The 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 January of 1901. The company’s first President was Christian H.… Read Full Article
History of R.M. Palmer and the Buildings Affected by the Explosion
4:50 P.M. on Friday, March 24th, 2023
Despite being less than two miles away at the Shillington Farmers Market when the explosion occurred; I felt and heard nothing. It wasn’t until I got home after 5:00 that I found out the way I assume the majority of you did; from social media. Particularly an update at the top of my Facebook feed which was trending from Fire Alerts of Berks County.… Read Full Article
Charles Evans Cemetery
In 1846 Charles Evans donated the first 25 acres that became the cemetery. His goal was to create a nonsecular place of rest for Reading’s citizens that was removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. The site sits one mile north of Reading’s city center, which was in the mid-19th century safely rural land.
In the 177 years since Charles’ first donation, the cemetery added 94 more acres and has interred 62,000 bodies.… Read Full Article
“Lizzie Lincoln” House – The Real Story
If you ask anyone about the “Lizzie Lincoln House”, including the internet, you will get varying results; mostly the regurgitation of conjecture based on legends. I more than anyone love a good ghost story, but what is more important to me than all else is that there be truth behind it. I put in the work and found the complete story…at least, as complete as it can possibly be with the passing of 200 years since it began.… Read Full Article
Witch’s Hat & Neversink Mountain Hotel
Like Mt. Penn, Neversink had its own railroad loop that started at South 9th street and wrapped all the way around the mountain to Klapperthal Junction. The other resorts on Neversink mountain were Centennial Springs Hotel, Glen Hotel, and the Highland house; which famously had the vertical rail known as “Ganser’s Incline” going from 13th Street straight up the mountain.… Read Full Article