Historical Review of Berks County

Yes, this is from my personal collection and it can be yours by subscribing to the Berks History Center starting at an individual membership. Four scintillating..., informative magazines a year. The newly arrived Winter issue features page turning articles about the Gish Sisters, Harry Houdini, Hans Nolde, The First Auto Races in Berks County, Berks Women in the Suffrage Movement, and the Inaugural Haage Concert presenting Ellen Beach Yaw. See more

And now, for something completely different. (Hmm..that has a familiar ring to it. Perhaps I'll remember where I heard it before). This post takes us down a ...scenic back road in Rockland Township, on the shore of a lovely little lake, and deep into history. And, we enter between the pillars that once flanked folks as they streamed in to the late, lamented Carsonia Park. First, some credits. Thanks to writers and historians Paul Druzba, Corrie Crupi, and George M. Meiser, IX, whose work helped to lay the foundation for this collage of collages and pictures. Links to those works, especially Paul's wonderful book, follow the photos. Be sure to fully open each photo. As for those photos... A white pillar stands tall in one. That's a bit deceiving, as the sun shone brightly on it that day. As you will notice in another picture of the same pillar with its mate, they are rather dingy and dirty. But...and it's a "but" with an historical exclamation point...they still stand. Removed from the entrance to Carsonia Park when Carsonia Avenue was widened, the pillars found refuge in what was to be the Sally Ann Furnace County Park. Plans for that park apparently fizzled, but the pillars remained positioned at the chained-up Dent-Gundry Wildlife Sanctuary, under the auspices (at least it says so on the sign) of Berks Nature. The sign also says the property (and hopefully the pillars) are "permanently protected" by Berks Nature. Any mention of it as a Berks Nature property is difficult to find. If you know more, let us all know, please. The pillars were covered with some sort of siding, supposedly as a protection, and they seem in rather good shape, considering their age and where they stand. Still, they seem like endangered species in their lonely, vulnerable position. I have gone full-tilt collage with one triptych that depicts the "what was and what is" of the pillars. At left is a picture extracted from a "Passing Scene" volume, in the middle is the present state of the pillar, and at right is a faithful-ish repro of the pillar, which stands with its mate at the entrance to the Antietam Valley Recreation Center, along Byram Avenue in Pennside. The pair are situated where the Crystal Ballroom of the park stood, along the shore of Carsonia Lake. Another collage groups all of the pictures together, for your perusal. http://www.carsoniapark.com/ berkshistory.org/multimedia//carsonia-park-from-the-bottom/

While it is not a particularly "landmark" anniversary, it is worth noting that George Washington Slept Here, in Berks County (presumably in the Stouch Tavern, Womelsdorf) 227 years ago while he was inspecting the progress on the construction of the Union Canal. Details are sketchy and are varied, but there is no doubt that Washington was here, then. It is also interesting to note that some historians believe the president was also "on the road" to distance himself from th...e Yellow Fever plague that was in its final throes in the capital, Philadelphia. http://frenchandindianwarfoundation.org//conrad-weiser-ho/ https://founders.archives.gov/