Those Places Thursday: Shenandoah

Shenandoah is a borough situated in Schuykill County. It was first settled in 1835 by Peter Kehley, a farmer. He sold his land rights to the Philadelphia Land Company, which in turn laid out the town.

Anthracite coal was discovered in the 1830's in the area, which led to the town's growth and prosperity, especially during the Civil War when the need for coal was great. Incorporated as a Borough in 16 January 1866, the town served as a magnet for immigrants.

My Walsh/Welsh and Keating families are from Shenandoah. They - like many Irish immigrants - worked in the coal mines. In the 1870s many Irish settled in town. By the end of the decade, the immigration trend swtiched to more immigrants from the Eastern European countries, especially Lithuania, Poland, the Ukraine, and Slovakia. The immigrants were hard workers many of whom spent the better part of their lives in the coal mines.

Anthracite coal burned cleaner than soft coal and had become the main heating fuel in many cities and towns on the East Coast. On 12 May 1902 the miners in Shenandoah joined the Great Coal Strike of 1902, demanding better wages, union recognition and shorter hours. The PA National Guard was called into Shenandoah on 30 July after 5,000 strikers began to riot when scabs were brought in. Deputy Sheriff Rowland Beddall was stoned, three men were killed and many more injured during the riot. It took President Theodore Roosevelt intervening to get the issue resolved. Before it was resolved however, many of the miners and their families left the area. Some even returned to Europe. Commissioner of Labor Carroll D. Wright stated that of the 147,000 strikers, 30,000 left the area. He estimated that of those 30,000 who left, between 8,000 to 10,000 returned to Europe. The strike lasted for 163 days, ending on 23 October 1902.

The Greater Shenandoah Area Historical Society was organized in October 1998 to preerve the history of the town.

Shenandoah is the birthplace of the pierogie! In 1952, Mary Twardzik's son Ted used his mom's original pierogie recipe and launched the Shenandoah-based, brand Mrs. T's Pierogies'. After college, Ted returned home to Shenandoah to start his piergie business. He quickly outgrew his mom's kitchen and moved to his father's former tavern. The company today is run with the help of Ateeco Corp. Pierogies are potato-stuffed pasta pockets. Fillings can vary.

The Sixth Annual Kielbasa Festival
Shenandoah is known as the Kielbasa Capital of the Eastern Coast, thanks to kielbasa makers like Capital Food Store, Lucky’s Kielbasi Shop and Kowalonek Kielbasi Shop. The three businesses will be among those at the Sixth Annual Kielbasa Festival on Saturday, 18 May. Enjoy Eastern European foord, games and the Shenandoah All Star Polka Band at the Festival. There will be Polish Pottery and Matryoshka Dolls and an appearance from the Kielbasa Man! A kielbasa making contest is also scheduled. It will be held in the 100 block of N. Main Street (Route 924). The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is organized by the Downtown Shenandoah Inc.

The Downtown Shenandoah Inc. also promotes the Downtown Shenandoah Kielbasi & Pierogie
Golf Open Tournament on 21 June. The Heritage Day and the Parade of Nations is scheduled for 24 August.

Coatesville's First Serial Killer

Young Alexander Meyer was a disturbed and angry young man with some major issues. He had failed sixth and seventh grade, and instead of having to repeat eighth grade again, he finally gave up on school. At age 16 he quit Downingtown Junior High. Meyer is not a relative, nor are his victims (that I am aware). I stumbled upon young Alex while reading Tortured Minds: Pennsylvania's Most Bizarre - But Forgotten - Murders by Tammy Mal. On 11 February 1937 Alexander Thweatt Meyer killed young Helen Moyer as she walked home from school in Coatesville along Modena Road. She was not his first. The jury was out only three minutes after hearing Dr. Michael Margolis' testimony on the death of Helen Moyer. The jury determined Meyer had murdered Moyer and should be held for first degree murder. The jury also condemned the parole system which had released Meyer back into the public, after having served just 14 months in Huntingdon Reformatory, for the murder of two other girls - Anna Blasc...

Thaddeus Stevens at the Lancaster Convention Center

Within the Lancaster Convention Center (Lancaster, PA) is a small section dedicated to Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith. The section is known as the Stevens & Smith Historic Site. It is scheduled for development this year. At the moment one can only get a glimpse of it through the Convention Center or by peeking in from the outside. Here at Queen and Vine Streets in Lancaster City, Pennsylvania, Thaddeus Stevens had his law office. Stevens was an abolitionist. An abolitionist is a person who favors the abolition of a practice or institution, especially capital punishment or (formerly) slavery. Stevens was born 4 April 1792 to Joshua Stevens and Sarah (Sally) Morrill in Danville Vermont. One of four children, he attended Vermont University from 1810 to 1812 when the War prompted its closure. He then went to Dartmouth, where he graduated in 1814. He then studied law and found himself set up in Gettysburg, PA in 1816. He practiced law there until 1828 when he...

52 Ancestors: Remembering the King

Today is Elvis’ birthday. He would have been 80 today. I was only eight when he died so obviously I am too young to have seen Elvis perform. However, when I hear his music, I go back in time. I am once again that young girl dancing in the living room to Elvis and other greats with my father. Back then girls learned to dance by dancing with their fathers not some video of scantly dressed people doing all sorts of things young ladies should not be doing in public! What is YOUR favorite memory - either of your father or of Elvis? 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a weekly genealogical challenge issued by Amy Johnson Crow, of No Story Too Small . Look for my weekly posts each Thursday! © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

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