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.
“Heroic cause of education” – Pottsville established a “Freedmen’s Relief Association” in 1867
“Fire in My Bones” – Pottsville native and Civil Rights leader Charles H. King’s memoir
Charles H. King Jr. lead seminars about race in America and participated in the Civil Rights movement. He grew up in Schuylkill County.
A story from 1918 reveals chaos as “Spanish flu” raged through Schuylkill County
In early October 1918, pandemic influenza descended on Schuylkill County and left thousands dead.
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.
“LIQUOR SCARCE” – The quiet end of Prohibition in Pottsville and Schuylkill County
"Pottsville celebrated the advent of the new wet era with one of the driest evenings in its history."
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.
“Thoughts for Tomorrow” – Remembering the sacrifice of Schuylkill County’s Civil War soldiers
And a plea to consider what the Confederate battle flag meant to the local soldiers who fought and died in the Civil War.
A remembrance of a boyhood in Schuylkill County during the Civil War
A memoir from the 1930s describes the hard life of a breaker boy in Civil War-era Schuylkill County.
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.
“The Youth owned the town” – Celebrating Halloween in Pottsville in 1893
Halloween could get pretty rowdy in the City of Pottsville in the 19th century.