The writers at the "Pottsville Republican" struggled to find words for the horrific death toll of Spanish flu in October 1918.
A newspaper’s reflection on the death toll from Spanish Flu in Schuylkill County – 1918
“1917” – A film experience that brings the horror of World War I to life
A scene from the film mirrors the experience of a Coal Region doctor who served with the British in WWI.
“I am more than glad it is over” – A Coal Region soldier’s experience in World War I
Private James J. Dee experienced the horror of the First World War and wrote home to his family about the experience.
Then and Now: Williamstown’s Emergency Influenza Hospital
A modern walk to the places that saw the worst of the suffering during the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreak.
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 hours of November 11, 1918, news of the armistice ending World War I swept through Williams Valley, Pennsylvania. Communities like Tower City and Lykens erupted in spontaneous celebrations, with bells, whistles, and parades marking the end of the Great War. Residents rejoiced in a hard-won victory, though the seeds of another conflict had already been planted. Read the full story.
“May these sights soon cease” | Influenza in Pottsville, PA in 1918
"Sorrow and woe stalk almost unceasingly in our midst," wrote the Pottsville Republican in October 1918.
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.
World War I draftees paraded through Elizabethville in 1918 before marching off to war
On a sunny Saturday in August 1918, more than 150 young men prepared for entry into the U.S. Army at the town park in Elizabethville, PA.
“Nothing to really compare with this” – A reflection on the 1918 influenza epidemic in Wilkes-Barre
"Three hundred miles of funeral processions, and the tears and groans that accompany these sad partings."