View a tiny sampling of the thousands of items on display in our museum
Learn how you can become a member of the Historical Society of Berks County
Read breaking stories concerning Berks County history.
Authored by Society president George Meiser IX |
| Posted 07-17-2003
FIVE News-Bits of Reading-Berks historical interest... ============ ================== =================== ============ ================== =================== 1- Book Bonanza starts tomorrow, Friday, July 18th, at Leesport 2- Liberty Fire Co., 5th & Laurel, needs immediate attention 3- Some Reading Eagle newspapers now online (by subscription) 4- Field trip to Hereford & Stauffer-Frey log cabin in Wash. Twp. 5- "Fluff Enough and Other Stuff" by H.D. Eshleman now available =============== ============== ================ =============== ============== ================ 1- BOOK BONANZA 2003 starts tomorrow! 50,000 books! It runs Friday and Saturday---and Sunday (July 18, 19, and 20). Friday and Saturday: from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday's "Bag or Books" sale: 12 noon to 3 p.m. Where: Leesport Farmer's Market banquet Hall, north end of Leesport, right off Route 61. For News-Bits readers, this pre-owned book bonanza always has a supply of local histories, general histories, and collectible books-and some genealogical materials. Also: magazines, paperbacks, cook books, mysteries, and much more. Often there are some recordings, too. NOTE: The usual procedure is to not put all the good things out at once, so if you get there later in the day Friday, or on Saturday, not all the good things will have been sold. This also means that if you're into collectibles and want to see what all is available, you may have to visit the book sale several times! For more information, call 610-779-7297 Funds benefit public library summer reading programs for kids, the Berks County Public Library System, and scholarships for Berks woman The event is sponsored, in part, by the Reading Branch, American Association of University Women ============= =================== ============== 2- Recently, a visit was made to Reading's Liberty Fire Co. headquarters, 5th and Laurel, to inspect this local treasure which is a museum without trying to be one! There's a movement afoot to convert the building to a Reading fire company museum---but structural problems might prevent this. Tragically, the building's best features are being destroyed--- at an alarming rate. The view below shows the fire company's officers' meeting-room. Notice the six-person desk, over which is suspended a magnificent electrified gas chandelier---a gasolier.  A preservaton committee is working to raise funds to stabilize this 19th century structure. At present, the roof is leaking unbelievably, rain is blowing through the sashes, and walls need immediate attention to keep plaster from separating from its lathing. In the view below, the American flag hides the fact the plaster has blistered away and destroyed the wall paper at that spot.  While it's true the city plays rent to house some fire-fighting equipment here, the amount is woefully inadequate to maintain the structure. Anyone willing to donate to the preservation drive should send a check to "Liberty Fire Co. fund" and forward same to the Historical Society of Berks County, 940 Centre Ave., Reading, PA 19601 A separate fund has been established at the Society for this project. =========== ================= =================== 3- The Reading Eagle Co. recently made available a new service to serious researchers and business professionals. On April 15, Reading Eagle Co. went live with 14 years' worth of its archives. Designed for use by businesses as well as the general public, the Eagle Archives offer business professionals a significantly cheaper alternative to microfilm searching. The new online Reading Eagle Archives represent a natural evolution in the demand for archived-published information. Because of the considerable expense involved in having the papers scanned and prepared for online access, there is a charge for this service. For additional information: http://www.readingeaglearchives.com Contact: Joe Reddy < jreddy@readingeagle.com > Electronic Publications and Archive Manager Marketing/Promotions, Reading Eagle Company 345 Penn Street, Reading, Pa. 19601 Phone: 610-478-4813 ============ ================== =============== 4- Yesterday, Society member Rev. Willis K. Heckler of Topton and your editor visited Hereford Village and an interesting site in Washington Twp., a short distance east of Route 100---near Gross School Bus enterprises. Carol and Richard Mack, owners of the landmark Hereford Inn and Hereford general store building---both in Hereford Village---invited us to tour both properties. Of special interest was Carol's extensive collection of old-time photos of the hotel, village store, and the area circumjacent. Below is an interior view of the hotel at Hereford, showing a small portion of Carol Mack's old-time photograph collection.  Vintage views of the old hotel hang everywhere pictures can be displayed, which makes a trip to the site such fun for history buffs. A recent addition is a good player piano which Carol will play with no coaxing whatever! Imminently, the Macks will be offering ice cream specialties and pizza to the general public. Below is an exterior view of the hotel, which officially is Poor Richard's Hisoric Hereford Inn. Standing out front are local-history-buff Rev. Willis K. Heckler and Carol Mack, co-proprietor of the landmark hostelry.  Years ago, Route 100 went right through the village, separating the hotel from the store---which stand opposite each other. New Route 100 is a stone's throw to the east. After leaving Hereford Village, we traveled southward on Route 100, past Calvary U.C.C. and Gross Bus enterprises---at what used to be known as Shultzville. Off to the left (east) is Hoffmansville Road. We turned here and traveled a block or two to Passmore Rd. At this junction, you see two abandoned houses, both 18th century structures. On the left (north side) is an impressively large 4-level brick structure:  And to the right (south side) is an ancient-looking log building covered over with much-weathered German siding.  In more recent times, these were owned by the Frey family. Old maps indicate that for many years they belonged to the estate of William Stauffer. =================== ============= ============== 5- "Fluff Enough and Other Stuff," by Harry D. Eshleman; 88 pages; printed by Windsor Press of Hamburg; available from Eshleday Specialday Press, 301 West Walnut St., Kutztown, PA 19530. $ 10 postpaid. We're indebted to Ann Gasser, poetry editor of Bookends, for the following overview of Professor Eshleman's new book. As many of you will remember, a short time back, News-Bits ran his very clever poem about making a call to a fire company's answering machine. That gem appears in this book. "If you are the kind of reader who shares my penchant for seeking out the "fluff" tucked here and there in magazines, you will revel in a whole book of these delightful pieces. Some are quite short---such as: 'Ouick Opening Our darkest thoughts may well alight on dimwits who like to spend the night driving with high-beans turned on bright.' "Other poems are much longer and spread a full page with Harry's unique sense of humor displayed in rollicking rhyme. Foremost in the longer category would be 'The Ballad of Swoyer's Crossing' which ends with a twist of rural humor--- and 'Dormitory Info,' a delicious satire on life at college. "In a foreword, Harry declares the 'words may well be the most serious artificialities human beings have yet thought up' and he hopes he has 'not taken too much advantage of words in this book.' And adds refreshingly, 'It is not my crime that so many of our English words rhyme.' "The last quarter of the book is filled with rhyming aphorisms which show off Harry's wit and wisdom. A few samples of these jewels are: 'Neither Jesus nor Judas, the world will note, asked for Disciple's majority vote.' 'A woman's clothes, like mist upon the heath intrigue, but hide, whatever's underneath.' 'For flies and alcoholics any wine will taste devine.' "FLUFF ENOUGH AND OTHER STUFF is a good book to give to someone in the hospital or for any gift occasion. It is one of those books with something for everyone." ============ =========== ================ gmmix ============ end ================= |
|
|
| Home | Membership | Library | Museum | News | Calendar | Gift Shop | Articles | Photos | Multimedia |