Category: Industry
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Ronco’s Pharmacy
Read more: Ronco’s PharmacyMichael 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 half a century. Michael retired from his pharmacy business in…
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A.T.V. Bakery
Read more: A.T.V. BakeryTheir beginnings can be traced back over a century ago when Paolo Alberti came to America from Palermo, Sicily and opened “Alberti’s Bakery” in the early 1900s. In the beginning Alberti’s competed with two other local Sicilian bakers; Tomasi and Vecchio. Paolo’s son, Joe, decided to join forces with the rival bakers and in 1941,…
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Millionth Case of Reading Beer in 1965 – On this Day
Read more: Millionth Case of Reading Beer in 1965 – On this DayThe millionth case of beer this year rolled off the assembly line at the Reading Brewing Co. yesterday and Harry Fischman, president of the company, right, was there to mark the occasion. Fischman is seen showing the case to Thomas Ames, left, packaging engineer, and E. Edward Messer, center, brewmaster. Fischer noted that the millionth…
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Reading Brewing Co Closes – On this day 1976
Read more: Reading Brewing Co Closes – On this day 1976On this day in 1976 the Reading Brewing Co. shuttered permanently. Employee’s cited miss-management for the bankruptcy of the company. Management blamed industry giants killed the small-guy brewers like Reading. Maybe a little bit of both are true. All local breweries that were once popular met their demise around this time due to heat from…
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Pensupreme Soda Machine Mystery
Read more: Pensupreme Soda Machine MysteryA reader wrote to me regarding a piece in their possession which was once used by Penn Dairy for trade shows. It is an automated soda fountain with characters which move when plugged in. It still functions and as you can see from the photos below appears to be in impeccable condition. Roughly three feet…
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On this Day- Nov 22, 1976 – Reading Brewing Company building demolished
Read more: On this Day- Nov 22, 1976 – Reading Brewing Company building demolishedThe Reading Brewing Company history can be found in this article. Millions of gallons of golden “suds” rested in the holding tanks, in the above photo, over the years the Reading Brewing Co. was in operation. In all, 23 tanks holding 650 barrels with 32 gallons of beer per barrel were located in the building…
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Spirit of Stone Manor; The Eberly Estate
Read more: Spirit of Stone Manor; The Eberly EstateIf you have ever driven south on Route 10 and crested Green Tree Hill, you may have noticed a quiet old mansion sitting back in the shadows behind the rehab hospital. Maybe you have wondered what the story behind it is. The Tudor castle style mansion was built by Fink Construction Company in 1925 for…
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Josiah Dives & the Ghosts of Folly Farm
Read more: Josiah Dives & the Ghosts of Folly FarmJosiah Dives was born in 1851 in Canterbury, England. He started his business career after moving to London at the age of 13 following his Father’s death. When coming to America in 1872, his first residence was Hartford, CT. This is where he met George Pomeroy and John Stewart. Together they came to Reading and…
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Van Reed Paper Mill & Covered Bridge
Read more: Van Reed Paper Mill & Covered BridgeThe Van Reed Covered Bridge The area around the mouth of the Cacoosing Creek into the Tulpehocken Creek was settled and industrialized by the Van Reed Family. They were dutch immigrants who came to America around 1750 and settled around this creek in the early 1800s. Over the course of the 19th century the family…
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Muhlenberg Greene Architects – 100 Years
Read more: Muhlenberg Greene Architects – 100 YearsForwardMuhlenberg Greene Architects, Ltd. was founded in 1920 by Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg II. Since 1920 they have been responsible for designing some of the most well-known buildings in Berks County. Happy 100 years, MGA, this article is dedicated to your legacy. Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg II Frederick A. “Fred” Muhlenberg II was born in Reading on…
