In May 1893, thirty Polish immigrants stepped off a train in Shenandoah and into a new life in Pennsylvania’s Coal Region. A short newspaper account captures the confusion, emotion, and quiet reunions that followed. It is a small moment in a much larger story of migration that reshaped the region. Read the full story.
In May 1871, fire swept Pittston’s Knight Shaft. Eleven-year-old mule driver Martin Crahan turned back from safety to warn miners, was refused behind their barricade, and chose to die beside his teams. Nineteen others perished. A poem immortalized his courage in the face of a disaster similar to one that ravaged Avondale, PA two years earlier. Read the full story.
On the anniversary of Joseph Workman's death during the Civil War, I'm remembering the Wiconisco native who joined the 96th Pennsylvania in 1861. Wounded at South Mountain and captured at Spotsylvania, he succumbed to his wounds in Confederate-controlled Richmond. His weathered monument in Calvary United Methodist Cemetery is a reminder to remember the young man who died for his country. Read the full story.
Maurus Oestreich, a German immigrant turned Union soldier, endured unimaginable carnage at the “Bloody Angle.” Witness how the relentless violence of May 1864 left an indelible mark on the 96th Pennsylvania—and how Oestreich’s memories captured the true cost of war. Read the full story.
On May 12, 1864, Henry Keiser and the 96th Pennsylvania stormed enemy earthworks in a downpour at the infamous “Bloody Angle,” firing over 160 rounds through mud and chaos. Learn how this Dauphin County soldier endured one of the Civil War’s most brutal encounters. Read the full story.
Step into May 1864 through the eyes of Henry Keiser, a Pennsylvania corporal facing brutal combat during the Civil War. This short student documentary brings his vivid diary to life, revealing the raw realities of the Civil War in a way you won’t forget. Read the full story and watch the video.
On May 8, 1945, drenched but ecstatic, Wilkes-Barre’s streets exploded with horns, confetti, and church bells as Coal Region residents celebrated VE Day victory. From umbrella-clad crowds in Public Square to ticker-tape showers from office windows, the rainy jubilation captured both relief and remembrance. Read the full story.
This May marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day - Victory in Europe - and it’s the perfect moment to revisit our Coal Region World War II history stories, from frontline letters to home-front efforts. Reflect on these powerful accounts, learn from their lessons, and honor those who lived them. Read the full story. Read the full stories.
On V-E Day, May 8, 1945, The Record American of Mahanoy City published a powerful tribute honoring local soldiers who died in World War II. This special edition reflected the deep loss felt in Pennsylvania’s Coal Region, where families sacrificed both on the battlefield and the home front to support the war effort. Read the full story and see their photographs.
The Zimmerman brothers from Wiconisco, Pennsylvania all served in the US Army during the First World War.