During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, communities across America became interested in preserving their histories. This interest resulted in speeches, the printing of pamphlets and books, and the establishment of historical societies and museums across the nation.
The Coal Region of Pennsylvania also experienced this craze. The collective memory of our region’s history often comes from these sources from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. And in the century since these histories were published, some communities have updated their histories with new stories and information to commemorate major anniversary dates like foundings, establishments, etc.
But for the most part, no new histories have been written in the age of the Internet, though our access to the old histories has become easier than ever.
So we are embarking on a new project here at Wynning History. We are going to begin writing short historical pieces of various Coal Region communities with historical rigor and a focus on telling the stories that earlier histories shied away from. These posts, we hope, will connect the Coal Region today with the area’s historical roots.
This is a bit of an experiment – so we’ll see how this goes! We will start with the communities we know best – the towns and villages along the Dauphin-Schuylkill county line in Williams Valley.
Let us know your feedback in the comments below.
Dauphin County
Lykens
Wiconisco Township
Williamstown
Schuylkill County
Tower City
Porter Township
Featured Image: Girardville, PA in the 1940s (Girardville, Pennsylvania)
Wynning History 