In November 1864, Schuylkill County mine superintendent Gilliard Dock took up his pen and journaled about his daily routine at the coal mine just north of Pine Grove, PA. Dock was active in his journal that fall, writing about politics, the prospects for his mining operation, and the chaotic state of American politics in the fourth year of the Civil War. Read the full story.
One of the first Coal Region soldiers to die in the Civil War never saw a battlefield. Henry Yeager of Pine Grove was 21 years old when he fell ill at Camp Slifer near Chambersburg. He died on June 1, 1861 - not from enemy fire, but from spotted fever. His body was sent home draped in American flags. Read the story.
In this special episode of the Public History podcast, we share the story of Irvin Schwartz and his experiences during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. Schwartz, a native of Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, served as an anti-tank gunner in the US Army's famed 1st Division. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism during the battle. Listen to the full story.
Private Irvin Schwartz vividly recalls December 7, 1941, when news of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor interrupted a radio broadcast. He was later deployed to Normandy in 1944, serving with the US Army's 1st Division until Victory in Europe Day in 1945, sharing his experiences through letters to his hometown newspaper. Read the full story.
Randolph Umbenhauer of Pine Grove Township met up with a neighbor on the frontlines of France in July 1944.
A patriotic, holiday-themed beer advertisement from the Wilkes-Barre-based Stegmaier Brewing Company appeared in December 1944.
The final chapter in our "Letters from War" series on Sergeant Irvin Schwartz and his service in World War II.
In one of our final posts in the Letters from War series, we examine Irvin Schwartz's post-war life.
Irvin Schwartz returns to his pre-war beat as the sports reporter for Pine Grove High School after serving in World War II.
In a lengthy final letter from war, Sergeant Schwartz describes his departure from war-torn Europe bound for his home in America.