In 1855 Pottsville, a smallpox scare sparked a fight over school policy, public safety, and personal freedom that feels strikingly familiar. This new piece for Real Clear Pennsylvania follows those early vaccination battles—and why their echoes are so loud in our own time. Read the full story.
Discover a scathing 1864 Harrisburg, PA editor’s plea against Thanksgiving gluttony plus a funny Harper’s Weekly cartoon highlighting a Thanksgiving feast at the front lines. Read the full story.
On November 30, 1871, Lykens quietly marked Thanksgiving: businesses closed; Lutheran and Episcopal services thinly attended while railroads and collieries worked. Read the full story of a 19th century Thanksgiving in a mining town.
The Wynning History website just crossed a big milestone: 11 years online and more than 1 million views. What began as a small personal blog has grown into a community curious about Pennsylvania’s past and its place in the American story. Here’s what’s next for the project—and for me. Watch the update.
Dive into a rarely told piece of Civil War history, where doctors, nurses, and volunteers fought to keep the Thanksgiving spirit alive for wounded soldiers. Discover how these hospital celebrations offered hope and normalcy amid the chaos of conflict. Read the full story.
Netflix’s Death by Lightning tackles Garfield’s brief presidency, his assassination, and Charles Guiteau’s madness. In this episode of the Public History podcast, we offer our review and take a look at the history behind this series about the 20th President of the United States and the man who killed him. Listen to the episode.
Lewis W. Hine’s photograph reveals the faces of breaker boys, children working in harsh conditions for meager pay. Witness their stories and learn how these images sparked national reform against child labor. A haunting, pivotal chapter in Coal Region history. Read the full story.
Winslow Homer’s 1860 Harper’s Weekly illustration reveals a stark Thanksgiving class divide - opulent elites relaxing contrasted with coal miners and their families toiling through the holiday. Discover this powerful social critique and how it relates to Pennsylvania’s anthracite fields on the eve of the Civil War. Read the full story.
Journey back to 1910 Pottsville with this rare postcard of the Morris Building - home to the historic Dives, Pomeroy, & Stewart department store and Gowen Post #23 of the Grand Army of the Republic. Captured during a women’s event at the corner of Mahantango and Centre streets. Read more of the story.
Back in 2014, as a student at Hood College, I created my first historical documentary on the preservation battle at Monocacy National Battlefield, threatened by a massive trash incinerator. Though rough around the edges, this short film captures my journey into public history and the importance of protecting historic landscapes. Read the full story and watch the video.