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Authored by Society president George Meiser IX |
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TEN News-Bits of Reading-Berks historical
interest..... ========================================= 1- Leesport historian Earl Rentschler, 89, died Oct. 12th. 2- Berks Tax Lists CD available for 1767-1785 in searchable form. 3 - Montgomery’s 1909 2-vol. set of Berks histories coming on CD. 4- Hiester manuscript award given for Rev. DeBenneville bio. 5- Pagoda has Moxie at all times! 6- Outcome of 250 broken tiles on Hoch property in Oley Twp. 7- Book on Neversink Mt. on the way. 8- Conrad Weiser birthday bash this Sat. (Nov. 2) 10 to 4. 9- Geo. Meiser free lecture at Rdg. Museum this Sat. at 2. 10- Info from Kutztown Area Hist. Society; new book coming. ============================================= 1- Earl R. Rentschler, 89, of N. Centre Ave., Leesport, passed away Oct. 11 at the Rdg. Hospital. He was born in Mohrsville, graduated from Ontelaunee Vocational High School (Leesport) in 1929 and from McCann’s Business School in 1931. He had been a Prudential Insurance man 33 years, a former Leesport councilman, and a former Birch Hill Cemetery Board secretary. Earl had a lifelong interest in the history of Leesport and compiled information and photos for over 50 years, much of it gathered as he made his rounds as an insurance man. He shared his materials readily and was of great help to yours truly over the years. ============================================= 2- You who have been receiving these emails will remember that last spring, Retrospect Publishing produced a CD of M. L. Montgomery’s 1886 Berks County history in an exceedingly user-friendly CD format that featured easily read text, all of which was fully searchable. Moreover, text could be greatly enlarged for those with visual problems. Just released is a new CD of Berks County Tax Lists covering the period 1867-1785, taken from the PA Archives. As Schuylkill County--and parts of Montour, Columbia, Northum- berland, Union, Lycomng, Snyder, Clinton, and Centre--were then part of Berks, names from those places also appear. Included in the data, which lists taxpayers by township, is info on acres of land and numbers of horses and cattle. Society librarian Barbara Brophy has already made use of this tax-list CD and declares it very user friendly. All 827 pages are fully searchable, made easier by the incorporation of Soundex for checking on variant spellings of names--a major new feature. Price is $25 postpaid. Contact Retrospect Publishing, 1307 Warrington Place, Alexandria, VA 22307. http://www.RetrospectPublishing.com Email: cdinfo@RetrospectPublishing.com =============================================== 3- COMING SOON: Now in preparation is a single CD, having all the features noted above, of Montgomery’s 1909 2-volume Berks history. It’s amazing that all 1,723 pages can be included in a single CD. THINKING OUT LOUD! The “Historical Review of Berks County,” the Society’s quarterly magazine, published since Oct. 1935, has never had anything approaching a usable index. Accordingly, there are thousands of gems of information and countless references to people that nobody can find readily--or even know about. Imagine having the “Historical Review” on CD’s--in a search- able format...the ultimate index! ============================================= 4- For the last 11 years, the Editorial Board of the “Historical Review of Berks County” conducts a manuscript contest, the winner of which is awarded a $500 U.S. bond. The purpose of this competition is to generate articles for the magazine. This year eight manuscripts were submitted, all of which were worthy--with some editing--of publication. Indeed, most will appear in the magazine in due course. The winning piece is an account of the life and times of Dr. Geo. DeBenneville, the founder of Universalism. His home/church survives in Oley Twp. along Blacksmith Road. Nelson Simonson and John Morgan, of Berks, combined efforts to prepare the article. ============================================== 5 - Moxie, first produced in 1884 in the Boston area, and at one time the most popular soda in America, is again available locally--at the PAGODA! $1 a bottle. Those unfamiliar with this carbonated beverage always ask, “What does it taste like?” The answer is.... “Like Moxie.” It has its own distinctive taste, based on extract of gentian root. If you’ve never tasted Moxie, give it a try. ============================================== 6- About a month ago we informed you of the tragic loss of 250 clay tiles from the roof of the 18th century Hoch springhouse in Oley Twp.--near Hoch’s Corner. A plea was made for help to try to find replacements for this tiles. We were informed that dozens of you replied immediately to the despairing Mr. Hoch and, as a result, his problem is solved. He’s getting 250 new tiles at a cost of some $2500--based on info some of you provided. THANKS! ============================================= 7- A new book, “everything you wanted to know about Neversink Mt.,” is being readied for publication and will be available relatively soon. You’ll be informed at the appropriate time with further particulars beyond the fact the volume will have about ninety 6- by 9-inch pages. The author is Paul Druzba of WEEU radio, a history buff and postcard collector of long standing. Paul is still looking for material. If you have any photos or ideas for him--or people he should be sure to contact, email Paul at druzbas@ceinetworks.com =============================================== 8 - There will be a Conrad Weiser “birthday bash” at the Conrad Weiser Homestead at Womelsdorf this Saturday, Nov. 2nd, from 10 to 4. ================================================ 9 - Yours truly will be giving a 50-min. illustrated talk at the Reading Museum this Saturday at 2. You are invited! The topic is “Here and There in Berks--Years ago.” ================================================ 10 - From Dr. Brendan D. Strasser, in charge of the library and archives at the Kutztown Area Historical Society, we learn the following: ----------------- Our 21st Annual Holiday Festival is Sat., Nov. 9th, from 10 am to 4 pm at the 1892 Public School Building at the corner of So. Whiteoak St. & Normal Ave. in Kutztown. Our museum is sporting a brand new coat of paint to its exterior and looks better than it has in years! This year we are also inaugurating an HO scale model train display in our basement, which we will show throughout the holiday season. We will be open Sundays between Thanksgiving and Christmas from 2 pm to 4 pm. The society has recently added Library and Genealogy pages to its website to aid local genealogical research & queries, as well as additional links for local historical societies. Check: www.kutztownhistory.org . We have been approached by Arcadia Publishing to produce a photographic history of the greater Kutztown area for the "Images of America" series. While we plan primarily to use photographs from our archive, we are searching for unusual and rare photos of northeastern Berks County as we begin our process of selecting material. Anyone with vintage photos, ca. 1860-1950, of Kutztown or the surrounding area, including Lyons, Bowers, Topton, Dryville, Maxatawny, Monterey, Mill Creek, Kroningersville (Eagle Point), Grimsville, Krumsville, Klinesville, Virginville, Lenhartsville, Moselem, and Kempsville, is asked to contact Brendan Strasser, Librarian & Archivist, at 610-435-5068 or bdsckt@enter.net. We ask only to borrow the photographs so that they might be professionally scanned for publication. All loans will be acknowledged in the volume. Subjects can include businesses, industry, Main St. views, stores, churches, schools, farms, historic sites & structures, trains & trolleys, depots, mills, hotels, identified family portraits, reunions, etc. =============== gmmix===========end========== |
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