Reflection | A Second Gilded Age Is Here – The First One Was Buried by ‘Muckraking’ Journalists

Posted on by Jake Wynn
Breaker boys in the early 20th century in Pennsylvania's anthracite

An investigation into one of the world's richest men, his basketball team, and an attempt to go around the NBA salary cap sent me looking back to investigative journalism of the past. In a rapidly devolving media landscape, the digging done by Pablo Torre and his team is reminiscent of how the muckrakers of the Gilded Age uncovered the truth about the world's richest and most powerful men. Read my full reflection.

Captain John Dougherty of Pottsville, PA | Killed at the Battle of South Mountain in 1862

Posted on by Jake Wynn

“There was no better or braver soldier than... John Dougherty.” At the Battle of South Mountain in September 1862, a Pottsville railroad worker turned US Army officer fell leading his men into battle. I recently visited the grave of this Irish-born Civil War hero in Pottsville, PA. Read the full story.

Video | A visit to the 1851 Philadelphia and Reading Railroad depot in Pottsville, PA

Posted on by Jake Wynn

Built in 1851, the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad depot on East Union Street is Pottsville's oldest surviving railroad building — and it has a Civil War history worth exploring. Watch the new video.

Pottsville’s oldest surviving railroad station

Posted on by Jake Wynn
Pottsville depot

On a recent drive through Pottsville, I pulled off the road for a quick photo—and ended up staring at one of the city’s oldest surviving witnesses to history. It’s the last remnant of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad’s original passenger depot: a brick head house built in 1851. One important moment in American history still hangs over the place. Read the full story.