On June 19, 1863, an overcrowded passenger train jumped the tracks in Northern Dauphin County. Six people died in the disaster.
The Gettysburg Campaign’s Forgotten Railroad Disaster
A Central Pennsylvania Newspaper Marches to War in 1861
Four young men walked out of the offices of the Lykens Journal in 1861 to join the Union Army. Only one came back.
Honoring Civil War Veterans: Memorial Day 1889
A writer in Lykens, PA describes the town's Memorial Day ceremonies in May 1889.
Killed at Spotsylvania Court House – The Workman Brothers of Wiconisco, Pennsylvania
On May 10, 1864, Josiah and Franklin Workman were killed in combat during the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.
“Hard Skirmishing All Day” – 96th Pennsylvania in the Battle of West Point
The 96th Pennsylvania experiences its first contact with the enemy at the Battle of West Point, Virginia on May 7, 1862.
“Very Disagreeable on Board” – The 96th Pennsylvania Sails to the Peninsula
In April 1862, the 96th Pennsylvania embarked aboard steamers and sailed to the front near Yorktown, Virginia. The voyage took two weeks.
“For Honor’s Sake, Enlist” – America Enters The First World War
"Where is the spirit of the men who risked Libby Prison and of the men who stormed Missionary Ridge?" asked a Chicago newspaper editor in April 1917.
“Blood of the Civil War Veterans” – A Fiery Speech Advocating War in April 1917
A minister in Wisconsin summons the memory of his father, a Civil War veteran, while advocating war against Germany.
“There Is Already Quite a Demand” – Williamstown in 1865
A report from the Summit Branch Railroad Company in 1865 details the growth of a new community at the northern tip of Dauphin County.
A Civil War Photograph – Henry Keiser
A recently discovered photograph sheds light on the Civil War experience of a Pennsylvania soldier.
