A quarter century ago this week we were hit with the biggest blizzard on record for the area. Snow started falling on January 6th 1996 and stopped on the 8th. Parts of Berks County recorded 34 inches of snow, but the raging winds caused major drifts which made the snow pile up to 100 feet high in certain areas. The weight of the snow proved to be a problem on roofs as there were many collapses in commercial and residential buildings alike.… Read Full Article
The Grand View Sanatorium; a Century of Tragedy
There is a dense, dark atmosphere on the windy roads that once led to old sanatoriums that graced the wooded South Mountain below Wernersville. If you have ever driven around up there after nightfall you probably know what I mean. The mountain is rich with history, but the oldest and some of the most frightening surrounds the Grand View Sanatorium.
Grand-View was the oldest health retreat on the mountain, dating back to 1847 when it was founded by Dr.… Read Full Article
Wilson High School

The original Wilson High School building was erected in 1929 on Grandview Boulevard above West Lawn. The first school year started in Fall 1929 and housed 7th-12th grades. The name of the school was chosen in the hope that the life of the man in whose honor it was named, Woodrow Wilson, might serve as an ideal for the young people attending it.… Read Full Article
On this Day, May, 31st 1998: Lyons Tornado
On May 31st 1998, an F3 tornado went through Lyons, PA and caused much destruction. Luckily, no lives were lost as a result of it, but many resident’s properties were heavily damaged.
The tornado caused roughly $1,400,000 worth of damage to local homes and properties around Lyons. The town was closed off for nearly a month to all non-residents save for construction teams and the Red Cross.… Read Full Article
Ice City – Sinking Spring / Douglassville
Ice City was a Pool & spa supply store first located on 422 in Douglassville, and then added a second location Penn Ave in Sinking Spring. The company was originally started and owned by Richard Muller in 1958. Muller in 1956 bought the Pure Ice and Coal Co. at 17th and Tilghman streets, Allentown.
“Back then, we were the only supplier of ice to Allentown Hospital,” he said.… Read Full Article