20 02, 2022

Don’t Give Up on Reading

2022-02-20T11:45:34-04:00February 20th, 2022|Community, Culture, Heritage of Reading|Comments Off on Don’t Give Up on Reading

By MaryBeth. Thank you for creating GoReadingBerks, one of my go-to websites when I need a dose of hometown nostalgia. Like you, I have fond memories of growing up in Reading. My memories include: being eye level with cases full of Pennsylvania Dutch [...]

12 02, 2022

The 400 Block of Penn Street

2022-02-12T06:12:31-04:00February 12th, 2022|Businesses-Industry, Culture, Department Stores|Comments Off on The 400 Block of Penn Street

Everything could be bought in that 400 block, from food to a diamond, from tires to a clock. Below: 400 block of Penn Street. North Side. First there was Kins for fine ladies to shop, and Pep Boys and Charles Auto Took good [...]

11 02, 2021

Early Irish Settlers in the Iron Industry in Berks County

2021-06-04T12:05:11-04:00February 11th, 2021|Culture|0 Comments

The iron industry had early development in Berks County. During the eighteenth century it steadily grew in importance; and in 1835 the extensive Reading Iron Works were established. This together with the building of canals drew here a large number of Irish settlers. [...]

5 02, 2021

Five and Dimes of Main Street, Reading, PA

2021-06-04T12:05:13-04:00February 5th, 2021|Culture, Department Stores|0 Comments

When Woolworth's declared bankruptcy back in 1997, it marked the symbolic end of an era when beloved "five and dime" stores could be found in every big city and small town in America. Woolworth's, Kresge’s, Grant's, McCrory’s, and Green’s were all once a [...]

29 01, 2021

Reading and Berks County Speaking

2021-06-04T12:07:28-04:00January 29th, 2021|Culture|0 Comments

Oling, Tulpewihaci, Gokhosing, Machsithanne! Some foreign language? Not at all. These are native American Indian words which Berks County has adopted as place names. Oley, Tulpehocken, Cacoosing, and Maxatawny! To the Indian the first word meant: a place surrounded by hills; the second, [...]

20 12, 2020

The Cross and Star atop Mount Penn

2021-06-04T12:09:08-04:00December 20th, 2020|Christmas, Culture|0 Comments

In 1914, the youth group of First Baptist Church, Reading, began the annual Easter Dawn Service on top of Mount Penn, Reading. Below: Easter Dawn Service at the Reading Pagoda, 1914. The first service was held at the Pagoda, drawing several hundred people [...]

4 12, 2020

Santa Banned from Annual Christmas Parade at Reading

2021-06-04T12:13:45-04:00December 4th, 2020|Christmas, Culture, Holiday|0 Comments

In 1950, Santa Claus was banned from the Reading Christmas parade. Not that the city didn't believe in Santa. But the parade sponsors, the young men of the Reading, Pennsylvania, Junior Chamber of Commerce, also known as the Jaycees, wanted the observance to [...]

3 12, 2020

Mistletoe – Christmas Customs and Traditions

2021-06-04T12:13:46-04:00December 3rd, 2020|Christmas, Culture, Holiday|0 Comments

The mistletoe Americans are familiar with -- phoradendron serotinum -- grows primarily in the Southeast and as far west as Texas and Oklahoma. In swamps, it can be plucked off low-hanging branches by hand. It can sometimes be taken by ladder or by [...]

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