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Happy Thanksgiving Berks Nostalgiacs! The holiday season is here, so here is a peek back to that time that Santa Claus flew a helicopter and landed it at City Park in Reading. It happened on this day, November 25th, 1955. Two little girls served as…
On this day, November 21st, 1953, over 50,000 gathered to watch the first ever Christmas balloon parade make its way down Penn Street in Reading. Public transportation was swamped, and it was reported that adults and children walked from as far as Wyomissing to see…
On November 14th 1969 the second crewed flight to the moon, known as Apollo 12, launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It successfully made contact with the moon on this day, November 19th 1969. When it landed, so did small but significant pieces from…
Before the Reading Motor Inn, or Berkshire Mall, there was sprawling farmland and a highway system that was still being integrated into the rural roads of Spring Township. On this day in 1959 the Warren Street Bypass reopened after the construction depicted below closed the…
What is nostalgia? A feeling inspired by a place or an image? A fleeting moment where we look at the past as if it was more desirable than the present. Better? I’m not convinced. Simpler, most definitely. Simpler in the sense that the responsibilities and…
On April 10, 1910 a meeting was held in the Borough Hall building at the corner on Penn Avenue and Wyomissing Boulevard. Various speakers spoke about the need for a public recreation area, and it was decided officials would be elected to form a a…
This photo was sent in by reader Katie; found in a home she recently purchased. The photo states the students are the 10th grade class at North West Jr. High school in 1942. Do you recognize anyone in this class photo? At this point any…
Sunset Diner (Now Family restaurant) is located on route 422 in Exeter. It has been in business since at least the late 1950s.According to the ad below they had the best Dutch Cooking. Quite a bold claim!
Michael Ronco, RPh first opened his pharmacy in June of 1956. The original pharmacy was located at the corner of Dwight Street and Cleveland Avenue in West Lawn. In 1967, the pharmacy moved to 3311 Penn Avenue in West Lawn, where it remained for nearly…
FLASHBACK FRIDAY: The traffic circle in the center of Reading as pictured in 1962; notice WEEU on the north side of the 400 block.