Caralunas became one of the first soldiers from Schuylkill County to be killed-in-action during World War I.
“Died as Good American” – An immigrant was one of the first Tamaqua soldiers killed in World War I
In 1842, Irish immigrants in Schuylkill County began an international war of words over slavery in America
In 1842, a group of Irish immigrants in Schuylkill County came together to oppose their countrymen's call for racial equality and an end to slavery in the US.
Jim Gaffigan’s Coal Region connections featured on “Finding Your Roots” on PBS
Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and comedian Jim Gaffigan explored Gaffigan's family connection to the Coal Region on "Finding Your Roots"
A 1938 editorial from the Coal Region urged loosening of immigration restrictions for refugees
In November 1938, the Pittston Gazette published an editorial calling for a reconsideration of America's strict immigration policies.
A Scottish immigrant’s remarkable working history in 1850s Schuylkill County (Part 2)
This is a piece continued from last week. You can read Part 1 of our brief series on the remembrances of Robert Weir from 1914 HERE. After describing his arrival in the Coal Region in 1852, Robert Weir turned to discussing his work in Schuylkill County as a hoisting engineer in various collieries in the … Continue reading A Scottish immigrant’s remarkable working history in 1850s Schuylkill County (Part 2)
“My brains and my wits” – A Scottish immigrant recalls his arrival in Schuylkill County in 1852
An 84-year-old sat down with a Pottsville Republican reporter in October 1914 for a discussion about what it was like to live and work in Schuylkill County in the mid-19th century. Robert Weir came to the Coal Region from Scotland in 1852 and found work in the coal mines in the vicinity of Branchdale, Forestville, and Heckscherville. … Continue reading “My brains and my wits” – A Scottish immigrant recalls his arrival in Schuylkill County in 1852
A powerful letter on slavery and the Civil War from a one-time resident of Northeastern Pennsylvania
"ABOLISH SLAVERY" - A remarkable letter from an Irish-American soldier in the Civil War and his evolving anti-slavery beliefs.
Captain Richard Budd – Civil War veteran and pioneer of Williamstown
Budd served during the Civil War and later became a prominent citizen in Dauphin County's largest mining community.
The Archbald Draft Riot of September 1862
In September 1862, Irish immigrants living near Scranton rose up to resist efforts to enroll local men for the draft and service in the Civil War.
“Something more than a river” – The West Branch in “Sons of Molly Maguire”
Author Mark Bulik eloquently describes the labor wars that consumed Schuylkill County in the 1870s.
Wynning History 