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Recent Posts
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The Deadly Berkshire Knitting Mill Strike of 1936 – Part 1
Read more: The Deadly Berkshire Knitting Mill Strike of 1936 – Part 1A Storm is Brewing It is dawn on October 1st, 1936. It’s a crisp fall morning and a damp rain adds to the heaviness of the air. The sun begins rising at 5:52 a.m. and thousands of workers are gathering in the morning light around…
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Rabbit, Run Filming at Barbey’s Playground – On this day 1969
Read more: Rabbit, Run Filming at Barbey’s Playground – On this day 1969These photos capture some of the action this morning at Barbey’s playground, Schuykill avenue and W. Elm Street, where “Rabbit, Run” is being filmed. In the photo at top right a cameraman with the company adjusts a minor hitch in the camera that held up…
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Hurricane Agnes – Berks County’s Worst Natural Disaster
Read more: Hurricane Agnes – Berks County’s Worst Natural Disaster50 Years After Hurricane Agnes – Article originally published on June 22, 2017 Hurricane Agnes caused extreme damage to Berks County residences and businesses when it hit June, 22nd 1972. In Reading, the Schuylkill River crested to a record high of 31.3 feet. Hundreds of people…
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Red Bridge Renovated – Summer 1969
Read more: Red Bridge Renovated – Summer 1969Wertz’s Red Bridge underwent months of much needed structural repair in the summer of 1969. The bridge was closed due to damage it received from the extensive automobile travel it sustained when the Warren Street Bypass was closed to the public. Being an 19th century…
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3rd & Washington Street – On this Day 1970
Read more: 3rd & Washington Street – On this Day 1970The empty stalls tell the story. When parking meters were in use on the 3rd and Washington streets parking lot, this 9:30am scene would have been different, with all the spaces occupied. Today marked the first time the new ticket system, similar to that used…
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Temple Oheb Sholom Explosion – On this Day 1969
Read more: Temple Oheb Sholom Explosion – On this Day 1969On Saturday night, May 24th 1969 someone detonated a small bomb behind the Temple Oheb Sholom on Perkiomen avenue in Reading. Windows were shattered all along the 200 block of South 13th Street, and the exact spot of detonation was quickly determined to be right…
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Reading Fairgrounds & Speedway Plaque Dedication
Read more: Reading Fairgrounds & Speedway Plaque DedicationOn Saturday May 21st, 2022, a plaque commemorating the Reading Fairgrounds & Speedway was ceremonially dedicated to the drivers who lost their lives there. The brainchild of Jeff Hartman, Saturday’s event has been over a decade in the making, with a few bumps along the…
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The Ranch House
Read more: The Ranch HouseA staple on Penn Avenue in West Lawn for nearly a half century, the owners of the Circle S Ranch House announced on March 30th that they would be closing permanently on April 8th, 2022. The building was built in 1969 as a Schell’s. It…
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The Haag Hag – Mt. Penn’s Mysterious Maiden
Read more: The Haag Hag – Mt. Penn’s Mysterious MaidenIt was once a beautiful mountain resort nestled atop Mount Penn, right off of Hill Road. In the late 1800’s when the popularity of the Gravity Railroad was in full swing, Sphuler’s Hotel was a very popular winery and also served as lodging for those…
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Reading Railroad sold to Conrail – On this Day 1976
Read more: Reading Railroad sold to Conrail – On this Day 1976On this day in 1976, the ownership of the monopoly-board famous Reading Railroad was changed to ConRail. They purchased Reading Co. and other seven other rail lines which were in bankruptcy. At the time of sale, Reading Co. operated on 66% of Pennsylvania’s tracks. A…
