My 2025 reading list leans hard into the big, difficult stuff - atomic fire over Japan, mass graves in Rwanda and Bosnia, the Molly Maguires, Irish soldiers in blue, and one unforgettable novel about a single patch of New England ground. These are the books that shaped his thinking this year about memory, violence, grief, and how we tell stories. Read the full story.
I recently reflected on Stanley Tucci’s “Tucci in Italy,” where each episode blends history, regional culture, and mouthwatering cuisine - from Lazio’s vineyards to Adriatic fishing villages. Tucci’s passion and storytelling took me back to my own Italian travels and inspired anew. Read the full story.
On Saturday June 14, I was asked to give remarks about the history and context of the American flag over the last 250 years of history. These are the words I shared in historic Mullinix Park in Frederick, Maryland.
Celebrate Black History Month with stories of African American pioneers in Pennsylvania’s Coal Region—from Civil War bravery to crucial roles in 20th-century progress. Discover heroes like Nicholas Biddle and Charles H. King, Jr., and learn how they shaped our communities. Join us in honoring this remarkable legacy. Read the full story.
Looking back over a year of reading is always enlightening, and 2024 was no exception! This year, my favorite reads spanned from oral histories of D-Day to the Civil War and modern political extremism. Here are my top five non-fiction books that I couldn’t put down this year.
Discover Christmas history with Jake Wynn – Public Historian. From Civil War-era celebrations to Prohibition and World War II, explore how communities and people across Pennsylvania celebrated Christmas over the last 200 years. Enjoy these top Christmas stories from the archives. Read the stories.
Discover Thanksgiving history with Jake Wynn – Public Historian. From Civil War-era celebrations to the 1902 Coal Strike and World War I, explore how communities across Pennsylvania celebrated Thanksgiving during times of struggle and hope. Enjoy these top Thanksgiving stories from the archives. Read the stories.
A Schuylkill County soldier killed at the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862
Illustration from 1873 shows operations on the Lehigh Canal
In July 1865, the Pottsville Miners' Journal published a letter from a vehement support of Black voting rights.