Category: Towns
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Dr. Joseph A. Zook – Morgantown’s resident physician
Read more: Dr. Joseph A. Zook – Morgantown’s resident physicianI came across this photo in PA’s power library digital archives. It was simply labeled J.A. Zook Morgantown, and portrays a young family standing outside their home. I have taken to enhancing and colorizing old images lately in an attempt to bring the past closer to the present. Adding the dimension of color helps us…
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Colonial Trust Company Building
Read more: Colonial Trust Company BuildingThe Colonial Trust Company was established in May 1900. It was formed by a handful of local capitalists including the likes of William McIlvain, John Barbey, Frank Lauer, E. W. Alexander, B. F. Owen, S.B. Keppel, Walter Rigg, and Howard Saylor. They opened for business officially in August 1900 and Louis F. Kraemer was the…
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How the Fairgrounds almost ended up in West Wyomissing
Read more: How the Fairgrounds almost ended up in West WyomissingThe earliest years of the Reading Fair were held at City Park and then a plot on North 11th street. During the early 1910s the Berks County Agricultural Society was tired of leasing the land at North 11th Street and wanted a more permanent location they could call their own. On April 3rd, 1914 it…
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Sinking Spring Area Historical Society and Heritage Park
Read more: Sinking Spring Area Historical Society and Heritage ParkIf you arrived in Sinking Spring 60+ years ago by rail you would have rolled up to Sinking Spring Passenger Station. It was a stop along the Reading Railroad’s Lebanon Valley Line, which began passenger service in 1857 and was discontinued in 1965. If some of these dates sound familiar, it is because it shares…
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A Century of Progress with the Junior League of Reading
Read more: A Century of Progress with the Junior League of ReadingIn 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.…
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The Berks County Trust Company
Read more: The Berks County Trust CompanyThe Berks County Trust Company was organized in October of 1900. The founding members accumulated a capitol stock of $125k. The company initially rented J.K. Grant’s new building at southeast corner of Sixth and Washington Streets to operate out of. The Berks County Trust Company was chartered on November 16th, 1900 and commenced operations in…
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Miller’s Ice Cream, Candy & 5 – 10 – 1.00 Stores
Read more: Miller’s Ice Cream, Candy & 5 – 10 – 1.00 StoresMiller’s is an establishment that has eluded me for the entirety of my six-year “career” chronicling beloved places of the past in Berks County. I came to know of the name through my Mother telling me of her own memories at the Miller’s Drive-In which was located in Sinking Spring at 4700 Penn Avenue. Today…
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Centennial 4th of July in the Reading Eagle
Read more: Centennial 4th of July in the Reading EagleThe July 4th, 1876 Reading Eagle ran a few interesting articles on its front page about Independence Day observations and celebrations. The first article was titled, “A Peep at Reading 100 Years Ago” which described the town at the time of our country’s founding. Reading was already nearly three decades old at the onset of…
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Showbiz Pizza Place & Major Magic
Read more: Showbiz Pizza Place & Major MagicShowbiz Pizza Place incorporated in 1980 and entered the Berks County market in 1982. Its location was in Muhlenberg Plaza on the northern Belleview Avenue side. Showbiz Pizza featured an entertaining cast of animatronic characters including Billy Bob Brockali, Looney Bird, Fatz Geronimo and Mitzi Mozzarella. This main stage animatronic show was called “The Rock-afire…
