One hundred years ago this month, the man who took us down the yellowbrick road in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz passed away. Did you know that none of it would have been possible without the influence and affluence of the Pennsylvania Oil Region?
Author: Jessica Hilburn
My name is Jess and I am the administrator & main author of the NWPA Stories blog as the library assistant & social media specialist at Benson Memorial Library in the small northwestern Pennsylvania town of Titusville. I am also the webmaster of the Hydetown Boro government website and social media and an administrator and editor of the Ridgway Cemetery website and database. I have a Masters in History from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. I explore obituaries, local history, interesting news from yesteryear, and the exciting past of Northwestern Pennsylvania!
Edwin Garnet Riley: The Famed Poet of Titusville
Edwin Garnet Riley was born in Titusville in 1880 and became Titusville's first and only poet laureate. He traveled throughout the United States campaigning on behalf of education for African Americans and remains one of Titusville's most prominent historical figures.
The German War Cannon that became a Titusville Church Bell
In 1873, the German Reformed Church of Titusville requested a cannon used in the Franco-Prussian War from German Emperor Wilhelm I. He said yes and today, it is a bell of peace that still finds its home in Titusville.
Titusville’s Alien Invasion
The term UFO was coined in 1953 by the United States Air Force. Before then, unidentified objects were called "flying saucers," "flying discs," and even "flying flapjacks." Titusville and the surrounding areas had their fair share of UFO sightings. Most sightings occurred between 1952 and 1979.
The Spanish Influenza Epidemic in Titusville, 1918-19
One epidemic in the early 1900s killed more people than the entirety of World War I. In fact, this epidemic killed more people in the United States than the Civil War (620,000) or all other U.S. wars combined (644,000). What was this deadly and destructive force that wiped out millions the world over? A simple three-letter affliction that still kills people today: the flu.
Lights of Christmas Past & Present: Millers’ Display & Burgess Park
One thing about the holidays that almost everyone loves is lights. Today, we will think about two of them - one from Christmas past and one from Christmas present: Millers' Display and the Lights at Burgess.
Titusville Heroes: Cleo J. Ross & Bruce Shorts
2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the armistice between the Allies and Germany that ended the bloodshed of World War I. In commemoration of this event, we want to share with you the history of the namesakes of our local veterans organizations: Cleo J. Ross and Bruce Shorts.
