In a letter to the West Schuylkill Press-Herald, Irvin Schwartz describes the chaos and carnage of a bombing raid in France.
Letters from War – Witnessing a massive bombing raid and fighting near Saint-Lô, 1944
Photographs from 1938 document the damage done to homes by mine subsidence in Schuylkill County
Sheldon Dick photographed damaged homes in Gilberton, Schuylkill County in 1938.
Sketches of the Coal Region from 1877
These remarkable sketches show life in the Coal Region during the middle part of the 19th century, a crucial time in the area's history.
Letters from War – Scenes at a joyous party in liberated Normandy, August 1944
As a French town fell to Irvin Schwartz's 26th Infantry Regiment, he documented the amusing scenes he witnessed among celebrating French civilians.
“Among the Coal Mines” – A trip into the Coal Region in 1877
In the tumultuous year of 1877, a magazine correspondent visited Mauch Chunk to document life in the Coal Region.
As Pottsville rapidly expanded in the 1820s, it was missing something important: beer
And a German immigrant with a (now) famous last name raced to Schuylkill County to quench the city's thirst for suds.
Letters from War – Receiving letters and picking up war souvenirs in France, July 1944
In this short letter from July 1944, Schwartz thanks the editor of the Press-Herald and comments on the souvenirs he picked up in France.
Fire at Kalmia Colliery in Schuylkill County nearly claimed lives – December 1871
On December 1, 1871, the Kalmia Colliery breaker burned to the ground, nearly killing a night crew of workers trapped inside by the fumes.
“Among the Pennsylvania coal-strikers” – A dispatch from the 1902 Coal Strike
This dispatch from the 1902 Coal Strike eloquently describes the battle lines as the strike entered its pivotal fifth month.
Letters from War – Reflections on D-Day and the fighting in Normandy, June 1944
Pfc. Irvin Schwartz wrote home to Schuylkill County in June 1944 to celebrate the work of his hometown newspaper in their coverage of D-Day.
