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Recent Posts
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The Shamrock Serenade – Reading’s St. Patrick’s Day Tradition
Read more: The Shamrock Serenade – Reading’s St. Patrick’s Day TraditionIt is Reading’s Saint Patrick’s Day tradition that dates back to a pact made between two men, Tom Hannahoe and Alvah Schaeffer, in 1893 at an Irish bar called The Stars and Stripes Saloon on South 11th Street. Nearly 130 years later this midnight tradition…
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Staudt’s Justa Road Farm
Read more: Staudt’s Justa Road FarmThis is another installment in the “Before Blue Marsh” series, where I explore the remains of various properties that were razed in the 1970s to make way for the Blue Marsh Lake Project. See more here. At the end of Justa Road in Lower Heidelberg Township…
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The Berks Bingo Ban of 1938
Read more: The Berks Bingo Ban of 1938The game Bingo dates back to sixteenth century Italy, but only reached North America in 1929. By the mid-30s it had taken the country, particularly women, by storm. In the year 1936 the the word “bingo” appears more frequently in the Reading Times than all…
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Himmelberger Homestead to Tani Kennels
Read more: Himmelberger Homestead to Tani KennelsThis is another installment in the “Before Blue Marsh” series, where I explore the remains of various properties that were razed in the 1970s to make way for the Blue Marsh Lake Project. See more here. My trekking has taken me to the remains of…
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John Philip Sousa Dies at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel – On this day 1932
Read more: John Philip Sousa Dies at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel – On this day 1932On Saturday, March 5th, 1932 John Philip Sousa was in Reading, Pennsylvania to guest-conduct the Ringgold Band in celebration of their 80th anniversary. The concert was scheduled for Sunday, March 6th at 3:30pm at the Park Theatre. On Saturday evening a dinner was held at…
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Fox Lake: remnants of a Berks County Summer Community
Read more: Fox Lake: remnants of a Berks County Summer CommunityBefore Blue Marsh there was Fox Lake Before Blue Marsh Lake was even a thought, Fox Lake was a small man-made lake along the Spring Creek right before it merged with the Tulpehocken Creek in North Heidelberg Township. It was a popular summer destination in…
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Was Reading’s U.S.S. Maine Anchor a hoax?
Read more: Was Reading’s U.S.S. Maine Anchor a hoax?Most are aware that Reading has a U.S.S. Maine Anchor which sits at 11th and Washington Streets in City Park, yet few know of the tumultuous process in which it was dedicated here. A quick history recap: the U.S.S. Maine sunk after it suffered an…
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Twenty Twenty-Three: Year in Review
Read more: Twenty Twenty-Three: Year in ReviewThe video above depicts some of my best drone shots of 2023. For fun, give it a watch and see if you can name any of the locations or where they were shot from. Some are easier than others! Thank you all so much for…
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Summit House Hotel & Gravity Tower
Read more: Summit House Hotel & Gravity TowerSummit House Hotel The Summit House Hotel was once a popular destination along the Gravity Railroad on Mount Penn. Construction of the building began in the summer of 1891. The first mention of the establishment in the Reading Times was on August 7th, 1891 when…
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Mansion House Hotel – Penn Square
Read more: Mansion House Hotel – Penn SquareOn the southeast corner of 5th and Penn in Reading used to sit the Mansion House Hotel. Its foundation dated back to the late 1700s – the site of the first hotel ever constructed in the city. The Mansion House was once Reading’s largest and…
