In the 1950s, Mauch Chunk was fading - until newspaperman Joe Boyle met Jim Thorpe’s widow and a wild reinvention began. Our rebranded podcast with new co-host Molly Keilty follows the town’s rise and fall and rise again, Thorpe’s story, and the Nickel-A-Week publicity push in the 1950s. This is the wild story of how Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania came into being. Listen to the episode.
In this heartfelt reflection, Pat Bettinger vividly captures the spirit of growing up in Williamstown, Pennsylvania in the 1950s and 1960s. Walking familiar streets evokes memories of childhood adventures, family warmth, community festivals, and simpler times, offering a nostalgic and touching glimpse into life in this former coal-mining town. Though I grew up in Williamstown in the 1990s and early 2000s, this piece touched my heart and invoked my own warm memories of my hometown. Read the full story.