Lehigh County: The Land and Its People

Posted by on Nov 29, 2013 in | Comments Off on Lehigh County: The Land and Its People Lehigh County encompasses the western half of the Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania. Bounded on the east by the Lehigh River, the main geographical feature of the larger valley, and on the north by the Blue Mountain range, the land is a mosaic of lime­stone plain, sinks and rolling hills. While the southern region of the county lies astride the so-called South Moun­tain and the hills of the...
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Slatington Hose Company Leather Firefighter’s Helmet (c.1890)

Posted by on Nov 26, 2013 in | Comments Off on Slatington Hose Company Leather Firefighter’s Helmet (c.1890) Realizing their borough lacked a system for fighting fires, the residents of Slatington, located in northern Lehigh County, organized the Slatington Hose Company, Number 1, in 1885. Much like most firefighting units of the day, the Slatington Hose Company, Number 1, quickly became an important – and integral – part of the community. A significant piece of local firefighting...
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Lost and Found

Posted by on Nov 25, 2013 in | Comments Off on Lost and Found Lost Rivaling the fabled “cottages” of Newport, Rhode Island, Whitemarsh Hall, built between 1916 and 1921 in Wyndmoor, Montgomery County, for banker Edward T. Stotesbury, contained one hundred and forty-seven rooms. The estate, totaling more than three hundred acres, was jointly conceived by prominent Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer and French landscape designer Jacques...
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All Creatures Great and Small: The Western Pennsylvania Humane Society’s Revolution of Kindness Reformed Society and Improved Lives

Posted by on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on All Creatures Great and Small: The Western Pennsylvania Humane Society’s Revolution of Kindness Reformed Society and Improved Lives On a cold February morning in 1965, Donora Mayor Albert P. Delsandro took his daily stroll in the Washington County community’s Palmer Park and made a shocking discovery. Thirteen dead dogs, each with amputated ears, lay in the tall, yellowed grass. A little-known Pennsylvania stray dog law authorized a $2 bounty for every pair of grisly trophies sent to Harrisburg. Countless citizens expressed...
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