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.
Author Archives: Joshua Groh
Josh is a Cornwall native and freelancer with a love of local history and the outdoors.
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.
Posted inCommunity Shoutouts
Clarence Schock Memorial Park at Governor Dick celebrates new permanent art installation
The artwork, created as a collaboration between artist-in-residence Karen Beall and members of the community, is entitled “Forest Fable” and is composed of 20 clay tiles depicting tree species found in the park.
Posted inHistory
Eight decades after the HMS Campbeltown exploded in a strategic World War II raid, its bell resides peacefully in Campbelltown
Since the famous St. Nazaire raid took place nearly 80 years ago, the bell of its most important ship has been stewarded by the citizens of Campbelltown — and has even gone on some new adventures.
Posted inPeople & Places
Renewal after death: how a Lebanon man’s loss prompted the planting of a special dawn redwood grove in South Hills Park
“The tree that he tried to save saved me. It gave me purpose.” In the two years since his brother’s unexpected death, Chris Black has planted over 200 trees on his own time and expense in a new grove in South Hills Park.
Posted inHistory
Bible of the Eisenhauer family – ancestors of President Eisenhower – is undergoing conservation
The story of the Eisenhauer family, from colonial Fredericksburg farm to the highest office in the country, is the story of a fully-realized American Dream. Now, the Lebanon County Historical Society is acting to conserve a vital family artifact.
Posted inHistory
When Robert Coleman’s two-foot railway snaked through the hills of Mount Gretna
Born out of a lifelong fascination with trains, this “miniature” railway of the last Coleman family scion carried passengers all the way up to the top of Governor Dick until its owner fell into financial ruin.
Posted inPeople & Places
Icy conditions delay annual snow geese migration at Middle Creek, peak numbers expected in coming weeks
On Monday, March 1, the Middle Creek Migration Update blog recorded over 40,000 snow geese and other waterfowl. That number is expected to peak soon now that the season’s ice and snow is melting.
Posted inUpcoming Events
Cedar Crest High School staging Addams Family musical with both live-stream and in-person options
Cedar Crest High School is staging “The Addams Family Quarantined: Dramatic Concert,” a 90-minute one-act musical featuring the horror-comedy family, in three showings this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Posted inHistory
Ever saw ice sawed? Historical practice revived at Union Canal Tunnel Park
Last week’s Wednesday work-day meeting of the Friends of the Union Canal Tunnel Park saw an old-fashioned ice saw put to use in a practice that has largely been forgotten since the advent of mechanical refrigerators.
Posted inHistory
The Boro Rams, the Bologna Bowl, and the heyday of Lebanon’s independent football teams
It was the era of sandlot matches and teams composed of neighbors and folks down the street. Here’s the story of the Lebanon Boro Rams, manager Gus Deraco, and everything else about Lebanon’s independent football scene in the 1940s and 50s.
Posted inEducation
Lebanon Valley Conservancy’s $2,500 scholarship for environmental science students is open for applications
The Lebanon Valley Conservancy has announced that it is now accepting applications for its 2021 Richard H. and Karen R. Light Memorial Scholarship. The deadline to apply is April 1, 2021.
Posted inBusiness & Nonprofits
Domestic Violence Intervention appoints LeAnne Burchik as new Executive Director, Mike Ritter as Deputy Director
“My goal is to help DVI expand its services in Lebanon County so that more victims can be reached and hopefully saved,” Burchik stated.
Posted inHistory
Clothes salesman, civic leader, Boy Scout patron: the life of John Sherman Bashore
From humble beginnings, Cumberland Street clothing store businessman John Bashore became perhaps one of the most civically engaged individuals in Lebanon history.
