In May 1942, vast swaths of Central Pennsylvania went dark. Local air raid wardens planned blackout drills to prepare for enemy bombers.
Practicing for War – Blackout Drills in May 1942
“A Shocking Mining Accident” in Williamstown, Pennsylvania – April 1872
"The excitement is great," reported the Lykens Register in April 1872. Williamstown Colliery had just experienced its deadliest accident to date.
“Cut Off From The Rest of The World” – Life in the Upper End in 1917
Residents of Northern Dauphin County complained after a change in train schedules left them "cut off from the rest of world" in July 1917.
Williamstown Takes on the Harrisburg Giants – July 1905
In an exhibition game in July 1905, the Harrisburg Giants traveled to the Upper End to take on Williamstown.
Poor Sportsmanship? – An Incident on a Williams Valley Ball Field in 1894
An ugly incident on the baseball field in August 1894 prompted an angry response from one Williamstown resident.
“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 Square Meal” – Food, Charity, and the Great Depression in Williamstown, PA
The Great Depression sparked a food crisis in the United States. Here's how one town in Pennsylvania fed hungry schoolchildren.
“A Proposed New County” – Northern Dauphin County’s Long History of Separatism
During the 19th Century, Northern Dauphin County was "disposed to secede" and form a new county with Lykens, Pennsylvania as the county seat.
A Williamstown Coal Miner Demands Steel for the Troops – February 1942
A miner from Williamstown, Pennsylvania recommends using scrap steel from the closed mines for the newly opened war effort.
“Abandoned as Unprofitable” – Williamstown Colliery Closes Forever
In January 1942, workers began to dismantle the once mighty Williamstown mining operation.
