Category: 1950s

  • Berkenstock's Store Sinky

    Berkenstock Store – “Berky’s”

    If you grew up in Sinking Spring during the 40s, 50, 60s, or 70s you probably remember Berkenstock’s Store, or just called it, “Berky’s” or “Fern’s”*. It opened August 1st 1941. The people who have mentioned it to me specifically remember it being a candy store and calling it Berky’s. There is absolutely no information…

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  • 4th of July 1969

    4th of July Through the Decades

    1957 West Reading’s Fourth of July celebration yesterday was a double event. Besides celebrating the holiday the citizens and various organizations in the borough joined in a program in observation of the borough’s 50th anniversary. A spectacular feature of the day was the parade which was held in the morning. Shown above is one of…

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  • Woolworth’s – Penn Street / Berkshire Mall

    Woolworth’s 6th and Penn Reading store was opened on September 20th, 1884, under the name, “Woolworth & Knox”. It was just three doors down Penn Street across from 6th street from the successful Pomeroy’s department store and later moved to the Berkshire Mall. Woolworth’s moved to the Berkshire Mall when it opened in 1970, as…

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  • Shillington High School

    Shillington High School

    In 1925, the new Shillington High School was constructed on East Lancaster Avenue on land that was part of the Berks County Almshouse complex. An addition of twelve rooms was completed in 1930 and four more rooms were completed in 1936. Their sports teams were known as the Shillington Speeders. Boys teams adopted the name…

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  • Easter Sunday – 1957

    The last time Easter Sunday fell on April 21st was 1957. Here is a look at that day’s Reading Eagle. Among the egg hunts held for children throughout the city and county to mark the Easter season was the event held by the Berks Athletic Club at it’s home in Rockland Township. The ringing of…

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  • Reading Public Museum – 1950s

    Mrs. James Woodward enjoys an informal afternoon reading to a group of children on the spacious front lawn of the Reading Public Museum and Art Gallery. The Museum and Gallery house an important collection of art masterpieces, as well as an impressive scientific and historic collection. A particularly appealing feature is the garden surrounding the…

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  • “The Racers” Screening at the Astor -1955

    From Rotten Tomatoes; The CinemaScope process gets a rugged workout in Henry Hathaway’s The Racers. Kirk Douglas stars as an Italian bus driver who dreams of entering the Grand Prix as a world-famous race car driver. Being Kirk Douglas, he achieves his goal, racing in all the major events around the globe. Dedicated to the…

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  • Freeman’s Esso – Sinking Spring – 1954

    Anyone know where this gas station stood? The addresses have changed since the 50s so it doesn’t pinpoint a location, though I’m thinking on the corner of Penn and Cacoosing Ave’s, where Lesher’s Service Center once stood.

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  • Carvel Dari-Freeze – Sinking Spring

    This Carvel was located in Sinking Spring, possibly on Penn Avenue in 1954. Does anyone remember the location and can shed light on where exactly it stood?

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  • Stoudt’s Restaurant

    Stoudt’s Restaurant was located at 602 Penn Avenue in Sinking Spring (now the 4000 block and a parking lot). It was opened in 1951 and owned by Edward and Ada Stoudt. Edward’s son, also named Edward, worked for his father starting in 1960, and eventually split off and opened Stoudt’s Black Angus; which is still…

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Berks Nostalgia