"I pronounce this rebellion wicked," thundered John Chandler Gregg in a speech given in Wiconisco, Pennsylvania.
“We want a vigorous prosecution of the war” – Chaplain calls for hard war against Confederacy in 1863
“This community sustains a great loss” – A fatal mine disaster in Wiconisco Township during the Civil War
On February 7, 1862, a roof collapsed inside the Short Mountain Colliery killing a respected miner and wounding several others.
“A vivid flash of light” – An 1867 lightning strike electrocuted Wiconisco miners 1,000 feet below ground
In June 1867, a thunderstorm passed through Wiconisco, Pennsylvania and electrocuted miners deep within one of the town's coal mines.
“Overhauling is going on vigorously” – An 1860s photograph reveals work at coal breaker in Wiconisco
A photograph taken shortly after the Civil War shows mining operations in Wiconisco Township in Dauphin County in the 1860s.
“Strike among the coal miners”- Labor unrest in Wiconisco Township during the Civil War
In the spring of 1863, a series of strikes among miners stopped all work in the anthracite coal mines of Wiconisco Township.
Honoring Civil War Veterans: Memorial Day 1889
A writer in Lykens, PA describes the town's Memorial Day ceremonies in May 1889.
“A frightful scene” – A Wiconisco boy’s narrow escape from death in a mine accident in 1859
A young boy faced death in the mines of the Lykens Valley Coal Company in March 1859. And against all odds, he came out victorious.
“In my late excursion” – A visit to Wiconisco, Pennsylvania in 1835
A traveler describes his visit to the small mining village of Wiconisco, Pennsylvania in the summer of 1835.
Life of a Coal Mine Superintendent – The Diary of Gilliard Dock, 1867
Gilliard Dock served as superintendent at several Pennsylvania coal mines between 1865 and 1870. His journal tells the story.
Killed Aboard the USS Arizona – Seaman First Class Paul Shiley and the Attack on Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, Seaman First Class Paul Shiley of Wiconisco, Pennsylvania was killed aboard the USS Arizona during the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor. Shiley, just 19 years old, was among the 1,177 crew members who perished when the Arizona was struck by Japanese bombs, leading to a catastrophic explosion. He became Wiconisco’s first casualty of World War II, forever entombed in the wreckage of the Arizona. Discover his story and the tragic events of that fateful day. Read the full story.