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Authored by Society president George Meiser IX |
| Posted 06-16-2006
NINE News-Bits of Reading-Berks historical interest: ================================================= ================================================= ================================================= 1- One-Day SAMPLER Seminar at Society - Sat., Jn 24 at 8:30 a.m. 2- Noted botanist lies buried at Reading's Aulenbach's Cemetery 3- Berks Graveyard Ass'n meets Sunday, June 25, at 3 p.m. 4- Ringgold Band to play at Schwarzwald Luth Sat., June 24 5- About that mystery photo sent out in the last News-Bits..... 6- Dreamland Park photos posted on a web-site 7- Landmark Hill-Wanner-Spuhler grist mill in Exeter for sale 8- 300th anniversary of Joh. Keim's settling in Oley Valley.... 9- Wyomissing concert part of 100th anniv. celebration - Jn 25 =================================================== =================================================== =================================================== 1- Pictured here is Kathryn Lesieur, guest curator of the Historical Society's SAMPLER EXHIBIT: 
=================================================== 2- Shortly before Memorial Day, News-Bits made mention of an open-house-type event at Aulenbach's Cemetery, north side of Perkiomen Ave.--opposite the old filtering beds. Readers were informed that among the most famous persons buried there is Ludwig Wollenweber, the highly regarded 19th century playwright, journalist, and newspaper publisher. His lasting fame rests on his somewhat fictionalized Mountain Mary (Pike Twp.) story. About a week later, Bill Uhrich, himself a journalist and one of Berks County's truly fine photographers, sent this obit to share with you. It is in regard to another person interred at Aulenbach's worthy of note: NEWSPAPER: READING EAGLE; READING TIMES Date: 8 / 26 / 1993 PAGE C3 HEADLINE: Hans Wilkens, noted botanist, dead at age Hans Wilkens, the dean of Berks County botanists who collected more than 10,000 plant specimens in Berks County, died Wednesday at 7:20 a.m. in the Henry Health Care Center at the Topton Lutheran Home, where he had resided since November 1985. Wilkens, 95, formerly of 424 S. 15th St., identified, collected and preserved between 10,000 and 12,000 specimens during a span of seven decades. In 1986, the monumental collection was donated to the Reading Public Museum and a number of specimens were given to the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Science. In addition to his plant collection, Wilkens put his vast knowledge of county plants into 10 notebooks. Wilkens said he picked up botany from books in the Reading Public Library and knew most of the local plants by the time he got in touch with professional botanists. He was widely recognized in his field and was probably the most knowledgeable person in systematic botany in Berks County. His expertise extended to geology, fossils, birds, insects, mammals and local history. Born in Magdeburg, Germany, he was a son of the late Gustav and Louise (Goldhagen) Wilkens. Wilkens was employed for many years as a machinist by the former Textile Machine Works, now Rockwell International Corp., Wyomissing, last working as an erector until his retirement in 1963. He was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church. Survivors include a brother, Arno, Bridgeport, Conn. Lutz Funeral Home Inc., Mount Penn, is in charge of arrangements. (Interment was across the street at Aulenbach's Cemetery.) =================================================== 3- The Berks County Ass'n for Graveyard Preservation will be meeting SUNDAY, June 25th at 3 p.m. the Oley American Legion building at Oley Village. Mr. Lorah, the Ass'n's president, informs us that the High cemetery at Poplar Neck, in Cumru Twp., may soon be rebuilt. This meeting is open to anyone with an interest in the preservation of Berks County's private and family cemeteries. You are encouraged to attend.... ==================================================== 4- The famous RINGGOLD BAND will be playing at Schwarzwald Lutheran Church--along Oley Turnpike, in Exeter Twp.--starting at 5 p.m. -- on Saturday, June 24th. All kinds of foods and treats will be available starting at 4 p.m. This eagerly-anticipated event is open to the general public. COME...and bring friends. Mark your calendar! ================================================= 5- The mystery photo included in the previous News-Bits dispatch generated 84 responses, some of which were obviously well considered. Several of the replies would have filled an 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper when printed out! Many thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. Among the comments well worth noting was, "The photo was staged / posed." An overwhelming number of readers concluded the view showed an apple butter-making session. 
Two readers knew exactly what the mechanical gizmo was....a 19th century food processor to chop and mix. One gentleman sent a great, close-up photo of one which, unfortunately, was lost during a recent email crisis (brought about by my having 13,450 stored incoming messages!). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Harry Lash of Ephrata sent the following note, which commands our attention: "My Mom looked at the photo and thinks the people on the picture are making homemade Sauerkraut. The women is pealing the cabbage from the bowl; the man in the back [at the kettle] is stirring the Bian to pour over the cabbage. "This was made of a vinegar mixture that was not unnecessarily cooked--or was cooked the previous day-- but any rate was cooked over a very low flame. The man & women are working the small shredder on a plank which cut up the cabbage into strips or lengths. "These were then was put into crocks--many shown in the photo--and covered to age to taste the way they wanted. "This was a all-day process and was always done outside! My Mom thinks it is the same as they did this when she was young and was a big thing in the Depression as it was inexpensive to make. "The man operating the machine was often the owner of it and went around and let the locals use the machine for a fee, so not everyone had such a shredder. " ================================================= 6- Bill Cherkasky < bill@darkinthepark.com > emailed to inform us that his web-site contains a number of recently added 1992 views of the former Dreamland Park in Ruscombmanor, along the Pricetown Road. What little now remains at the site, the owners of which don't welcome visitors (!), are all in an advanced state of decrepitude. To see Mr. Cherkasky's web-site, check.... ================================================ 7- Jim Tylka of Exeter Twp. emailed to inform us that the old grist mill at 501 Exeter St., in Stony Creek is for sale at $179,900. Known as the Hill or Wanner mill, and operated in a small way by Peter Spuhler until 1959, its actual date of erection is not known exactly---but based on its small size and general construction (stone and frame), there is no doubt that it is quite early. We know that there was a mill at this site in 1790. In 1809 and 1810, John Hill used the facility for a rifle-boring mill. We'll try to get a recent photo over the weekend.... =============================================== 8- Nancy Kime < nkime@comcast.net > emailed the following message.... I was just looking at an old posting on genealogy.com that was discussing the 300-yr. anniversary of Johannes Keim's emmigration to the Oley Valley [which will occur next year, in 2007]. Is there was going to be a large reunion of Keim's planned. If so, I would love to be involved in helping with it. You have my permission to pass on my name and email address to anyone involved. If any reader knows whether anything is planned to commemorate this important date/ event, you are requested to communicate directly with Nancy. ================================= ===================== 9- As part of Wyomissing Borough's 100th anniversary commemoration: 
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