On the eve of the 1936 election, Franklin D. Roosevelt came to Wilkes-Barre, PA and delivered one of the sharpest labor speeches of his presidency—rooted in Coal Region history and aimed squarely at corporate coercion. John Mitchell Day gave FDR the setting, and coal miners gave him the audience. Read the full story.
On the eve of the 1864 election, thousands jammed Pittston, PA for a Union rally - bands, parades, a cannon, and a “perfect jam” on the streets. Cheers for Lincoln, a speaker's biting wit, and street violence with pistols and brick-bats flying. Read the full story.
On Election Night 1864, politics turned deadly in Tremont, PA. After Schuylkill County voters re-elected Congressman Myer Strouse, a band of Irish mineworkers—calling themselves the “Bloody 69th”—paraded through town. Hours later, 25-year-old George W. Thompson was beaten to death. No one was ever tried. This is the Coal Region’s volatile Civil War era—press bias, ethnic tension, and justice denied—told through one forgotten murder. Read the full story.
In the lead-up to the Election of 1860, young Pennsylvanians rallied behind Abraham Lincoln as part of the Wide Awakes, a political movement determined to confront slavery and disunion. This poem, published in the Pittston Gazette, captures their enthusiasm and commitment. Learn more about how these young men supported Lincoln in this pivotal election. Read the full story.
On a fall evening in 1864, the streets of Lykens, Pennsylvania came alive with a torchlight parade in support of President Abraham Lincoln. As the Civil War neared its end, local residents rallied behind Lincoln's re-election, marching in solidarity through their mining town. This procession symbolized the region's deep commitment to the Union cause and Lincoln's leadership during one of the nation's most turbulent periods. Discover the historical significance of this event and its place in the broader context of the 1864 election. Read the full story.
In this episode, we chat with Dr. Evan Kutzler about politics, historians, and the line between good history and crass punditry.
In February 1858, a violent brawl erupted on the floor of the House of Representatives. A Coal Region representative initiated the fight.
The Shenandoah Evening Herald ran a moving editorial on Christmas Eve 1945 about the meaning of the holiday after World War II.
The first full episode of "The Gazette" examines the coming of the Civil War and the founding of Pittston's newspaper in the 1850s.
A podcast that explores the Civil War experiences of Pittston, Pennsylvania and its weekly newspaper.