Fasnachts, the sugary, fried donuts customarily prepared and eaten on Shrove Tuesday, are a Pennsylvania Dutch staple in Lebanon County.
Author Archives: Joshua Groh
Josh is a Cornwall native and freelancer with a love of local history and the outdoors.
Posted inPeople & Places
Eight of the best bicycle trails in and around Lebanon County
Between rolling fields, forest paths, and wide-open riverside trails, the Susquehanna region is hardly lacking in sights to see from the perch of a bicycle seat.
Posted inCommunity Shoutouts
Campbelltown adds welcome signs to the neighborhood, celebrating completion of project two years in the making
Thanks to the work of the nonprofit Campbelltown Community Alliance, new signs welcoming traffic into the community have been installed by the side of Route 322 at either end of the village.
Posted inPeople & Places
YMCA Camp Rocky Creek gets fall facelift thanks to Charter Homes
Though the summer season is long over, YMCA Camp Rocky Creek of Cornwall recently saw a bustling day of activity as employees of Charter Homes & Neighborhoods volunteered their time and effort in a number of maintenance and improvement projects.
Posted inCommunity Shoutouts
Mosaic at Stoever’s Dam Park dedicated as officials, artists reflect on the importance of suicide prevention
On Thursday, November 4, officials, artists, and community members gathered at the Remembrance Garden at Stoever’s Dam Park to dedicate a mosaic in remembrance of those lost to suicide and in the hopes of future prevention.
Posted inUpcoming Events
‘Bologna Bowl’ fuels friendly rivalry between Northern Lebanon and Palmyra youth football programs
The series of games between the youth football programs of Palmyra Area School District and Northern Lebanon School District will kick off on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Posted inBusiness & Nonprofits
Camp Shand gains new name of “Camp Rocky Creek” as Lebanon County and YMCA celebrate major purchase
After Camp Shand was purchased by Lebanon County for $725,000 last year, the transfer of the Cornwall summer camp was celebrated on Wednesday with the new name of “Camp Rocky Creek.”
Posted inHistory
The stories behind six lesser-known historical markers that can be found in Lebanon County
How many of Lebanon County’s 32 roadside historical markers are you familiar with? From a Revolutionary War outpost to a unique renting arrangement involving roses, here are six that we’re betting you haven’t heard about before.
Posted inHistory
Union Center: How a 520-acre Coleman estate was converted into a “worker’s paradise” for 20,000 union members
In one of the most striking property transformations in the history of the Lebanon Valley, the lavish Gilded Age estate of John Percy Coleman Alden was transformed in the 1950s into a holiday complex for some 20,000 members of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union of America.
Posted inHistory
In remembrance of George Rentz, a Lebanon-born pastor who sacrificed himself for his men in World War II
Many American men and women have given their lives up for their country, displaying incredible fortitude and bravery in the face of war. Lebanon can claim one particularly extraordinary man among the country’s heroes: Navy Chaplain George S. Rentz.
Posted inUpcoming Events
Root Beer Barrel at Cornwall Rail Trail reopens June 5, National Trail Day
The iconic barrel-shaped stand will open at 10 a.m. for the “grand re-opening celebration” and stay open until 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 5.
Posted inHistory
The College Hill Chix: How a star Fredericksburg baseball team rose to local acclaim and national attention
During the heyday of amateur sports in the Lebanon Valley, one Fredericksburg baseball team rose from amateur games to a national semi-pro tournament, state championships, and more. This is the story of the College Hill Chix.
Posted inHistory
How the vaudeville-era star singers the Trix Sisters went from Newmanstown to international fame
Helen and Josephine Yeiser, both hailing from Newmanstown in Millcreek Township, boasted wit and musicianship that made them international stars of vaudeville a century ago. Behind the stardom, though, the Trix Sisters’ story is one of family.
Posted inUpcoming Events
Union Canal Days returning in May after last year’s cancellation
For 31 years, the Union Canal Tunnel Park hosted Union Canal Days in spring – a weekend of tours, food, music, and more. In 2020, the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but 2021 will see the event returning to the park on the weekend of May 15 and 16.
Posted inHistory
The history behind the Lebanon Valley Craft Brewery, which survived a century of ownership changes – and Prohibition
Lebanon Valley Craft Brewery, 840 North 7th Street in Lebanon, is set to reopen this year, marking over 60 years since the last beer was brewed at the address. The address’s history as a brewery, however, begins over 160 years ago, at a time when breweries in Lebanon were a significant local industry.
