Hear Their Footprints
Weather Superstitions of the Pennsylvania Germans
Pennsylvania Germans brought customs, traditions, and superstitions to many counties of the Commonwealth. An article in a Pennsylvania German magazine dated 1904, reported that weather prognosticators placed a lot of stock for future conditions based on the end of December and early January. “The weather of the different months of the year corresponds in a general way to the condition of the twelve days of Christmas which extend into early January and Epiphany or Twelfth night.
I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
The familiar Christmas carol “I Heard The Bells” was originally a poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on Christmas Eve of 1863. He was recognized as the most popular poet of his day. Other works included the “Midnight Ride of Paul Revere,” and “The Song of Hiawatha.” We’ll fast-forward to the 21st century in just a bit and include the story of Civil War reenactor Chase Petro of Columbia County and his role in “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” the film released in 2022 from the Sight and Sound Theater Production group based in Lancaster County.
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Williamsport Church Rector Authored We Three Kings Christmas Carol
John Henry Hopkins Jr. served at Christ Episcopal Church in Williamsport, PA, from 1876 to 1887. During his final year of teaching at the General Theological Seminary in 1857, Hopkins wrote the popular song "We Three Kings" for a Christmas pageant held at the college.
Barring Out The Schoolmaster
One of the more unusual customs that marked Christmas in certain areas of Pennsylvania was barring out the schoolmaster. Alfred L. Shoemaker, in his book, Christmas in Pennsylvania, says that custom had its roots in the 18th century pay schools. In his book Danville Past and Present, Montour County author and newspaper Editor D.H.B. Brower wrote: “There was one day in the year when the "master's" anger was braved, and that was in the time-honored custom of "barring out the master" on Christmas.
The Song Winter Wonderland was Written by a Northeastern Pennsylvania Man
One of the most popular Christmas holiday songs "Winter Wonderland" was written by a lyricist from northeastern Pennsylvania.
Wellsboro The Town That Saved Christmas
Some listeners may be familiar with the town of Wellsboro in Tioga County, and the nearby Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. Each December it dresses up in its best Victorian finery to celebrate a “Dicken’s of a Christmas.” How many of you know that Wellsboro is known as the Town that Saved Christmas?
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Remembrances of Farm Life in Montour County With Harry James
Born in 1927, Harry James grew up on a farm in the Mooresburg area of Montour County and attended the Clark's One Room School that is pictured. At the age of ninety-seven, Harry recalls his early years working behind a horse-drawn plow, the dangers of working on the farm, and the changes brought about by modern farm machinery. Harry was also one of the originators of the Washingtonville Fair. His vivid memories provide a real appreciation of the hard work involved on the farm, and being part of the farming community, which still exhibits the pride, the work culture, and the willingness to lend one another a helping hand.
Montour County Inventors
The old sage once said necessity is the mother of invention, and that I’m sure was the driving force in inventions made by people born or lived in Montour County. This podcast shares a few of the inventions designed to make people work smarter, not harder.
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Susquehanna Footprints
The website and podcast are an outgrowth of my years as a broadcast journalist, working for radio stations in the Susquehanna Valley and with Family Life Network in New York. That journey is coupled with stories I have written over the years, about the people and places, tracing the footprints if you will of the Susquehanna Valley’s history. Through these podcasts we also hope to interview historians, and experts on particular topics, looking to provide a better understanding of the people who lived in and shaped the communities that make up portions of the Susquehanna Valley regions.