FRACKVILLE - Brooke Urzendowski-Jordan, 12, of Fountain Springs, approached the vintage coat closet Sunday at the Frackville Museum and Heritage Hall with a curious eye.
A moment later, she was wearing a beige women's dress coat with a fur collar, made in the 1970s.
"That's real lynx fur," said Lorraine Stanton, Frackville, a local historian and author who helped establish the museum last year.
"It's adorable. It looks like it was made for her. Her sister told her that her style is 'old lady.' She loves vintage," said her grandmother, Becky Jordan, Fountain Springs.
"I just like the styles. And it's comfortable," Urzendowski-Jordan said. Its features included the original tag from "Juliette Fashions, Pottsville-Shenandoah" and the "ILGWU" tag informing the customer the product was "Made in U.S.A."
The Jordan family were among the 80 people who visited the museum at 42 S. Center St. on Sunday, as the museum observed its one-year anniversary with an open house.
The vintage coat, donated by Sue Koropchak, Frackville, was one of the more than 500 items in the collection.
They included a turn-of-the-century wooden bread delivery box from "Hartenstine's Bakery" - colored red - a set of 22-karat gold tinted dishes given to patrons at The Colonial movie theater in the 1940s and a photo of Jennifer Eshelman, Hegins, who was Miss Pennsylvania in 1983.
There were also a few vintage wedding dresses on mannequins.
Catherine "Kitty" Chrin Bricker, Frackville, donated photos and clothing items related to three generations of her family.
They include her wedding photo. She married Don Bricker on Oct. 7, 1961.
Don Bricker said he recalled when the corridors in the museum building were once filled with school students.
"Great memories. Coming back here takes me back to my youth," Don Bricker said.
At one time, it was the local high school, Bricker said.
One of Bricker's former students, Becky Jordan's husband, Joe, was there Sunday afternoon, too.
"He was my history teacher here," said Joe Jordan, who graduated from there in 1958.
Joe Jordan was a member of the legendary Jordan Brothers, the Frackville-based rock 'n' roll band that recorded music and performed regionally from the 1950s to the 1980s.
Kathy Kraft, Frackville, a museum volunteer, said the museum is planning to assemble a display of Jordan Brothers memorabilia, and Joe Jordan said his family is planning to donate some items for it.
Don Bricker is also a local historian and has been giving periodic presentations at the museum, which are free to the public. He said at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 14, he'll give a free presentation on Frackville's founder, Daniel Frack, who was born Sept. 23, 1803, in Northampton County, according to Stanton's website at personal.psu.edu/las8/index.html.
Stanton, 86, is one of Frackville's premiere historians. Her writings include two books in Arcadia Publishing's "Images of America Series," "Frackville," released in 1997, and "Frackville, Vol. 2," released in 1999, according to Amazon.com
While she walks with a cane, Stanton has the heart of an ambitious youth. While giving visitors introductions to the displays Sunday, she offered insights of her historical knowledge of the area, and, occasionally, imbued them personal stories.
She said her daughter, Debi Janov, San Diego, Calif., was a member of the first graduating class of North Schuylkill High School in 1967. Debi's senior prom gown is on display at The Frackville Museum.
Stanton also encouraged women who passed by the vintage coat rack in the hallway to try on hats and coats.
Urzendowski-Jordan took her time and tried on a few things.
"Honey, try that hat on," Stanton told her, pointing to a red hat accented with brown feathers. It was made in the 1970s.
"That was mine. That's the last hat I bought because they went out of style," Stanton said.
The Frackville Museum and Heritage Hall is open to the public one day a month, on the second Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m., or by appointment by calling 570-874-4243, Stanton said.