A rare of collection of historical books of Reading, PA and Berks County. Searchable text PDF documents - full and advanced. Adobe Acrobat Reader required to view digital books. Because of the size, some of the books might not be able to be [...]
Around 1880, the first Slovaks arrived in Reading, PA. They came from Saris, Spis and Zemplin, areas in Czechoslovakia, and later from Trencin, Orava and Nitra, also in Czechoslovakia. During their first years in Reading, they attended Mass at St. Paul's Roman Catholic [...]
After glancing at the old Post Office at the Southeast corner of 5th and Washington Streets you may realize the building was the only one of its type and style in this city. Daniel Ermentrout was congressman for this district, when a federal [...]
The former Bachman Pretzel Company, was founded by Joseph S. Bachman in 1884. Joseph S. Bachman (b. 1863 - d. 1914), was born in Austria, and came to America with his parents, Francis and Margaret (Settler) Bachman, in 1868. He was educated in [...]
In 1864, Frederick R. Frill purchased from William Leinbach a farm of 116 acres. In 1873, he laid this land off into lots, and most of the lots in the blocks south of Penn Avenue and east of present-day Fifth Avenue were numbered [...]
The Penn View Motel, located on the block between 2nd and 3rd Streets on Penn Avenue in West Reading, was part of a chain of nine motels called Host Ways Motel. This highly recognizable landmark was clearly visible from the West-Shore By-Pass and [...]
The original public building in Reading stood in the center of Penn Square, directly at the intersection of Penn and Fifth Streets, then called Market and Callowhill Streets. It was the most central situation, and therefore the most convenient, and it was architecturally [...]
William Henry Luden, developer of the menthol cough drop and founder of the Luden's company in Reading, PA, amassed considerable wealth through his confectionery business. In 1882, William H. Luden began modestly making candy for Christmas, with thirty pounds of sugar, at No. [...]
Located at the Southwest corner of 4th and Cherry Streets in Reading are three distinct restaurants. Judy's on Cherry offers Mediterranean-inspired fine dining in a beautifully renovated farmer's market. The Speckled Hen Cottage Pub & Alehouse, is located in an authentically restored 18th [...]
Until 1964 the most familiar structure in West Reading was the West Reading Hotel on the north side of the Penn Ave. between 5th and 6th. Below: West Reading Hotel, northeast corner of Sixth and Penn Ave. The three-story structure had [...]
