Sergeant Henry Keiser | A Pennsylvania soldier at Appomattox Court House

On April 9, 1865, Sergeant Henry Keiser of Wiconisco Township, PA, recorded in his diary the moment he and his fellow soldiers learned of General Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, marking the end of their service in the Civil War. After surviving brutal battles from Gettysburg to Cedar Creek, Keiser returned home to Pennsylvania, where he lived until 1933, remembered as a dedicated soldier and community member. Read the full story.

An advertisement cheering the return of beer to a Schuylkill County community | 1933

On April 7, 1933, changes to the Volstead Act allowed the sale of beer with up to 3.2% alcohol, marking the beginning of the end for Prohibition. In Tower City, PA, Frank Mione’s Café celebrated the occasion with an enthusiastic newspaper advertisement welcoming beer back to their business. Read the full story.

A Luzerne County newspaper’s editorial about Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House, Virginia | April 1865

"The rebellion of American slavery against American freedom has just been beaten and crushed..."

Letters from War – Sergeant Irvin Schwartz receives the Distinguished Service Cross for gallantry during the Battle of the Bulge

Staff Sergeant Irvin Schwartz in 1945 after receiving the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II.

In 1945, Sergeant Irvin Schwartz was honored with the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism during the Battle of the Bulge.

Letters from War – Irvin Schwartz’s response to the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt – 1945

Sergeant Irvin Schwartz shares how he learned the shocking news of President Roosevelt's death in April 1945.

The Gazette: Episode 3 – Excelsior on the March

In Episode 3 of "The Gazette," explore letters from new recruits in the US Army, flag-waving in Pittston, and the state of war in May 1861.