Norman Gasbarro | June 18, 2011
Today we begin a series of posts to try to determine what Gratz looked like during the Civil War, 1861-1865. One of the purposes of this series will be to determine what buildings remain from the period. We begin with some of the available maps. The first map is of the “Lot Plan” of Simon […]
Norman Gasbarro | June 17, 2011
St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, located in Klingerstown, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, has a relatively new cemetery for the Lykens Valley area, the first recorded burial being recorded there in 1894, the same year the church was built. It was that of Barbara [Wiest] Klinger (1832-1894), the wife of David S. Klinger (1827-1916). The church is located […]
Norman Gasbarro | June 16, 2011
A recently received donation to the Schwalm Research Library of the Gratz Historical Society of the complete ten-volume first edition of The Photographic History of the Civil War generated heightened excitement and interest in the Civil War Research Project during one of the regular Wednesday research sessions. The books arrived in Gratz on 2 June […]
Norman Gasbarro | June 8, 2011
Returning Civil War veterans, undoubtedly impressed with the pomp and music provided by regimental or brigade bands during their wartime experience, brought the experience home with them. There was a rapid growth of town and village bands in the post-war period. There is an account of an early band in Gratz in 1856, the Umholtz […]
Norman Gasbarro | June 7, 2011
The Repasz Band of Williamsport, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, which claims to have been founded in 1831, is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, continuously operating community bands in the United States. In 1844, the band accompanied the Pennsylvania delegation to the Whig Party Convention in Baltimore and played for the nomination of […]
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