Fred Rogers Institute picks items from archives for open house, Latrobe festival

Jeff Himler TribLive Tue, Jun 4, 2024 • 07:01 AM

A toy replica of the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Trolley is displayed during an open house and exhibit tour at the Fred Rogers Institute at Saint Vincent College in Unity held as part of Mister Rogers Family Days in nearby Latrobe on Monday. Mister Rogers Family Days runs through Saturday and features a variety of activities.

Katie Roth of North Huntingdon points out the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood puppets to her children Robyn Roth (left), 5, and Rivers Roth, 3, inside the museum during an open house and exhibit tour at the Fred Rogers Institute at Saint Vincent College in Unity held as part of Mister Rogers Family Days in nearby Latrobe on MondayMister Rogers Family Days runs through Saturday and features a variety of activities.

Ethan Brown, 10, of Latrobe and his sister Aubrey Brown, 9, look at part of the museum display during an open house and exhibit tour at the Fred Rogers Institute at Saint Vincent College in Unity held as part of Mister Rogers Family Days in nearby Latrobe on Monday. Mister Rogers Family Days runs through Saturday and features a variety of activities.

Althea Goldstrohm of Greensburg and son Malachi Goldstrohm, 4, work on a puppet during an open house and exhibit tour at the Fred Rogers Institute at Saint Vincent College in Unity held as part of Mister Rogers Family Days in nearby Latrobe on Monday. Mister Rogers Family Days runs through Saturday and features a variety of activities.

Items from the archive related to the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Trolley are displayed during an open house and exhibit tour at the Fred Rogers Institute at Saint Vincent College in Unity held as part of Mister Rogers Family Days in nearby Latrobe on Monday. Mister Rogers Family Days runs through Saturday and features a variety of activities.

Ashlyn Shotts of Greensburg makes a button as Roni Kaufman of Greensburg looks on during an open house and exhibit tour at the Fred Rogers Institute at Saint Vincent College in Unity held as part of Mister Rogers Family Days in nearby Latrobe on Monday. Mister Rogers Family Days runs through Saturday and features a variety of activities.

Fans of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” who attended an open house Monday on the campus of Saint Vincent College were afforded a glimpse of some colorful items selected for display from the archives of the iconic TV show’s host and creator, Latrobe native Fred Rogers.

Among the items displayed for the first time at the Fred Rogers Institute was a vintage trolley-themed postcard that portrayed the former Neighborhood of Make-Believe area at Idlewild Park in Ligonier Township. That area since has been updated as Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.

Also making its debut, according to archivist Emily Uhrin, was a 1977 pamphlet from the Ideal Toy Company promoting toy versions the company produced of the show’s iconic model trolley and some of its puppet characters.

“I wanted to focus on items featuring the trolley because people were riding the trolley,” Uhrin said.

Reservations allowed people attending the Mister Rogers Family Days celebration in downtown Latrobe to board a bus decked out in the guise of the show’s trolley, for a Monday tour to the institute and to a Rogers display at Greater Latrobe Senior High, both in Unity.

The celebration will conclude with a festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in downtown Latrobe.

Activities in the space formerly occupied by a Dollar General store, along Ligonier Street, will include materials displayed by the Latrobe Area Historical Society, an appearance by David Newell, who portrayed the Mister Rogers’ character Mr. McFeely, and additional Rogers-related images provided by the institute.

“These are items that we have photographed and put on posters,” said Uhrin. “There will be things about Fred’s childhood in Latrobe, about his parents and family, and his reflections on growing up in the community.”

Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.