Whether you call it Halloween, All Hallows’ Eve, or Holler Eve, as kids did over a century ago, October 31 has always been a night of merry-making, mischief, and masquerade in Lebanon.
History
Posted inHistory
The sad story of the six-level “Tower House” that once stood atop Mt. Gretna’s Governor Dick
Oil businessman and philanthropist Clarence Schock’s remote summer retreat on the mountain proved to be a favorite target of “youthful vandals” for decades.
Posted inHistory
A beginner’s guide to the barn architecture of Lebanon County
When settlers first began to tend the land of Lebanon County and the rest of Pennsylvania Dutch country, they created one of the richest and longest-lasting architectural cultures of the area through the construction of their barns.
Posted inHistory
Palmyra UCC celebrates 125 years
This year, the Palmyra United Christian Church is celebrating its 125th anniversary – a century and a quarter of impacting the Palmyra community, of seeking to understand God’s word and put it into practice and of stewardship and fellowship.
Posted inHistory
19th century Cornwall Iron Furnace steam engine gets needed overhaul
While Cornwall Iron Furnace is closed to the public because of COVID-19, its mid-19th century steam engine is getting some much-needed work done on it.
Posted inHistory
The one-room schoolhouses that once made up rural education in Lebanon County
Public schooling has changed a lot since the days of the “Little Red Schoolhouse” nestled in the countryside of the Lebanon Valley.
Posted inHistory
Northwest Elementary School served many in its 42-year history
Before the school is redesigned as a commercial space, LebTown reflects on the school’s history and status in 2020.
Posted inHistory
The life and legend of Joseph Johns, escaped slave and Union Township mountain man
Over a century after his 1906 death, charcoal producer Joseph Johns (also known as “Old Black Joe”) continues to draw fascination.
Posted inHistory
Lebanon’s lost “Little Hollywood” sector and the Lebanon County Housing Authority
In a decade of change, a new local authority transformed one of Lebanon’s poorest neighborhoods into one of the city’s first public housing projects.
Posted inHistory
Local historian Bruce Bomberger on documenting the history of today
History isn’t just the past. It’s a collection of moments. It’s happening as we speak. How will history remember the coronavirus?
Posted inHistory
Lebanon Catholic property contains the Donaghmore Mansion and the historic Patch estate
Once the home of an iron furnace manager, the Donaghmore Mansion has connections with Robert W. Coleman, Captain Alexander Patch, and, since the 1950s, the Lebanon Catholic High School.
Posted inHistory
St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington, DC, has Lebanon County ties
The adjacent parish house was home to several members of the prominent Coleman family of Lebanon.
Posted inHistory
Light’s Fort a poster child for need of local historical preservation
Light’s Fort is Lebanon’s oldest standing structure. Local historians and preservationists would like to see it restored and turned into a museum.
Posted inHistory
Recounting Lebanon County’s brief UFO frenzy of the 1960s
In the summer of 1965, Lebanon residents reported a number of UFO sightings that spurred local interest.
Posted inPeople & Places
Former Lebanon reporter still unsettled by Palmyra slaying, 25 years after trial
During his time on the crime beat at the Lebanon Daily News, Les Stewart reported on plenty of atrocities. Covering the trial of Carolyn King and Bradley Martin, however, was an unrivaled experience.
