New Bushy Run Battlefield facilitator is pre-Revolutionary War history buff

The Bushy Run Battlefield and museum near Harrison City will have a new leader, a soon-to-be University of Pittsburgh graduate with a history degree who will oversee day-to-day operations at the Penn Township site of the 1763 battle between British and colonial soldiers and Native Americans.

Elizabeth Staab, 22, of Brentwood, on May 4 starts her new job as facilitator for the nonprofit Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society. She succeeds Shawn MacIntyre, who is leaving the rural Bushy Run setting on Saturday to become the public engagement and operations manager at the Braddock Battlefield History Center in North Braddock.

While she focused on European history in earning a bachelor’s degree at Pitt, Staab’s main interest in history fits right into the era of the Bushy Run battle.

“My favorite era is pre-Revolutionary War,” Staab said.

The August 1763 battle during Pontiac’s War against the British and colonials occurred 12 years before the American Revolution against the British. The site along Route 993 is the only Native American battlefield recognized by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

Staab said she learned the Bushy Run heritage society was hiring and “decided it was great fit.” She was looking for a job at a museum that accepted a bachelor’s degree in history rather than requiring a graduate degree.

The heritage society had several good candidates but determined Staab would be the right fit, said Bonnie Ramus, president of the organization.

“She is really into history and has experience with nonprofit institutions,” Ramus said.

Staab interned at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. She accepted donations of materials and helped to catalog the collection.

Staab also has social media experience, which is “a big part of the job,” Ramus said.

After graduating Sunday, Staab will have little time to celebrate before she starts her new job. Staab will have a work schedule of close to 40 hours during the summer when the museum is open, Ramus said.

As facilitator, Staab will be responsible for planning events and conducting school tours, in addition to overseeing the day-to-day operations. The heritage society operates the visitor’s center, which holds the museum. The visitor’s center and museum are owned by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

A major event for the heritage society is the battle reenactment Aug. 6-7. MacIntyre, a reenactor who portrays a soldier in the 42nd Royal Highland Unit which fought at Bushy Run, helped set the foundation for this year’s reenactment, the first one in two years.

Staab will be able to delve into a part of history she really likes.

“I like the stories (in history) that aren’t really studied” that much, Staab said.