In December 1873, a 4,000 foot tunnel was completed through Big Lick Mountain in Dauphin County. Williamstown Tunnel opened up Bear Valley for profitable coal mining.
The completion of Williamstown Tunnel – 1873
Letters from War – A photograph of the Nazi panzer destroyed by Irvin Schwartz in the Battle of the Bulge
In May 1945, the West Schuylkill Press-Herald published a photograph taken during the Battle of the Bulge showing a tank destroyed by Sgt. Irvin Schwartz.
An account of Irvin Schwartz’s participation in the Battle of Dom Bütgenbach – December 21, 1944
A 1990 study by a defense contractor details the experiences of Irvin Schwartz and his comrades in the hellish Battle of Dom Bütgenbach in 1944.
Letters From War – The Battle of Dom Bütgenbach, December 21, 1944
In as much detail as he could get by US Army censors, Irvin Schwartz describes his unit's action in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944.
Letters from War – No peace for the holidays as the Battle of the Bulge raged, December 1944-January 1945
Irvin Schwartz's letter home to Schuylkill County in January 1945 explained the bleak holidays he spent on the front lines of the Battle of the Bulge.
Letters from War – A meeting of Schuylkill County natives on the front lines in Europe, December 1944
A letter from Corporal Irvin Schwartz from December 1944 is excerpted in the West Schuylkill Press-Herald.
How Schuylkill County football fans “watched” the Pottsville Maroon’s 1925 NFL Championship
As the Pottsville Maroons battled to a 1925 NFL Championship victory in Chicago, their loyal fans in Schuylkill County gathered at Pottsville's Hippodrome.
Letters from War – Battlefield promotion and war souvenirs, December 1944
The West Schuylkill Press-Herald announced Irvin Schwartz's promotion to corporal in December 1944 and that Schwartz's family received war souvenirs from Europe.
Letters from War – Holiday greetings from the front lines in Nazi Germany, November 1944
Desperate to share Christmas cheer and hopes for a happy New Year, Pfc. Irvin Schwartz wished holiday greetings to friends and family through the newspaper.
Grudge Match: Lykens and Williamstown football teams dueled for championship in remarkable 1904 game
The game ended in a scoreless tie. But that doesn't mean the circumstances surrounding this game aren't fascinating.
