The story of Patrick Guare, an Irish immigrant who served as coachman to Lebanon’s wealthy Coleman family from 1859 to 1889, offers a glimpse into the social dynamics of Pennsylvania’s iron industry heyday.
History
Posted inHistory
Scrappy but spirited: Lebanon County’s garage bands of the 1960s
American youth were inspired by the rise of The Beatles in the 1960s to start their own garage bands — and Lebanon youth were no exception.
Posted inHistory
Strasburg Rail Road’s restored Cherry Hill station once stood sentinel in Lebanon
A century-old railroad watchman’s box from Lebanon found new life at Strasburg Rail Road, where it has stood since 1960 as the Cherry Hill station welcoming tourists with its whimsical “population 17, more or less” sign.
Posted inHistory
Lebanon’s ice industry turned winter temperatures into cold cash
For much of the late 1800s and early 1900s, one of Lebanon County’s hottest industries was ice—and January was prime time for harvest.
Posted inHistory
Who Knew? To market, to market (Pt. 2)
Lebanon’s 19th-century market system evolved from street vendors and scattered grocers to the centralized Lebanon Farmers Market that still operates today on South 8th Street.
Posted inHistory
History of the Mount Gretna Roller Rink: From livestock to dancing to skates
The oldest building in Mount Gretna was constructed as an agricultural exhibition hall and today is the Mount Gretna Roller Rink.
Posted inHistory
Who Knew? To market, to market (Pt. 1)
The story of Lebanon merchant James Fairburn helps illustrate how street markets gave way to formal marketplaces in Lebanon during the 1890s, marking the end of an entrepreneurial era. (Part one of a two-part series)
Posted inNews
Mt. Gretna’s role as home to PA National Guard lives on thru historic Range House
The historic Range House is a reminder of the role the National Guard played in the Pennsylvania National Guard in Mt. Gretna in the late-1800s, early-1900s.
Posted inHistory
Who Knew? The spirit of kindness, Pt. 4
A Texas descendant’s contributions complete the story of the DeHuff house, now Lebanon Rescue Mission’s Agape Family Shelter, by illuminating patriarch Henry DeHuff’s own commitment to community welfare in the 1800s.
Posted inHistory
Who Knew? The spirit of kindness, Pt. 3
Jacob DeHuff, a prominent 19th-century Lebanon businessman, ran a downtown bookstore that served as a cultural hub for ticket sales, newspapers and school supplies.
Posted inHistory
Who Knew? The spirit of kindness, Pt. 2
The story of how Lebanon’s first women’s shelter emerged from a property exchange between the wealthy Nutting and DeHuff families showcases the interconnected nature of 19th-century Pennsylvania society.
Posted inHistory
Who Knew? The spirit of kindness, Pt. 1
The DeHuff House in Lebanon, built in 1870, has a rich history intertwining local families and is now home to the Agape House shelter.
Posted inHistory
Lebanon County’s Liberty Tree planted at Cornwall Iron Furnace on Oct. 19
On Saturday, America250PA Lebanon and the Pennsylvania Freemasons planted Lebanon County’s certified Liberty Tree at Cornwall Iron Furnace.
Posted inHistory
Bridging the 20th and 21st centuries over the Swatara Creek
Little is known about how people crossed the Swatara Creek prior to the building of the Route 72 bridge.
Posted inHistory
Commission for Women, Historical Society open Women’s History Exhibit
The Lebanon County Commission for Women and the Lebanon County Historical Society opened the Women’s History Exhibit on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
