As part of his senior project in high school, Josh Felter started volunteering at the Lackawanna Historical Society, organizing their scrapbooks and helping them research. That was three years ago, but you can still find him at the Catlin House every week working to manage and preserve pieces of Lackawanna County history.
“I liked local history, but I never did much with it. But then I got to come here and I realized how much information there was here and how nice the people were and I just continued to go and volunteer,” Felter explained.

Felter spends several hours a week typing up indexing aids for the countless scrapbooks in the society’s collection. He also assists the staff in researching any project they may be working on at that moment.

Felter is particularly interested in the ways things used to be in the community, looking at old photographs of places that he’s familiar with and watching them change over time. He knows that the area must continue developing to keep up with the times, but that doesn’t stop him from appreciating the way things used to be.

“I like to see how the towns developed, how they evolved from little townships and rural areas into these big commercial areas like Montage and Dickson City, and even parts of Scranton…I like the old houses. It’s a shame to see some of those torn down to build new developments,” he said.

Despite his love of the past, he’s also looking towards his future as well. He’s currently attending McCann School of Business & Technology, studying administrative office technology. He wants to keep volunteering in his spare time as a hobby, though, and may someday volunteer at Luzerne County Historical Society, not far from his home, or an animal shelter that needs some extra help.
While he doesn’t ask for anything in return, his colleagues and friends at the Lackawanna Historical Society certainly think highly of his work and the time he spends there.

“His interest and knowledge in local history, especially ‘down the line,’ is a true asset for our Society in that he brings new information that he acquires through interviews with his neighbors and older relatives. He really enjoys learning more about his hometown and is always willing to assist our staff and other volunteers on a variety of projects,” said Mary Ann Moran-Savakinus, executive director of the Lackawanna Historical Society.
The biggest benefit of volunteering Felter enjoys isn’t the praise he receives, but rather doing something he loves while leaving his own mark on history.

“I get to help out and make a difference while learning at the same time. I hope I can make a difference for future generations who want to come here and learn, preserving history for them and taking care of it.”

For more information or if anyone is interested in volunteering, contact the Society at 344-3841.

Josh Felter

Town of residence: Moosic

Charities, volunteer work: Lackawanna Historical Society

Family: mother Barbara, stepfather John

Education: Currently a student at McCann School of Business & Technology

Hobbies, interests: gardening, watching NASCAR races, learning about local history