In December 1873, a 4,000 foot tunnel was completed through Big Lick Mountain in Dauphin County. Williamstown Tunnel opened up Bear Valley for profitable coal mining.
The completion of Williamstown Tunnel – 1873
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A letter from General James Gavin to a friend in Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania – 1943
In the letter to a friend in his hometown, Gavin celebrated the teachers who made him and the soldiers who served with him in World War II.
A visit to the Coal Region in the summer of 1873 – The Atlantic Magazine
A writer's visit to the Coal Region and his fascinating, but scathing opinions about what he found - Summer of 1873
“Destination Unknown” – An upsetting photograph and an American war relief effort in 1940
In June 1940, an American Red Cross chapter in Luzerne County used a powerful photograph of refugees to encourage donations for war relief.
Ukrainian Relief Day in Schuylkill County in 1917 and where you can donate today
American relief efforts for Ukrainian war refugees in 2022 echoes a previous campaign in Schuylkill County during World War I.
“In the Depths of a Coal Mine” – Stephen Crane’s 1894 visit to Pennsylvania’s Coal Region
Author Stephen Crane made a visit to a coal mine near Scranton in 1894 for an article in McClure's Magazine.
“Life in the Coal Villages” – 1888
This story by H.L. Nelson shares the dismal realities of life in the mining patch towns Northeastern Pennsylvania in the 1880s.
“Christmas 1945” – The first Christmas after a long national struggle
The Shenandoah Evening Herald ran a moving editorial on Christmas Eve 1945 about the meaning of the holiday after World War II.
“Holiday Greetings” – A December 1944 advertisement for Stegmaier Brewery wished customers a “Victorious New Year”
A patriotic, holiday-themed beer advertisement from the Wilkes-Barre-based Stegmaier Brewing Company appeared in December 1944.
Epilogue – Irvin Schwartz and his remarkable letters from war
The final chapter in our "Letters from War" series on Sergeant Irvin Schwartz and his service in World War II.
Wynning History 