The teachers from the Pottsville Freedmen's Relief Association penned a letter home to Pennsylvania in March 1867.
“Our work in the school room” – Letter from the Pottsville teachers in Tennessee – March 1867
A black childhood in Pottsville in the 1930s | Charles H. King, Jr.
Charles H. King, Jr. eloquently described his childhood in Pottsville in his book, "Fire in my Bones."
Eugene V. Debs – A 1906 speech in Pottsville’s Union Hall
In September 1906, the leader of the Socialist Party of America gave a speech before a large audience in Schuylkill County.
Pottsville Freedmen’s School teachers arrive in Tennessee – 1867
A newspaper clipping from March 1867 provided an update about the efforts of the Pottsville Freedmen's Relief Association teachers.
“Give all men a chance and fair play” – Frederick Douglass in Pottsville
Frederick Douglass gave two speeches in Pottsville, Pennsylvania in October 1867.
Pottsville teachers resign to head south and open school for freedpeople – February 1867
Fannie Couch and Hannah Streeper prepared to leave Schuylkill County to teach black students in Tennessee in 1867.
“Heroic cause of education” – Pottsville established a “Freedmen’s Relief Association” in 1867
In December 1866, a committee was formed in Pottsville that sought to fund and carry out education for former slaves in the war-torn South.
A powerful editorial from Pottsville’s black community | 1940
In the summer of 1940, a new minister at Pottsville's Bethel AME Church sought to reach out to the Coal Region's white community for economic cooperation.
A newspaper’s reflection on the death toll from Spanish Flu in Schuylkill County – 1918
The writers at the "Pottsville Republican" struggled to find words for the horrific death toll of Spanish flu in October 1918.
Schuylkill County’s first Thanksgiving – November 1845
On November 27, 1845, Pottsville, Pennsylvania observed its first official Thanksgiving, following a proclamation by Governor Francis Shunk. This New England tradition had slowly spread to other states, and by the 1840s, Pennsylvania embraced the holiday. Businesses closed, church services were well attended, and the quiet streets reflected a community in celebration. Explore how this first Thanksgiving in Schuylkill County set the stage for a tradition that would later be declared a national holiday during the Civil War. Read the full story.