A recent visit to a cemetery in Schuylkill County inspired an examination of a dark chapter of local history.
When the Klan came to Williams Valley – 1924
A young sailor from Lykens wrote home to describe his first action in the Spanish-American War
Clarence Holland was 16 when he first experienced battle during the bombardment of San Juan in May 1898.
“I am a traveler by nature” – A long-lost son of Lykens writes home from the West
Frank Israel left his home in Pennsylvania and didn't look back for 15 years. While he was away, he traveled the world.
“Incidents of a by-gone age” – A description of life in the Coal Region before the Civil War
Catherine Romberger Myers was born in Porter Township in 1840. She spoke to a reporter in 1931 about growing up in pre-industrial Williams Valley.
“Baseball fever” – Williams Valley’s 1906 season featured pro players, violent fans
In 1906, a small valley in Pennsylvania's Coal Region caught a case of baseball fever. The towns were never the same again.
After the First World War, miners in Williams Valley faced an uncertain future
A newspaper correspondent details life in Lykens and Wiconisco in the months after the end of the Great War.
“Stick to the Union” – Factory girls supported union miners during Coal Strike of 1902
Coal miners across Pennsylvania went on strike in 1902. They couldn't have succeeded without the ladies.
Lykens Red Cross chapter knitted, baked, and volunteered to help local soldiers overseas in 1918
Women from the Coal Region volunteered to provide assistance to troops during the First World War.
“This community sustains a great loss” – A fatal mine disaster in Wiconisco Township during the Civil War
On February 7, 1862, a roof collapsed inside the Short Mountain Colliery killing a respected miner and wounding several others.
Parade to raise money for World War I brought deadly influenza to Williams Valley in 1918
"Good music always has an appeal to most people," wrote a reporter accompanying a Liberty Loan Drive parade through Central Pennsylvania in the early fall of 1918. And in the coal towns of Dauphin County's Williams Valley, the bands and singers were particularly successful in attracting a crowd. On the evening of October 2, 1918, … Continue reading Parade to raise money for World War I brought deadly influenza to Williams Valley in 1918
