St. Patrick’s Church

Posted by on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on St. Patrick’s Church As early as 1737, Catholics, primarily of Scots-Irish origin, settled in the area near Carlisle, then in Lancaster County. In 1750, Cumberland County was established and Carlisle named its county seat two years later. The Reverend Charles Sewall purchased property along Carlisle’s Pomfret Street for thirty pounds in 1779 to build St. Patrick’s Church, the first Roman Catholic Church between...
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Executive Director’s Letter

Posted by on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on Executive Director’s Letter This issue of Pennsylvania Heritage reiterates how individuals from various backgrounds and time periods and with a variety of goals have shaped the Keystone State’s past and present. Philadelphia heiress Katharine M. Drexel eschewed wealth and privilege to pursue a religious life devoted to helping others. The story of the Blooming Grove Hunting and Fishing Club chronicles the efforts of its...
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Elizabeth Langstroth Drexel Smith (1855-1890) and Louise Bouvier Drexel Morrell (1863-1945)

Posted by on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on Elizabeth Langstroth Drexel Smith (1855-1890) and Louise Bouvier Drexel Morrell (1863-1945) When Francis Martin Drexel (1792–1863) arrived in Philadelphia from the Austrian territory of Tyrol in 1817, he might have established a family of artisans—he was an accomplished artist and musician. Instead, his interest in finance, coupled with his business savvy, earned him a niche as patriarch of one of the wealthiest, most philanthropic families in the United States. Drexel’s sons, Francis...
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Letters

Posted by on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on Letters Saintly Connections The feature story on Saint Katharine Drexel was brilliantly written by William C. Kashatus [“Philadelphia’s Sainted Katharine Drexel,” Summer 2007]. This article is of great interest to our Keating family and others here in northeastern Pennsylvania. My aunt, Esther Keating, of Pittston, Luzerne County, was educated in nursing at the University of...
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William C. Kashatus: Bringing History to Life

Posted by on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on William C. Kashatus: Bringing History to Life A Man for All Centuries “Freedom hath been hunted round the globe. Asia and Africa hath expelled her. O, receive the fugitive and prepare it for all mankind!” exclaims William C. (Bill) Kashatus with fists stabbing the air. In this instance, Bill is passionately portraying Thomas Paine (1737–1809), the bellicose British radical who advocated the American Revolution. Much of Bill’s passion...
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