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Luzerne County Historical Society
  • Visit
    • Bishop Library
    • LCHS Museum
    • Nathan Denison House
    • Swetland Homestead
  • Programs & Events
    • Upcoming Events
  • Membership
    • individual and family membership
    • business membership
  • Research
    • Our Research Resources
    • Research Services
  • Exhibitions
  • Collections
    • Our Collections
    • Donation Guidelines
  • Shop
  • Shopping Cart

Local History

FIC: Stories of items “Found in Collection” #1 – Andersonville Prison

By Mark Riccetti | March 27, 2020

The following is the first in a series of blog posts titled “FIC: Stories of Items “Found in Collection”. FIC is a museum industry term for items that were, well, …

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Bringing The Giant to Its Knees, A Brief History of the Giant’s Despair Hillclimb: Part II -The Golden Anniversary Brings About A Golden Age 1951 – 1985

By Mark Riccetti | January 16, 2020

In 1951 after being dormant for 35 years, Giant’s Despair was reborn. The revival of “The Giant” coincided with a post-war boom in auto racing interest throughout America. American G.I.s…

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From the Wilkes-Barre Record – A Ghastly Find!

By Amanda Fontenova | November 14, 2019 | 1

As the afternoons get darker and the wind howls and moans, we thought we would share this spooky newspaper clipping from 130 years ago… From an article in the Wilkes-Barre…

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The Badge of a Freemason – A Wilkes-Barre Masonic Apron

By Amanda Fontenova | October 30, 2019 | 2

One of the most well-known Masonic symbols is the apron.  Freemasonry is a fraternal organization for men that teaches a system of ethics using symbols, rituals and ideas drawn from…

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Threads of History – Swetland Family Samplers

By Amanda Fontenova | October 3, 2019 | 2

In 1842, The Hand-Book of Needlework by Miss Lambert explained that “no feminine art affords greater scope for the display of taste and ingenuity than that of needlework.  The endless…

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Frances Dorrance and the Indian Survey – A Crusader for Local History

By Mary Walsh | September 19, 2019 | 4

Rather archaically named, the Indian Survey was the first statewide archaeological survey in Pennsylvania, and was only made possible through the hard work of Frances Dorrance (1877-1973), the Luzerne County…

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Wilkes-Barre’s Comic Book Grail – Joe Palooka #1

By Mark Riccetti | August 22, 2019 | 2

What’s your favorite hobby? Does it have any insider jargon? Most hobbies do. Comic book collecting is no different; its most common bit of jargon may be “grail.” Collectors will…

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Did You Know that Wilkes-Barre Had a Palm House?

By Amanda Fontenova | August 15, 2019 | 4

Shortly after I started as Executive Director of LCHS, I came across an image of Wilkes-Barre’s “palm house.”  I was fascinated. “How cool!,” I thought, “What were the circumstances for…

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Bringing The Giant to Its Knees: A Brief History of the Giant’s Despair Hillclimb – Part 1: The Birth of “The Giant,” 1906-1916

By Mark Riccetti | August 8, 2019 | 5

Certain parts of our culture are as old as time itself. Other things remain unchanged throughout the course of their lifetimes, creating a rich, deep tradition. Motorsports is one such…

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Will You “Capitulate” to Reading Our Blog?

By Amanda Fontenova | July 27, 2019

Welcome! This is the first post in our LCHS blog! We plan to post regularly and to focus on our amazing collection of objects, documents and published materials that relate…

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Recent Posts

  • Luzerne County Historical Society to Hold “Christmas Past and Present” Event at the Historic Swetland Homestead
  • The Luzerne County Historical Society to Once Again Hold Downtown Wilkes-Barre Ghost Walks
  • Gershom Prince Adds A New Dimension To A Well-Known Story
  • Then and Now: A 1918 Mask Comparison
  • Mary L. Trescott, Luzerne County’s First Female Attorney

Recent Comments

  • Mark Riccetti on Bringing The Giant to Its Knees: A Brief History of the Giant’s Despair Hillclimb – Part 1: The Birth of “The Giant,” 1906-1916
  • Matt on Bringing The Giant to Its Knees: A Brief History of the Giant’s Despair Hillclimb – Part 1: The Birth of “The Giant,” 1906-1916
  • Bonnie Belza on From the Wilkes-Barre Record – A Ghastly Find!
  • Aimee Newell, Ph.D on The Badge of a Freemason – A Wilkes-Barre Masonic Apron
  • Bobby Hughes on The Badge of a Freemason – A Wilkes-Barre Masonic Apron

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Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701

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