Film from the early 20th century shows collieries above Tower City, Pennsylvania in full operation.
Video shows Brookside Colliery at work in early 20th century
The 1918 influenza pandemic tore apart this small Pennsylvania family
Influenza swept through the Hensel family of Sheridan, Pennsylvania in October 1918, leaving three dead and lives changed forever.
“Wild with joy” – Celebrations marked end of World War I in Williams Valley
In the early morning hours of November 11, 1918, the mining towns of Williams Valley erupted with joy.
Coal Region doctor became a British war hero in March 1918
Dr. Daniel E. Berney was severely wounded while evacuating wounded soldiers during the First World War.
“All honor to the ladies” – The women of Williams Valley cast their first vote
On November 2, 1920, the women of Williams Valley cast their first ballots under the 19th Amendment.
When the Klan came to Williams Valley – 1924
A recent visit to a cemetery in Schuylkill County inspired an examination of a dark chapter of local history.
“Incidents of a by-gone age” – A description of life in the Coal Region before the Civil War
Catherine Romberger Myers was born in Porter Township in 1840. She spoke to a reporter in 1931 about growing up in pre-industrial Williams Valley.
“Baseball fever” – Williams Valley’s 1906 season featured pro players, violent fans
In 1906, a small valley in Pennsylvania's Coal Region caught a case of baseball fever. The towns were never the same again.
“Stick to the Union” – Factory girls supported union miners during Coal Strike of 1902
Coal miners across Pennsylvania went on strike in 1902. They couldn't have succeeded without the ladies.
Spanish Flu wreaked havoc in Tower City in October 1918, killed more than 110 people in three weeks
In the communities of western Schuylkill County, influenza caused terror and grief as it claimed dozens of lives in 1918.
