Here is a collection of topical articles and personal essays by Robin Van Auken.
Hands-on Heritage: Keeler Company
The E. Keeler Company, manufacturers of boilers, etc., conduct Quo of the old industries of the city. The business was established in 1864 by J. Heathcote & Company, who conducted it until 1877, when it was incorporated with a paid-up capital of $50,000, the executive officers being George W. Sands, president; Isaac Barton, treasurer,
Hands-on Heritage: Market Square
This 1875 photograph shows the southwest corner of Market Square in downtown Williamsport. Bustling with downtown traffic despite the muddy thoroughfares, Williamsport's booming lumber trade summoned entrepreneurs eager to capitalize on the region's wealth and new construction. The block featured a ticket office for the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad Company, a hardware store, and
Williamsport: Boomtown on the Susquehanna
Williamsport: Boomtown on the Susquehanna (Robin Van Auken and Louis E. Hunsinger, Jr., Arcadia, 2003) This book relates the history of Williamsport, as well as many towns and boroughs of Lycoming County. Williamsport, a struggling frontier village that grew into a town with a taste for success, eventually molded itself into a magnetic and vibrant
Little League Baseball World Series
The Little League Baseball World Series (Robin Van Auken, Arcadia, 2002) This book is a photographic companion book to Play Ball! The Story of Little League Baseball (Penn State University Press 2001). It profiles more than five decades of the World Series. In 1947, when the first Little League Baseball World Series was played,
Lycoming County’s Industrial Heritage
Lycoming County's Industrial Heritage (Robin Van Auken and Louis E. Hunsinger, Jr., Arcadia, 2005) This book reviews Northcentral Pennsylvania’s rich industrial history, first in lumber and then in manufacturing. After the Lumber Boom, many company towns collapsed. Boards of trade were created to entice manufacturers to the region. During the first half of the
Muncy Postcard History Series
Muncy (PA) (Postcard History Series) (Robin Van Auken, Arcadia, 2006) Muncy Postcard History Series by Robin Van Auken examines the small river town of Muncy, Pennsylvania. Founded shortly after the French and Indian War, Muncy was the earliest European settlement in the West Branch Valley of the Susquehanna River. By 1769, land speculator Samuel Wallis
Crash Site Remains Worst Airline Disaster in Lycoming County History
One man's quest to memorialize the victims of the worst airline disaster in Lycoming County history, the crash of Allegheny Airlines Flight 371 on Bald Eagle Mountain, is coming to an end. The crash site has received designation from the Commonwealth as an official archaeological site. In addition, plans are underway for a monument to
Just Below Your Feet
A few years ago, during American Archaeology Field School, one of my students asked about Cultural Resource Management in Pennsylvania. I told her about CRM and about PA Act 70, which has devastated professional archaeology in the Commonwealth, and encouraged her to research the topic as an independent study, a capstone project for her
Ricketts Glen State Park
Ricketts Glen State Park in Benton, PA, is a haul up to the top of a mountain, but it's worth it!
Market Square: Postcards of Yesteryear
The postcard gallery from the collection of Richard and Miriam Mix, "A Bicentennial Postcard History of Williamsport," is available as a paperback book from Otto's Bookstore in downtown Williamsport. Richard and Miriam Mix, experts on regional history as well as America’s past, authored a book, “A Bicentennial Postcard History of Williamsport,” which contains colorful postcards
Lights, Action, Camp!
Camping in the dark isn't fun. Sure, you have a fire, but when you're sitting around the campsite, especially if you have a canopy or awning, a string of lights not only increases visibility, it creates ambiance. Now, we're not full-time RVers with an awning; we're part-time campers with a canopy set up next
Grub Hub Camp Kitchen
If you're in the market for a camp kitchen, you should be looking at the Grub Hub Outdoor Camping Kitchen. This amazing, patented contraption is easy to setup and is packed full of features. The price isn't for the faint of heart -- it retails on the manufacturer's website for $399. We'd been contemplating
Play Ball! Little League Playoffs Unite Families
A reporter spent the day at day at a North Carolina Little League Baseball field during the playoffs. She spoke with parents and coaches, asking how they keep up with the “hive of activity” the tournaments cause, writing about it in an article, “Little League baseball playoffs are a family affair.” One team, along
Outdoors with Jerry Zeidler
I first met Jerry Zeidler while on assignment for the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. At the time, he was a Pennsylvania Wildlife Conservation officer, and I visited his office for background on an article. We chatted and became friends, not only because of his helpful advice but because he was a fellow writer and an award-winning professional
Little Buffalo State Park
Our first introduction to Little Buffalo was the Blue Balls Tavern across the street. Wonder how many photos have been taken of that sign?
Narrowboats and Canals
I've been spending a bit of time on the Internet, reading websites, and watching videos that feature Narrowboats. In fact, you might say I'm obsessed with these cunning boats. Historic working narrow boats on the Macclesfield Canal in Cheshire, England. The leading boat, Forget Me Not is hauling the un-powered butty Lilith. This
Courtship Customs
Here in the Highlands of Pennsylvania, we've been blanketed with snow and freezing temperatures. The snow is more than two feet deep and has been for weeks. We're thinking of Spring and the end of this blasted winter. Next week, we expect warming breezes of 40 degrees and more. That means most of the snow