Questions and Answers
To be honest, I hesitate to call them "frequently asked questions," but these are questions I figure somebody will be asking sooner or later.
What are the markers?
The signs are approved and set up by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, or PHMC for short. They are (usually) blue with gold lettering and can be found throughout the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, indicating sites where famous events took place or famous people lived. There are more than 2,000 such markers, and more are added every year, so I'm going to be busy for a while.
Do you work for the PHMC?
No, I don't. I make a point of saying so on the main pages as well, but just to reiterate - I do not work for the PHMC, I am not affiliated with them beyond their granting of a non-exclusive license to promote their markers, and my opinions are my own and not necessarily theirs. (That said, I think they're really neat.)
Who takes your pictures?
All photographs in my blog posts, unless otherwise indicated, were taken by me and are thus copyrighted to me. All of the writing is mine as well - again, unless indicated otherwise, as I have been asked about the possibility of guest posts.
Can I contribute pictures to your blog?
You can - I originally intended that all the work would be done by me, but with 2020 having turned out the way that it did, I'm beginning to understand that this is just not going to be possible. So yes, you can. I've set up an email account for the blog at markerquestblog@gmail.com; send me a message there and tell me what you want to submit.
Please note that I am not in a position to pay for contributions. I will absolutely credit you as the photographer and include you on the list of guest photographers, and if you have your own blog or website I will be happy to share a link; but that's the extent of the remuneration that I can offer.
Why is there such an emphasis on the markers located in eastern Pennsylvania?
That's where I live. They're easier for me to access. Trust me, I have every intention of making some road trips to get markers in other parts of the commonwealth, but it's going to take me some time. I have a day job to pay the bills, and I unfortunately also have multiple health issues which sometimes interfere in my travel plans. There's only so far that I'm willing to drive myself because of them, so to get to places like Philadelphia, I have to rely on someone else - usually my husband, who has two jobs and therefore has even less free time than I do.
Are you getting paid for this?
It's a hobby more than anything. I do have the Google Ads in place, so if you see something advertised on this blog that catches your interest, I hope you'll check it out. But really, I'm not looking to get rich off of this project; it's mostly about the thrill of the hunt, and the fun of knowing that people are reading stuff that I write.
Why the video game references?
Because I'm a lifelong gamer as well as a history buff, and I thought it would make for an amusing framing device. The Real World™ has some amazing graphics and tons of interesting NPCs, each of whom has their own fully fleshed-out backstory! The developers put a lot of effort into this game!
It also explains the title of the blog a bit. In many adventure games - I'm particularly thinking of Skyrim - the map will put a little arrow on the place where you need to go, so you can orient yourself properly. This is commonly known as a quest marker. I flipped the term around and, thus, MarkerQuest™.
It also explains the title of the blog a bit. In many adventure games - I'm particularly thinking of Skyrim - the map will put a little arrow on the place where you need to go, so you can orient yourself properly. This is commonly known as a quest marker. I flipped the term around and, thus, MarkerQuest™.
Why don't you do vlogs/YouTube/TikTok/podcasts?
I've actually been asked this more than once, and there are two reasons. One is that I'm just not that tech savvy. I don't have a green screen, or any sort of video editing software, or anything like that for a vlog or YouTube, and I don't honestly claim to understand TikTok at all. (That's also why I'm not on Instagram, I just don't get it.) I actually don't know how podcasts work either.
As of February 2024, this has changed. The blog is still the blog, but I'm in the process of turning each blog post into a podcast episode. So if you would prefer to listen to me babble about history rather than read it, you now have the option. Get the details on this page.
I hope I know what I'm doing.
Were you really on your high school football team?
I mention it in a few of my posts, due to relevance to the subject matter, and I've gotten this question once or twice from people in real life, so I thought I should explain. Yes, I really was. My junior and senior years, I was a member of the varsity football team at Catasauqua High School. No, I didn't play; I was the equipment manager. To put it simply, I thought that I should probably have a sport on my list of extracurriculars when applying to colleges, but because I have invisible disabilities, actually playing a sport was not recommended by my doctor. So looking after the football team's helmets and water bottles and assisting the coaches was deemed a reasonable compromise. We even went to the state championships my junior year and I'm in the team picture which hangs somewhere in the high school hallways.
How can we contact you?
The easiest way to reach me is either to leave a comment on one of my posts, or to send me an email at markerquestblog@gmail.com; you could also try leaving a message on Facebook, but that doesn't always seem to work for some reason. If anyone is wondering, I'm available for writing guest posts for other blogs or publications, speaking to history classes or groups, or just for providing additional information if you have questions.
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.
We hike and explore a lot. I have a few published books of ruins and love "forgotten" history. Will be taking photos of these markers more often to help your quest. I do have one currently, who do I send the non-watermarked version to?
ReplyDeleteHi, Kathleen, and thank you for the question! You're so kind to offer! If you take pictures of the markers (and, when possible, the subjects of the markers), you can go to the blog's Facebook (https://facebook.com/MarkerQuest) and send me a private message. I can give you more direct contact information from there. Thank you so much for the generous offer! With travel restrictions being what they are, it's gotten a little harder for me to get out to where some of the markers are located.
DeleteLaura, I am a descendant of Hans Sieber. I just read your account of the Northkill Amish Settlement. In your research, have you found any grave sites of Hans Sieber or his family? Can you tell me where the Northkill Cemetery is located?
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Barbara
Hi Barbara! The Northkill Cemetery is found at 800 Old Route 22 in Tilden Township, Berks County. I haven't been there myself, nor have I come across any mention of your ancestor, but you can see pictures of many of the headstones at this website: https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2187775/northkill-amish-burial-ground
DeleteI hope that helps! Thanks for reading and commenting!
Thank you, Laura. I will check out the website.
Delete