Category: Crime
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Reading Terror Bombings of 1973
Read more: Reading Terror Bombings of 1973In my ever present quest to determine whether the good old days were really all that good, I came across this heinous story about a string of hand-made explosives which were placed in the 6th ward section of Reading in 1973. For some context it is important to remember that Reading was demographically changing during…
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Shillington Hotel & Bank
Read more: Shillington Hotel & BankThis was originally posted on July 29th, 2024 to Berks Nostalgia’s facebook page, I have since added some more info and am reposting it here. Everyone likes to dump on Reading for its blighted properties (and it’s generally warranted) but lets put Shillington in the spotlight and examine the building on the southwest corner of…
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What Happened to Reading, Pennsylvania?
Read more: What Happened to Reading, Pennsylvania?Without fail every time I post an old photo of Penn Street there are multiple comments asking, “what happened to Reading?” (and this is putting it nicely). Generally these comments are rhetorical and negative in nature, but sometimes I believe folks are genuine in wanting to know how we went from thriving industrial city of…
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Dreamland Park – Rackets, Murder & Ruins
Read more: Dreamland Park – Rackets, Murder & RuinsIf you know anything of its past, the name Dreamland Park likely inspires a sense of dread within you. A tale of kidnapping, rape, torture and murder at the hands of the notorious Pagan motorcycle gang are what this park is most well-know for. But what if I told you the park’s shady past didn’t…
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Joseph John Wiater – Reading’s Untamable Boy
Read more: Joseph John Wiater – Reading’s Untamable BoyForewardAs usual, subject matter seems to find me. I was searching for information on Green Hills Theater; a popular destination on Route 10 to see theatrical performances in the mid-20th century. Look for that article sometime in the future. However, during the course of research, I found the curious case of Joseph John Wiater, a…
