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Civil War Blog

A project of PA Historian

Baseball and Gratz

Just about everyone in the Lykens Valley area of Pennsylvania knows the story of Gratz baseball star Carl Scheib and his quick ascent to the big leagues, becoming the youngest person ever signed to a American League baseball contract when he joined the Philadelphia Athletics at the age of 16 during the 1940s. Now a […]

Ku Klux Klan Protests Sunday Sporting Events in Lykens, 1930

A letter sent to the editor of the Lykens Standard by the Ku Klux Klan, dated 20 October 1930, decried those who supported competitive sports events on Sundays, and urged “law abiding citizens” to help in “putting an end to this evil.” At this writing, it is not known how widespread was the practice of […]

Willoughby Walt – 208th Pennsylvania Infantry

Willoughby Z. Walt died on 20 January 1916 and is buried at the Herndon Cemetery, Herndon, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.  He is found in the records as both Wald and Walt and his middle initial is found as both “C” and “Z.” ____________________________________________ Records at the Pennsylvania Archives shown above) indicate that a Willoughby C. Wald […]

Philadelphia Memorial to Octavius V. Catto

Recently, a new memorial to Ocvatius Valentine Catto was ceremonially unveiled in Philadelphia in the central square of the city, just to the west of the south gate entrance to the City Hall Plaza. Previously, on this blog, a post entitled Octavius V. Catto, told of this African American’s relationship to the Civil War and […]

Jacob Elm – German Immigrant Served in New York Cavalry Regiment

The death of Jacob Elm was reported in the Harrisburg newspapers on 28 January 1916: WAR VETERAN DIES Special to the Telegraph Wiconisco, Pennsylvania, 28 January 1916 — Jacob Elm, a Civil War veteran, died at his home yesterday from pneumonia.  He was 79 years old and is survived by his wife and five sons, […]