At midnight on April 7, 1933, whistles blew to celebrate the return of legalized beer in the heart of the Coal Region.
The day beer returned to Schuylkill County | 1933
“Due for a comeback?” – An address on the Coal Region on eve of Great Depression
On the eve of the Great Depression, mining official Max Fredericks delivered an optimistic speech in Shamokin, Pennsylvania, predicting a bright future for the anthracite coal industry. Discover the irony and lasting impact of his words as the Coal Region faced unprecedented economic devastation after Black Tuesday in October 1929. Read the full story.
A black childhood in Pottsville in the 1930s | Charles H. King, Jr.
Charles H. King, Jr. eloquently described his childhood in Pottsville in his book, "Fire in my Bones."
A powerful editorial from Pottsville’s black community | 1940
In the summer of 1940, a new minister at Pottsville's Bethel AME Church sought to reach out to the Coal Region's white community for economic cooperation.
“LIQUOR SCARCE” – The quiet end of Prohibition in Pottsville and Schuylkill County
"Pottsville celebrated the advent of the new wet era with one of the driest evenings in its history."
“Big Change Now At Hand” – The Coal Region in the late 1920s
In May 1929, some of the anthracite industry believed mining was about to make a comeback. They were wrong.
Incredible photographs document the Maple Hill mine near Shenandoah in 1938
As we've previously documented on the blog, photographer Sheldon Dick came to the Coal Region in 1938 to photograph the people and places that made up the cultural landscape in this struggling industrial area. Dick centered his efforts for the Farm Security Administration project around the Schuylkill County community of Shenandoah. Read our story about … Continue reading Incredible photographs document the Maple Hill mine near Shenandoah in 1938
Shenandoah in 1938 – Photographs of Filipek’s Bar
Photographer Sheldon Dick stepped into a Shenandoah barroom in 1938 and captured memorable images of life in the Coal Region.
“Ice cream unrivaled” – How Yuengling survived Prohibition
A sweet dessert helped save America's oldest brewery from disappearing during Prohibition.
A dying Pennsylvania coal town found creative ways to feed local children during the Great Depression
The Great Depression sparked a food crisis in the United States. Here's how Williamstown, PA fed hungry schoolchildren.