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Authored by Society president George Meiser IX |
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FIVE News-Bits Reading-Berks historical interest (3/18)
=================================== 1- Your editor’s email was "off" for several days 2- Rare photo of the 1761 Farr Shoe Store building found 3- Kutztown Hist. Soc. program WED., March 19 at 7:30 4- Hist.Soc. of Berks basket exhibit now open - impressive! 5- "Historical Review" index from 1981 to present on-line ===================================== 1- Your editor’s email was malfunctioning; the problem appears to have been corrected as of today (3/18). From all indications, some emails sent during the past five days were not received. =================================== 2- Mr. Yoder, the Society’s Executive Director, came upon this rare 19th century view of the 1761 structure long known as the Union Bank, which is what it was when this photo was taken. Many of you will know it as the Farr Shoe Store building--off the southwest corner of 5th and Penn. Though greatly modified, largely in the 1940’s, it is the oldest structure on Penn Street. (The photo was found in an obscure file of oversized prints in storage on the 2nd floor of Society headquarters.) 
=================================== 3- The Kutztown Area Historical Society’s program for Wednesday, March 19th, at 7:30 P.M., in the 1892 school building on South Whiteoak St., Kutztown, is as follows: "The History of the Fisher-Price Toy Company" and a live exhibit by Mr. Lucas Wentz, owner of one of the most comprehensive collections of Fisher-Price toys in North America. Mr. Wentz has graciously offered to conduct free appraisals following the program. As always, admission is free. =================================== 4- Ken Betsh, a member of the Historical Society of Berks County, has undertaken a monumental project: indexing by subject and keyword all the issues of the "Historical Review of Berks County," from 1935 to the present. You can now access the index from 2003 back to 1981. To see what is available, access: http://www.berkshistory.org/histsoc/review/ =================================== 5- The Historical Society’s BASKET exhibit opened with a bang this past Sunday. About 125 came. 
In attendance were a number of descendants of old-time basket-makers, some of whom brought wonderful photos to share. The prize of the lot was a 19th century view of the Basket Post Office and basket-makers shop along present-day Basket Road in Ruscombmanor Twp., right at the Alsace Twp. border. The site is walking distance from Spies Church. Shirley Arnold from Wyomissing generously lent this view to share with you. Reuben Reifsnyder lived in the small stone building on the right. The 2.5-story frame building on the left is the Basket Post Office and basket- making shop. To the left of the 2nd-floor window of the stone cabin you can see the Post Office sign. 
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