In December 1862, Colonel Jacob Frick led the 129th Pennsylvania Infantry, composed of men from Schuylkill County, into the brutal Battle of Fredericksburg. Facing relentless fire at Marye’s Heights, Frick’s leadership held the line in one of the Civil War’s bloodiest defeats. His bravery earned him the Medal of Honor. Read the full story.
Newspaper headlines across Northeastern Pennsylvania carried news of war and destruction in Hawaii in December 1941. Read the full story and the headlines.
Private Irvin Schwartz vividly recalls December 7, 1941, when news of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor interrupted a radio broadcast. He was later deployed to Normandy in 1944, serving with the US Army's 1st Division until Victory in Europe Day in 1945, sharing his experiences through letters to his hometown newspaper. Read the full story.
Discover a ghostly tale from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, as recorded in the Miners' Journal in 1865. This eerie account describes a mysterious apparition seen near Charles Baber Cemetery on Market Street, leaving locals both intrigued and terrified. Explore the spine-chilling details of this Civil War-era haunting.
In early 2024, we had the chance to explore sites connected to the darkest days in the history of London - the Blitz.
We chat with our friend and author Ryan Quint about his new book on the Battle of Dranesville.
Harry Welsh's wounding during the Battle of the Bulge was portrayed in gory detail in the HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers."
On December 9, 1873, the Williamstown Tunnel in northern Dauphin County was completed as tunneling teams from both sides of Big Lick Mountain finally met. This engineering feat, begun in 1870, opened new coal reserves for the Summit Branch Railroad Company and transformed the Williamstown Colliery into one of the most productive anthracite mines in the region. Learn how this pivotal moment in Pennsylvania’s coal mining history unfolded. Read the full story.
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.
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.