Legendary Locals Of Harrisburg

With images taken from the archives of the Dauphin County Historical Society, as well as family collections, Legendary Locals of Harrisburg encompasses biographical tributes that celebrate the deeds of actors, musicians, artists, teachers, athletes, humanitarians, politicians, veterans, firemen, and community leaders who have added a peculiar brand of Harrisburgs rich cultural tapestry. William Howard Day, an educator, and John Harris, who established Harrisburg, are two pioneers. Edward Stackpole, of Stackpole Books, and Theophilus Fenn, editor of the Telegraph, have forged the way for the citys writers. The first secretary of homeland security, Tom Ridge, and Simon Cameron, secretary of war under Lincoln, are among world-renowned politicians who have contributed to Harrisburgs valued reputation. From rival high school football coaches to dueling business owners, from civic leaders building an integrated city to aspiring young people embarking on independent journeys to the big screen, these profiles of real lives and real heroes show us that we all have contributed to the development of our own communities.

In calling for the region's separation from Mecklenburg County in 1792, John "Pioneer Paul" Barringer set a high-spirited standard for future legendary locals of the nascent Cabarrus County. New communities flourished on the former homesteads of Robert Harris and Paul M. Dayvault, and the county was subsequently transformed by devoted civic leaders such as John Washington Carriker, Jonas Cook, A.L. Brown, J. Carlyle Rutledge, Martha Melvin, and Allen T. and Ella Mae Small. Cabarrus County citizens, like Glenn McDuffie, the famous "kissing soldier" of World War II; Corine Cannon, the first African American woman to work in the textile mills; and Margaret Hagerty, the Guinness World Records-holding senior citizen marathon runner, often tread where others recoil. Kannapolis-born Ralph Earnhardt started a racing dynasty here, while other natives found their fortunes elsewhere, including record producer Marshall Sehorn, NFL superstar Natrone Means, and broadcaster Beth Troutman. Cabarrus County's people have always been its most valuable resource, and their inspirational and exhilarating stories are collected in this keepsake edition.

Coventry was originally part of the Shawomet Purchase deeded to Samuel Gorton. People like Francis Brayton and Joseph Bucklin petitioned the Rhode Island General Assembly to form the new town. During the Industrial Revolution, John Jenckes Kilton and Searles Capwell played roles in the development of mills and businesses. Today, Coventry boasts many second-generation businesses including Crystal Cleansers, owned by William Marcotte, and Maguire Lace & Warping, run by James Maguire alongside his father, Joseph Maguire. Coventry is home to several independently operated businesses as well, such as All Booked Up, owned by Deana Borges, and Summit General Store, owned by the Skaling family. Educators such as Peter Stetson and Julie Lima Boyle followed in the footsteps of Carrie Ina Shippee and Mary Harvey. Many of Coventry's men and women have answered the call to serve their country, including George Potter and Mary Agnes Delehantey. Not many towns can claim as their own a swimmer of the English Channel, a girl who was an ambassador to Alaska, and a recipient of a Field & Stream award.

McLean, Virginia, a whistle stop along the Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad, came about in 1910. It was named after John R. McLean, publisher of the Washington Post newspaper and an owner of the railroad. This was a farming community that never incorporated. A few of the families instrumental in the formation of the village that followed were Mackall, Laughlin, Storm, Carper, and Smoot. Because of its proximity to the nation’s capital, McLean attracted people from all walks of life. But it was the arrival of the Kennedy families in the late 1950s that put McLean on the map. The thread that holds the community together is spirited volunteerism. This volume contains images of a few of the personalities who give McLean a sense of place. The majority of the photographs have been donated by individuals to ensure that history does not lose these significant personalities, past or present, who left an imprint on their community.

