Category: Other News and Events

Philadelphia exploded in violence in 1910. The general strike that year claimed the lives of some two dozen people and made Philadelphia a prominent point in the tumultuous national conflict over workers’ rights. That strike was a notable point, but not a unique one, in the history of Philadelphia’s transit system. In this presentation, author…

Who knew it took so many different materials, machines and processes to produce the pencil?. This article vividly captures the process in words and pictures, depicting people and production at General Pencil Company in Jersey City. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/12/magazine/inside-one-of-americas-last-pencil-factories.html

OSCAR BEISERT has a piece on the HIdden City website on the loss of industrial character of Northern Liberties by the proposed redevelopment of the JT Lumber yard. The article also discusses a number of 19th century lumber businesses and their interconnections. I thank OE member Marc Zaharchuk for bringing the changes at the yard…

By Stephanie Valera November 01 2016 05:45 PM EDT Weather.com Bridges are some of the world’s most magnificent marvels of engineering, connecting cities and even countries. But bridges have also featured some of the most innovative design. According to a Transportation Research Board Special Report on the Potential Impacts of Climate Change on U.S. Transportation,…

Christopher Storb in his blog, In Proportion to the Trouble, has provided a final look at this location that was researched by chapter members Jane Mork Gibson and John Bowie. Their partial report is linked in Storb’s page as Historical Background by Jane Mork Gibson. It shows the amount of research professional historians and architects…

Here is a link to a good article on the many snack companies in Pennsylvania and their beginnings in the mid 19th century. Who wouldn’t enjoy a trip out to York County where many are located? https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/pennsylvania-potato-chip-snacks?cid=email_Morning%20email%2010-26  

In a few weeks, you can enjoy a sneak peek of parts of the Fairmount Water Works not typically open to the public. Eye-level with the Schuylkill River, walk the same underground paths as a royal family and Olympic swimmers during a behind-the-scenes look at one of Philadelphia’s first tourist destinations. This is a hard-hat…

Sunday, July 16th at 3:30pm Two giant stationary steam engines, one in Bethlehem, PA, and another half an hour away in Phillipsburg, NJ, are now in the process of being restored to operation. Come along with the crew members on Sunday, July 16th, at 3:30 PM for the second of several tours where visitors can get an up close look…

The editors of The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia seek to make 50 additional assignments to complete the current phase of expansion. Now is the time to add your expertise to a resource used daily by teachers and students, journalists, scholars, and general readers. Call for authors To join more than 350 leading and emerging scholars who…