Category: 1960s
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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 who needed a place to stay. It was just one…
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West Shore Bypass New Exchanges – 1963
Read more: West Shore Bypass New Exchanges – 1963On this day in the Reading Eagle – 1963 Traffic is rolling over the newly opened West Shore Bypass. Several motorists commented on the time saved in using the new road. One reported reaching the center of Reading from the bypass junction at the Philadelphia Pike in seven minutes, a saving of about 13 minutes.…
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5th & Penn – 1962
Read more: 5th & Penn – 1962FLASHBACK FRIDAY: The traffic circle in the center of Reading as pictured in 1962; notice WEEU on the north side of the 400 block.
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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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Fatal Plane Crash at Reading Airport – On this Day, June 5th 1969
Read more: Fatal Plane Crash at Reading Airport – On this Day, June 5th 1969On Wednesday, June 5th, 1969 the Reading Air Show was at the Reading Municipal Airport. Shortly after 6:30 pm, Capt. Richard Schram was performing a routine he had done for 23 years involving him pretending to be a professor who high-jacks a plane without knowing how to fly it. A few minutes into the routine…
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May Day Tradition
Read more: May Day TraditionMay Day was a spring celebration tradition amongst public school kids and teenagers during the mid-20th century in Berks. The day would be marked by outside activities, singing, dancing and the crowning of a May Day Queen and court, similar to homecoming today. It seems like May Day peaked as a tradition in the 1940s…
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New Restaurant Debuts on Penn Square – On this Day
Read more: New Restaurant Debuts on Penn Square – On this DayOn this day in 1969 Reading’s very own space needle restaurant debuts in the center of Penn Square. The restaurant’s tenure was short-lived however, as by April 2nd it disconnected completely and took off for outer space. In 1968 – Redevelopment of downtown Reading returns the city to its, uh, roots.
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Grand Blvd – Wyomissing’s Casualty of the Bypass
Read more: Grand Blvd – Wyomissing’s Casualty of the BypassI had previously written a post about the effect the construction of the bypass had on West Wyomissing. The stories about house-moving intrigued me due to the fact that my mother and her family lived on Girard Avenue at that time and got to witness the spectacle firsthand in the early 70s. Yet there was…
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Santa Photo Mystery Location – From the Family Album
Read more: Santa Photo Mystery Location – From the Family AlbumMy Mother and Aunt are in the process of going through my Grandmother’s possessions and cleaning out her house. They came across these photos of children and their mothers waiting in line to sit on Santa’s lap. My Grandmother is the young woman in the white coat and black hat, holding the hand of my…
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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…
