Ode to the Eckley coal breaker
December 13, 2025
Tag: Eckley Miners Village
Thanksgiving during the Civil War and Lincoln’s resonating message
November 21, 2025
In the fall of 1861, 22-year-old John Williamson was spending his first Thanksgiving away from home, hundreds of miles from his new wife and unborn baby. He’d joined the Union Army and had left his home in Eckley, a coal mining town in northeastern Pennsylvania to be part of the Defenses of Washington. He wrote … More Thanksgiving during the Civil War and Lincoln’s resonating message
A misty day of remembrance
May 21, 2024
I woke up thinking about John. John Williamson is the Civil War soldier whose letters home to his wife form the core of my book ‘You Dream Every Night That I am Home.” Since I wrote the book, I think about John every Memorial Day. He was 23 years old when he was killed, was … More A misty day of remembrance
Can’t wait for Patchtown Days at Eckley
May 13, 2024
Every year, an event called Patchtown Days is held at Eckley Miners’ Village in northeastern Pennsylvania. In 2024 it will be held on June 15th & 16th. Eckley is a preserved 19th century coal town, or patch, and the event celebrates the heritage of the coal region. I love Eckley and am a proud descendant … More Can’t wait for Patchtown Days at Eckley
Hiding in plain sight–Eckley, Pennsylvania’s “Love Rock”
February 11, 2024
As we approach Valentine’s Day, I’m reminded of an unusual bit of history related to romance–the Love Rock at Eckley Miners’ Village. Eckley, Pennsylvania is an open-air museum–a coal town from the 1800s that’s basically been frozen in time. Located near Hazleton, it is a destination for history buffs, school groups and those with family … More Hiding in plain sight–Eckley, Pennsylvania’s “Love Rock”
Self-published means self-promotion
December 5, 2023
I’ve been asked again and again how I promote my books, which are published on Amazon. One way is “Meet the Author” book talks. I’ve done two of them now. How did I get the opportunities to do them? By making people aware of my books, which are about the history of northeastern Pennsylvania. After … More Self-published means self-promotion
The Legend & the Curse of the Stone Couch of Buck Mountain
July 30, 2023
It’s a rock formation on top of Buck Mountain, not far from Eckley Miners’ Village in northeastern Pennsylvania. There are many outcroppings of rock, but this particular one is unmistakable—it’s literally a stone couch sitting near the edge of the road. Whether it’s a natural phenomenon or the creation of humans is unknown. Five newspaper … More The Legend & the Curse of the Stone Couch of Buck Mountain
The tale of a bridge, the father of Pocahontas and second chances
July 11, 2023
Sometimes you do get a second chance. A couple of years ago, I discovered the existence of letters in family records written by a young Civil War soldier who was killed on the battlefield in Virginia. John Williamson lived and worked in Eckley, a coal mining town in northeastern Pennsylvania, and he wrote dozens of … More The tale of a bridge, the father of Pocahontas and second chances
“I will remember them”
May 19, 2023
He died on June 30, 1862 in a field near Charles City Crossroads, a rural area of fields and woods 13 miles southeast of downtown Richmond, Virginia. His remains are still there, buried where he fell or reburied at the national cemetery a mile away. There is no way to know. Sergeant John Williamson is … More “I will remember them”
“Coal Country Connections” & “You Dream Every Night That I am Home” are now available in bookshops
October 14, 2022
I’ve now written two nonfiction books about the coal region of northeastern Pennsylvania. The first, “Coal Country Connections” is based on the over 70 signatures in an autograph album from the 1880s owned by a woman from the region, and the book is about the lives of the signers of the album. The second book, … More “Coal Country Connections” & “You Dream Every Night That I am Home” are now available in bookshops
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