How on earth is the century about to turn 25? That just... doesn't feel right.
Well, here we are again. Time to look back at the highs and lows of this blog (and its little sister) during the past twelve months.
What are some facts about MarkerQuest™?
As of May, I've been doing this for six years. I didn't choose the blog life, the blog life chose me. Unfortunately, real life took a sharp left turn during the last couple months, mostly on account of my regular job; my shift was extremely understaffed for several weeks, and when that finally stopped being a problem, the holidays were upon us so it became crazy time anyway. I actually like my job (most of the time) so I did the best I could, but it meant that blog-related things had to take a backseat.
Earlier in the year I began a podcast form of the blog. This was well received and I'm hoping to pick it up again in the new year, when things slow down some. I meant for it to be much farther along by now than it is, but at least I got it started.
A few months ago I started a companion blog, as some of you know. Confessions of a Wandering History Nerd is updated with absolutely no regularity whatsoever, but it seems to be well received. It's basically a place for me to ramble about my history-related adventures that aren't connected with the PHMC markers, both here in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. (I'm still working out the kinks with Google concerning ad placement, so it currently generates no revenue for me.) I had been kicking around the idea of this blog for several months before I actually took the plunge and created it, and I'm looking forward to working on it more when time and health are both agreeable. As I often remark to my emotional support silly man, to write I need a confluence of time, energy, and inspiration, and I usually have the third but am often lacking in one of the other two.
As is my tradition, let's see what the most popular posts of this past year have been. My post about Gnadenhuetten (one of the three original posts on the blog) retains its place of honor as my most-read post of all time, closing in on five thousand hits as of this writing. Surprisingly, there were no ties this year, as there have been in years past, nor were there any particular runaway victories.
In reverse order, the ten most popular posts written in 2024 are:
10) Sugarloaf Massacre, Sugarloaf and Conyngham, Luzerne County
9) Aaron Siskind, Doylestown, Bucks County
8) Nazareth, Northampton County
7) Frank N. D. Buchman, Pennsburg, Montgomery County
6) Andrew Ellicott, Lancaster, Lancaster County
5) Harrisburg State Hospital, Harrisburg, Dauphin County
4) Charming Forge, Womelsdorf, Berks County
3) Abington Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Abington Township, Montgomery County
2) James A. Michener, Doylestown, Bucks County
1) The Banana Split, Latrobe, Westmoreland County
Apparently my readers like ice cream as much as I do.
In total, the blog has received just shy of 200,000 hits! The Facebook page has 375 followers as of this writing, and the mailing list has sixty subscribers. I am grateful for each and every reader and follower I have.
What's coming up for MarkerQuest™?
I'll be returning to my beloved Zenkaikon in March of next year, and will in all probability be presenting a new iteration of my 'History of Lancaster' panel. The Lancaster ghost stories panel was also a runaway hit (standing room only!) and is expected to make a return, possibly being offered twice in order to accommodate more people. I am also in talks with a fellow congoer, who runs a similar but much smaller event for the students at his school, about possibly doing a regional ghost story presentation for that.
When our schedules (and medical conditions) align, I still have plans to do a joint project with Jon Miller, the Hometown Historian. That first MQ book is still a work in progress, and I'm picking at the beginnings of another local history book along the lines of Laury's Island. I have several stories I want to tell on the Confessions blog, as well as resuming the podcast version of this one. Once the holiday retail season is over I should have more time for such things, but until then... well, this is why I always take the month of December off. Between all of the assorted demands on my time lately, plus a number of headaches thanks to the weather, it's taken me four days to get this post written!
Whatever you celebrate, I hope it's peaceful, warm, and full of joy. I look forward to resuming my weekly posts in January, and wish everyone a Happy New Year.
To all of my readers, my supporters, and the friends which MarkerQuest™ has gained over the years - thank you for joining me on this adventure. It wouldn't be nearly as much fun without you and I hope you'll continue to be a part of the MarkerQuest™ crew in the coming year.
Except where indicated, all writing and photography on this blog is the intellectual property of Laura Klotz. This blog is written with permission of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. I am not employed by the PHMC. All rights reserved.
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