150s was very common in the 1930s and 40s and many survive and are still in use to this day. 

This specific Model 150 however has a very special feature. On the bottom of the lantern, the letters “WPA” are visible, added with black paint. WPA stands for Works Progress Administration, part of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal” that was created to help stimulate the economy and create jobs during the Great Depression.

The WPA would engage in projects such as laying new water lines, building bridges, public buildings and in some cases even entire towns. In Greene County, Pennsylvania specifically, the WPA worked to record cemeteries and conducted an archaeological survey. 

Though little specific history of this lantern is known, it’s association with the WPA links it to a major part of our national history. Many such lanterns were purchased and used by the WPA during the 1930s, but only a few survived due to very heavy use. What stories could this lantern tell?

Keep an eye out on our website and Facebook page for information on our upcoming events, and for more information on our 2022 season!

About Matt Cumberledge

Matt has been a lifelong resident of Brave, in Wayne Township where his family first settled in the 1770s. Matt graduated from Waynesburg Central High School in 2000, and afterwards worked for Developed Structures Inc, in Waynesburg where he was in charge of quality and control of drawings going to steel fabrication shops throughout the country. Matt then spent 7 years in the Army National Guard, based out of Waynesburg PA, and was deployed to Iraq twice. Following the military, Matt worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections until 2018. He is currently the Greene County Historical Society’s executive director. Matt joined the GreeneScene team in early 2019, as a contributing writer providing the “Going Greene” and “Greene Artifacts” columns, as well as additional articles. “Writing for the GreeneScene has been one of the most fun decisions I have ever made,” according to Matt, “I love the positive nature of the paper and the support it provides to the community.” Outside of work, Matt is involved in many local organizations: Cornerstone Genealogical Society, The Warrior Trail Association, The Mon Yough Chapter of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology, Greene County Tourism and several others. Matt is a hobbyist blacksmith, and enjoys doing carpentry work.