Tag: Pennsylvania
Smallpox Panic Stops a Philadelphia Train
At the height of the early twentieth century, a single word could bring a train, a hotel, a ship, or an entire neighborhood to a…
Pennsylvania “Corpse” Sat Up and Asked for Breakfast
In the early 1900s, death was not always as certain as it seemed. Doctors had fewer tools, homes often served as sickrooms, and the line…
100 Venomous Copperheads Attacked Pipeline Workers
In the autumn of 1913, newspapers across America carried a startling report that sounded more like frontier folklore than modern industry. As crews pushed a…
True Crime on Trial: When History Faces the Jury Again
On November 12, 2025, the Chester County History Center is inviting true crime fans and history lovers to step into the jury box for True Crime…
Philadelphia Man Found $800 in Gold Coins in His Cellar
One lucky man, W. J. Barron, found $800 in gold coins in in 1924 in his cellar. The gold coins were believed to have been…
Philadelphia Laborer Found $5,542 in Gold Coins Hidden in Pipe
Of all the strange places to find a hoard of gold, one man found a stash of gold coins inside a pipe near Center City…
Mountain Girl Abandoned and Robbed of Wedding Gifts in Pittsburgh
“I promised to marry a mountain girl from Kentucky, and then I stole her dowry and ditched her in Pittsburgh. AITAH?” Oof. What a story!…
The Curious Case of Pep: The Dog Sentenced to Life in Prison
In the vast (oh so vast) annals of criminal history, populated by tales of legendary mobsters, clever thieves, and shadowy serial killers, there lies a…
“Petrified” stone snake dug up in Pennsylvania
I have always felt that there was more to Pennsylvania than what is in the history books, and as I continue my research into my…
Family freezes after man leaves them on mountain
Man leaves family on mountain as he goes to have his horses’ shoes sharpened. The woman and her children are later found frozen to the…
