Rebecca Harding Davis, Literary Realist

Posted by on Dec 1, 2023 in | Comments Off on Rebecca Harding Davis, Literary Realist Author and journalist Rebecca Harding Davis (1831–1910) is best known for writing one of the earliest works of American literary realism, the short story “Life in the Iron-Mills.” In her career, she authored more than 500 publications, including novels, short fiction, essays and newspaper editorials. Several of these works gained a national reputation through their commentary on the working...
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Jacob M. Koehler and the Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

Posted by on Sep 18, 2023 in | Comments Off on Jacob M. Koehler and the Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children The current Scranton School for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Children got its start in 1880, thanks to Rev. Jacob M. Koehler (1860–1932). He established the school at a time when an expanding network of specialized institutions across the state and nation were created to educate young children with disabilities and provide them with necessary life skills. This network included the Pennsylvania...
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The Nile Swim Club of Yeadon

Posted by on Jul 25, 2023 in | Comments Off on The Nile Swim Club of Yeadon As the summer heat starts to buzz, many folks flock to their local swimming pool to cool off, relax, exercise and socialize. Many childhood memories are formed at the pool through swimming lessons, games and friendships. This opportunity, however, was not always available for African Americans. Segregated public pools of the past have had a lasting impact on the Black community. According to a...
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Mother’s Day

Posted by on Mar 17, 2023 in | Comments Off on Mother’s Day On the second Sunday of May every year, mothers in the United States are celebrated. It’s a day of love and appreciation, but its history is complex. First designated a national holiday by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914, the modern American Mother’s Day became a reality thanks to Philadelphian Anna Jarvis (1864–1948) whose persistent efforts would give motherhood the recognition she believed...
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“Winter Wonderland”

Posted by on Dec 16, 2022 in | Comments Off on “Winter Wonderland” Few people may be aware that one of the most memorable and popular holiday songs of all time, “Winter Wonderland,” was written in a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania. For the folks of Honesdale, Wayne County, holiday festivities would be incomplete without celebrating the song and its writer, Richard “Dick” Smith, with the annual Winter Wonderland festival and parade. Born in Honesdale in...
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Western Pennsylvania’s Earliest Chinese Communities

Posted by on Sep 12, 2022 in | Comments Off on Western Pennsylvania’s Earliest Chinese Communities Most Pennsylvanians recognize Philadelphia’s popular Chinatown, yet far fewer know of the significant presence of Chinese immigrants in western Pennsylvania. On April 16, 2022, the Pittsburgh branch of the Organization of Chinese Americans dedicated a Pennsylvania Historical Marker for Pittsburgh Chinatown in front of the Chinatown Inn at 520 Third Avenue in the city. Six months prior, a marker...
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Sylvania Electric Products

Posted by on May 13, 2022 in | Comments Off on Sylvania Electric Products Nestled in the valley of the Driftwood Branch of the Sinnemahoning Creek sits Emporium, the seat of Cameron County. Emporium was known for industries that were prominent in other central Pennsylvania towns: lumber, coal, dynamite, iron smelting and tanning. By the early 20th century, however, the borough made a name for itself as the home of Sylvania Electric Products, which produced...
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Charles F. West: Athlete, Physician and Trailblazer

Posted by on Mar 10, 2022 in | Comments Off on Charles F. West: Athlete, Physician and Trailblazer On September 18, 2021, the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission and Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) dedicated a Pennsylvania Historical Marker honoring Charles Fremont West (1899–1979) of the W&J Class of 1924. West was a true hometown hero, as he was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, attended Washington High School, and then graduated from W&J. The dedication was...
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Cambria City

Posted by on Nov 29, 2021 in | Comments Off on Cambria City Nestled between a bend in the Conemaugh River and a steep bluff, Cambria City is a distinctive, dense neighborhood that tells the story of hundreds of immigrants who came to work in Pennsylvania’s steel mills and coal mines in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Following the founding of the Cambria Iron Works in 1852, investors purchased land across the river from the mill, subdivided it,...
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Susquehannock Village at Lemoyne

Posted by on Aug 13, 2021 in | Comments Off on Susquehannock Village at Lemoyne Around 1610 a group of Susquehannocks, an Iroquoian-speaking Native American tribe, established a village perched on a bluff overlooking the Susquehanna River in what is today Lemoyne, Cumberland County. Fast forward to 2007 when archaeologists began excavating that site in advance of a proposed railroad connector project. There they uncovered evidence of the village, including a wooden...
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