“Not very desirable immigrants” | A nativist editorial from Pennsylvania’s Coal Region in the 1880s

Posted on by Jake Wynn

“We still have plenty of room for those who come to us, provided they are the right kind of people.” That line appeared in a Pottsville newspaper in 1888 as thousands of immigrants from Italy and Eastern Europe continued arriving in America’s industrial communities. The editorial captures the language of nativism and anti-immigrant sentiment at the moment the Coal Region itself was being reshaped by newcomers. Read the Full Story.

A flag tribute to the Allied nations fighting fascism in Pottsville, PA | December 7, 1942

Posted on by Jake Wynn
Remember Pearl Harbor poster

On the first anniversary of Pearl Harbor, the Pottsville Republican displayed flags of the Allied “United Nations” on its Mahantango Street headquarters. This patriotic gesture reminded the Coal Region of the global fight against fascism and honored the sacrifices made for victory in World War II. Read the full story.

A lament for the loss of living memory of the Civil War | 1929

Posted on by Jake Wynn
50th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry officers after the Civil War in 1865 - Coal Region history

In 1929, Schuylkill County author Joseph H. Zerbe lamented how living recollections of the Civil War were slipping away as veterans passed on. He feared younger generations, detached from personal stories and tangible reminders, might lose connection to their county’s important Civil War legacy. Read the full story and essay.

“Night of Horrors” – Schuylkill County natives who survived the Johnstown Flood in May 1889

Posted on by Jake Wynn

Discover the harrowing true stories of Schuylkill County natives who survived the devastating Johnstown Flood of 1889. This detailed historical account explores eyewitness experiences during Pennsylvania's deadliest disaster, revealing personal narratives of survival amid the catastrophic collapse of the South Fork Dam. Read the full story.

Schuylkill County’s Civil War veterans signed resolutions supporting American entrance into World War I | April 1917

Posted on by Jake Wynn

The aging veterans who were the first to arrive at the US Capitol in April 1861 pledged their loyalty to the Union once more as America entered World War I.

“For my age I’m doing well” – Charles Kershner remembers his life in Schuylkill County

Posted on by Jake Wynn

In the final part of this 1927 interview, Charles Kershner reviews his life, his marriage, and his health as an active 79-year-old Civil War veteran.

Charles Kershner describes Pottsville in the 1850s and details his service in the US Army after the Civil War

Posted on by Jake Wynn

In part two of this interview from 1927, Charles Kershner reveals his experiences on the western frontier with the 5th United States Cavalry.

How Schuylkill County football fans “watched” the Pottsville Maroon’s 1925 NFL Championship

Posted on by Jake Wynn

On December 6, 1925, Schuylkill County football fans gathered at Pottsville’s Hippodrome Theatre to “watch” the Pottsville Maroons claim the NFL Championship, decades before the Super Bowl was born. A private telegraph line provided real-time updates from Chicago’s Comiskey Park, allowing fans to experience the historic game as it happened. Discover how Coal Region football fans celebrated their team’s victory. Read the full story.

A bit of Thanksgiving perspective from the pandemic of 1918

Posted on by Jake Wynn

An editorial from a newspaper in Pottsville during the 1918 pandemic reminds us to be thankful for life amid a time of death.