On the eve of the 1936 election, Franklin D. Roosevelt came to Wilkes-Barre, PA and delivered one of the sharpest labor speeches of his presidency—rooted in Coal Region history and aimed squarely at corporate coercion. John Mitchell Day gave FDR the setting, and coal miners gave him the audience. Read the full story.
A 1942 photo captures a coal miner’s joy as he collects his paycheck in West Pittston, PA during World War II. Learn how miners balanced booming wartime demand with labor strikes, Federal seizure of mines, and a landmark UMWA settlement in 1943. Read the full story.
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.
Sergeant Irvin Schwartz shares how he learned the shocking news of President Roosevelt's death in April 1945.
The Lykens Standard voiced support for President Herbert Hoover and called the campaign against him illegitimate.
"Pottsville celebrated the advent of the new wet era with one of the driest evenings in its history."