Susquehanna FootprintsStories from the Susquehanna Valley

After Avondale: Northumberland County’s Deadly Years in the Mines

Pennsylvania's mining laws were strengthened following the September 6, 1986 mining disaster in Avondale, Luzerne County. But deadly accidents still occurred, including several in the anthracite mines of lower Northumberland County. Together, five disasters between 1873 and 1894 claimed thirty-eight lives.

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Merchant Trade Cards Were Useful Advertising Tools

A customer might walk into a Middle Susquehanna Valley store for a pair of shoes or a few household necessities and leave with something extra—a small, colorful advertising card. Surviving cards offer glimpses of the goods they sold—and the imaginative ways they tried to catch a customer’s eye.

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November 09, 2026 · Terry Diener

The Mifflin County Native who was an Unsung Hero in the Battle of Lake Erie

American History followers are no doubt familiar with Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry's important victory in the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813. But few people realize the defeat of the British on that day during the War of 1812 was in no small part, accomplished through a Mifflin County man by the name of Daniel Dobbins.

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November 05, 2026 · Terry Diener