From its founding by Colonial ironworker John Potts through its heyday as a manufacturing hub in the 20th century, Pottstown has been defined by entrepreneurs, inventors, and hard-working immigrants with dreams of a better life. It has been home to a variety of churches, community organizations, and businesses that have sustained and entertained residents and visitors for more than 260 years. It has also produced its fair share of musicians, doctors, nurses, and professional athletes, like Dick Ricketts, the first pick in the 1955 NBA draft. Pottstown is a culinary capital in its own right as the place where Amanda Smith started Mrs. Smith's pies, and where Dan Brunish sells his famous sausage sandwiches out of the deli started by his grandparents in 1937. Today, with the vision of people like Marta Kiesling and Deborah Stimson-Snow, cofounders of Steel River Playhouse, and Dr. Karen Stout, president of Montgomery County Community College, Pottstown is reinventing itself as a center for art, technology, higher education, and recreation on the Schuylkill River in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Located at the base of the rolling hills of the Laurel Highlands, Latrobe is best known as the birthplace of children’s television pioneer Fred Rogers and golf legend Arnold Palmer. It is the home of Rolling Rock Beer, Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, and St. Vincent College. Latrobe has also been recognized for many famous firsts, like the first banana split, first all-professional football team, first Benedictine monastery in the United States, first nonstop airmail pickup, and first female nuclear scientist at Westinghouse Electric Company. It is a community of individuals who collectively exemplify the strong, hardworking culture of Western Pennsylvania—people like Oliver Barnes, a railroad engineer and Latrobe’s founder; Philip Mowry McKenna, innovator in the machining of steel and father of “Kennametal” tools; Joseph E. Greubel, who transformed his family’s ice cream–centered dairy stores into the thriving Valley Dairy Restaurants; Dr. Sara Carr McComb, a “legendary” librarian; and Robert Mendler, a Holocaust survivor who spent his life educating young people to respect one other. Legendary Locals of Latrobe celebrates these and nearly 200 other noteworthy figures and groups who have shaped and continue to shape the community.

Author of Aliened American: A Biography of William Howard Day, 18251900; Legendary Locals of Harrisburg; and Biography of an Antislavery City: Antislavery Advocates, Abolitionists, and Underground Railroad Activists The demise of the so-called Jim Crow laws in 1964 and 1965 and the victory of the civil rights movement rang hollow in the ears of most African Americans. While segregation was practiced in many places of the South, systemic forms of racism permeated northern society. As distrust pervaded African American communities after 1966, the maligned Black Panther Party filled the void, especially among baby boomers who moved the African American liberation movement further to the left. During this difficult time, when the country was torn apart by issues of race and poverty, as well as the escalation of the Vietnam War, unrest seemed to prevail at a myriad of colleges and universities across the United States where newly formed Afro-American societies and black student unions pressed for pedagogical change suited to the liberation doctrine coming from the black left. Spring 1969 was a particularly explosive semester as African American students occupied administrative buildings and common areas at both historically black and predominantly white colleges on the East Coast. In This Is the Rat Speaking, author Todd M. Mealy reconstructs the May 22, 1969, black student uprising at Franklin and Marshall College. Using Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and Franklin and Marshall College as his setting, Mealy revisits the role and influence of the Black Panthers and delves into how activism for black studies curriculum emerged within the black power movement of the 1960s. Based on oral history testimony, investigation reports, and judicial records, Mealy provokes discussion from different perspectives.

Migrating tribes settled along the river in the J-shaped valley lying beneath the majestic mountain known today as Mount Rainier. Tribal traders from east of the mountains called the western valley tribe "generous people," a word that in English sounds like "Puyallup." Pioneers found promise in clearing the land, creating the towns of Puyallup, Sumner, and Orting, and donating property for the common good. Agriculture produced hop barons, nationally renowned daffodil bulb growers, and successful berry farmers. Early entrepreneurs spawned multigenerational businesses while doctors, educators, and civic leaders more than fulfilled pioneer dreams. In 1900, a small band of men established an annual fair in Puyallup, which became the Washington State Fair. More recently, benefactors helped to build premier fitness and medical facilities. Citizens from each town continue to participate in community service clubs. Legendary Locals of the Puyallup Valley weaves a story of determined people who have left their mark on this beautiful valley.