In the 19th century, few retail establishments in Reading, Pennsylvania, captured the public imagination quite like Joseph O’Brien’s Golden Ball. Located on the south side of Penn Square between Fifth and Sixth Streets, the store became one of the city’s most distinctive shopping [...]
At 1428 Amity Street in Reading, Pennsylvania, a sweet chapter in American confectionery history began. It was here, in 1938, that Josh Early IV and his wife Millie opened a small candy shop and factory within their family home. Under the sign that [...]
Gather ‘round, ye seekers of discounted fleece, for the tale of the Redding Pennsylvania outlets—er, Reading Pennsylvania outlets (curse that silent “a”)—is a yarn spun from the looms of history, greed, and polyester blends. Once the crowned jewel of America’s bargain empire, this [...]
Jackson Rope Company was one of Reading, Pennsylvania’s longest-standing manufacturers. Founded in 1829 by English ropemaker Thomas Jackson, the company grew from a small operation along the Schuylkill Canal into a nationally respected rope manufacturer. For 150 years, Jackson Rope adapted to industrial [...]
Hollenbach, Dietrich & Co., a celebrated name in Reading, Pennsylvania’s history, owes its beginnings to the ambition and hard work of Benjamin F. Hollenbach. Born in January 1871 in Slatington, Pennsylvania, Hollenbach grew up with a strong work ethic, likely inspired by his [...]
Sarge's Japanese Ice Cream Parlor opened its doors on June 24, 1916, at 932 Penn Street in Reading, Pennsylvania. Designed with an Oriental-inspired facade, the building reflected the early 20th-century fascination with Japanese aesthetics fueled by cultural phenomena like Puccini's Madame Butterfly and [...]
In 1946, Sebastian Ninfo, born August 17, 1899, in Italy, who immigrated to America in 1916, purchased the property at 401 North 10th Street in Reading, Pennsylvania, and later opened the Stardust Luncheonette. The restaurant quickly became a neighborhood favorite, drawing long lines—especially [...]
The Beryllium Corporation was established in 1933 and relocated in 1935 to 150 Tuckerton Road in Temple, Pennsylvania, where it took over the former site of the Pennsylvania Malleable Iron Company. This site became a key hub for beryllium copper production in the [...]
Neff Parish and John Sullivan co-founded Parish Manufacturing Company in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1906. Equipped with one 1600-ton press and two 400-ton hydraulic presses, they produced their first vehicle frame for Stevens-Duryea of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. Prior to this, Neff Parish had worked [...]
Pennsylvania has earned a reputation as the heart of the American potato chip industry, a title rooted in the state’s rich agricultural history, its entrepreneurial spirit, and the rise of family-owned snack companies. From small towns to bustling factories, Pennsylvania’s landscape is dotted [...]
