Pennsylvania and Wyoming Valley History Bibliography: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

History of the Schuylkill River.

Issued on the occasion of the annual U.S. governors' conference, l944.

Describes Pennsylvania agriculture and life from 1640-1940.

Once the center of a major commercial industry along the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York, the American shad population in the river was almost destroyed in the mid-nineteenth century by the construction of dams. However, concerned citizens began rebuilding the shad population in 1950, and the continuing conservation efforts are proving successful in bringing the American shad back to the Susquehanna. This account of the rise, fall, and restoration of the shad population in the Susquehanna and its tributaries is a fascinating story of history, politics, technology, economics, sports, and environmentalism. It is also an inspiring tale of how human beings, once recognizing the damage they have done to the natural environment, can work to overcome the despoliation they have caused. Drawing on state archives, government land records, private property deeds, early newspaper reports, and other primary documents, Richard Gerstell shows what an integral part the American shad has played in the cultural history of the people living in the Susquehanna River basin through three centuries. Detailed accounts of the once-thriving shad fishing industry include descriptions of scores of wagons regularly seen waiting for shad at fisheries along the river, fishermen occasionally killed in fights over fishing places, sanitary problems at city and riverbank fisheries, shore and island hotels built for fishermen and fish purchasers, shad-funded votes in state elections, and even shad recipes. Gerstell also describes the adverse effects of dams and illegal fishing devices on the shad population and, drawing on records of the Susquehanna River Anadromous Fish Restoration Committee, covers: the early studies of the suitability of the river for shad restoration; artificial propagation of shad eggs obtained from outside the state; stocking of mature shad; construction of fishways; and analysis of the prospects for years ahead.

The Delaware and Hudson Canal skirted ghostly swamps, crossed stone arch bridges and suspension aqueducts, wound along the base of towering cliffs and clung to the edge of narrow defiles. It followed a route that challenged the engineering genius of its day "Col Boats to Tide Water" is a study in depth of regions clarified by more than thirty maps and over two hundred photographs.

An extensive and colorful salute to the nation's largest railroad during its most dramatic years, by one of America's most prominent railroad authors. 286 full-color photographs.

Set Up Running tells the story of a Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive engineer, Oscar P. Orr, who operated steam-powered freight and passenger trains throughout central Pennsylvania and south-central New York. From 1904 to 1949, Orr sat at the controls of many famous steam locomotives; moved trains loaded with coal, perishables, and other freight; and encountered virtually every situation a locomotive engineer of that era could expect to see. John W. (Jack) Orr, Oscar’s son, tells his father's story, which begins at the Central Steam Heating Plant in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. Oscar operated nearly every kind of steam locomotive the Pennsylvania Railroad owned, working from the bottom of the roster to the top position (number one in seniority). Orr has an ear for detail and a vivid memory. He tells about his father’s first encounter with an automobile along the right-of-way, about what it was like to operate a train in a blizzard, and about the difficulties railroadmen encountered in stopping a trainload of tank cars loaded with oil in order to take on water and coal—and many other stories. This compelling railroad history will enthrall not only everyone in the railroad community but also the general reader interested in railroads and trains, past and present.

The epic story of the struggle to connect New York City to the rest of the nation The demolition of Penn Station in 1963 destroyed not just a soaring neoclassical edifice, but also a building that commemorated one of the last century’s great engineering feats—the construction of railroad tunnels into New York City. Now, in this gripping narrative, Jill Jonnes tells this fascinating story—a high-stakes drama that pitted the money and will of the nation’s mightiest railroad against the corruption of Tammany Hall, the unruly forces of nature, and the machinations of labor agitators. In 1901, the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, Alexander Cassatt, determined that it was technically feasible to build a system of tunnels connecting Manhattan to New Jersey and Long Island. Confronted by payoff-hungry politicians, brutal underground working conditions, and disastrous blowouts and explosions, it would take him nearly a decade to make Penn Station and its tunnels a reality. Set against the bustling backdrop of Gilded Age New York, Conquering Gothamwill enthrall fans of David McCullough’s The Great Bridgeand Ron Chernow’s Titan.

Historically, bridges were covered to protect their wooden surfaces from the weather. Today, covered bridges are viewed as charming but rare artifacts of our past. Pennsylvania, the site of the first covered bridge in the United States (over the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia), is the state with the most surviving structures. Benjamin and June Evans visited every bridge for this updated edition, taking new photographs and noting changes since the writing of their 1991 first edition. The builder's name, truss type and number of spans, the condition, length, and width, current owner, and waterway it crosses, specific location, and precise travel directions to each structure are all outlined for each of the 220 bridges documented in this new edition.

Revision includes minor alterations to the text, and the selection of illustrations as well as a revised and updated bibliography.

The largest maker of heavy machinery in Gilded Age America and an important global exporter, the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia achieved renown as one of the nation's most successful and important firms. Relying on gifted designers and skilled craftsmen, Baldwin built thousands of standard and custom steam locomotives, ranging from narrow gauge 0-4-0 industrial engines to huge mallet compounds. John K. Brown analyzes the structure of railroad demand; the forces driving continual innovation in locomotive design; Baldwin's management systems, shop-floor skills, and career paths; and the evolution of production methods.

Describes iron manufacturing in Pennsylvania in the 1700s.

Descriptions of over 100 restaurants, along with more than 200 recipes from those restaurants.

In 31 essays, each followed by appropriate recipes, Virginia Bartlett traverses the state -- from its apple orchards to its underground mushroom farms, to lakeside wineries & maple sugar camps -- to learn of such traditional Pennsylvania fare as the soft pretzel, the dill pickle, & Lebanon bologna. The author visits the present-day factories that manufacture them, including the Hershey Chocolate factory in Hershey, PA. PICKLES & PRETZELS will delight the history buff, the traveler, & the epicure.

Revised and updated edition of the best-selling first edition (978-0-8117-2878-2) 239 classic diners identified All-new, full-color photographs and vintage postcards Color maps pinpoint locations and diner highways Complete directories with location, food, and hours Detailed information on styles, vintages, and manufacturers