In 1901 the Junior League was founded in New York City as the Junior League for the Promotion of Settlement Movement. It was founded within a time of great social unrest and an emerging feminist movement. On August 6th, 1923 ten wives and daughters of Reading’s elite industrialists met in the living room of Mrs. Mary Griggs Barbey with the intention of joining their ranks.… Read Full Article
In the early 1920s there was no easy way to get to Reading proper from the east; the direction of metropolitan Philadelphia. Traffic generally came through rural Exeter Township, into Mount Penn, and down the two lane Perkiomen Avenue. By 1925 with the increasing availability of the automobile it was clear that the small residential road was becoming dangerously overrun with traffic.… Read Full Article
Roughly a year ago I was contacted by a man named George Edmonds. He wanted to talk to me about books he wrote revolving around his home town of Wyomissing.
George was kind enough to share photos with me as well as send me a copy of one of those books, “Dream Gardener – Pioneer Nurseryman Bertrand H. Farr” to review for Berks Nostalgia.… Read Full Article
George Field is located at 1801 North 5t Street. The land for this field was purchased by Reading High School’s Athletic Association on May 28th, 1909. The field was dedicated officially three days later on May 31st, 1909. At this time the Boys and Girls High Schools were separate entities, and only the boys competed in sports at this location.… Read Full Article
Last summer I wrote an extensive article on Central Catholic High School as a part of a greater “Defunct Schools of Berks” series. It has been a decade since the merger of Central Catholic and Holy Name into Berks Catholic. So it is time to dive into some tangible research to answer a few of the questions and legends about a spirit haunting the halls of the former Luden’s Bon Air Mansion.… Read Full Article