A recent visit to a cemetery in Schuylkill County inspired an examination of a dark chapter of local history.
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When the Klan came to Williams Valley – 1924
“Big Lick” – Photographs from the 1860s show a Pennsylvania coal mine with an odd name
The images reveal pictures of industry growing on the side of Big Lick Mountain in Upper Dauphin County after the Civil War.
“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.
Williamstown sailor recounts surviving a German U-boat attack, two weeks in a lifeboat in 1943
Jim Shurskis told the dramatic story of surviving his ship's sinking to students from Williamstown High School.
Williamstown Tunnel – A closer look at a Pennsylvania coal mine in the 1860s
Williamstown Tunnel began shipping coal from Northern Dauphin County in 1866 and became the most prosperous coal mine in the state.
Parade to raise money for World War I brought deadly influenza to Williams Valley in 1918
"Good music always has an appeal to most people," wrote a reporter accompanying a Liberty Loan Drive parade through Central Pennsylvania in the early fall of 1918. And in the coal towns of Dauphin County's Williams Valley, the bands and singers were particularly successful in attracting a crowd. On the evening of October 2, 1918, … Continue reading Parade to raise money for World War I brought deadly influenza to Williams Valley in 1918
Lawyer, Soldier, Writer – The death of Captain John T. Boyle, 96th Pennsylvania
Boyle acted as an unofficial historian for the 96th Pennsylvania. He died on October 11, 1912 at the age of 79.
Williamstown High School football star killed in the Battle of the Bulge in 1945
Private Joe Cooper died in combat on January 4, 1945 near the village of Flamierge, Belgium.
Wynning History’s most-read stories of 2017
A collection of the most popular stories from Wynning History in 2017 all in one place.
