“The Merkel” brand first appeared in Milwaukee Wisconsin in 1902 when Joseph Merkel set-up shop producing single cylinder motorcycles. Merkel was among the most innovative of the pioneer motorcycle companies. By 1905 Merkel had decided to engage in competition and produced several racing machines. Merkel’s motorcycles were to set many performance standards in the emerging … Read more

At a recent Progress Pottstown luncheon, borough officials expressed optimism about Pottstown’s future. The following is one of a series about where we’ve been in the last five decades. Beginning in the 1970s, proposals to renovate or rebuild Pottstown Borough Hall had consumed an enormous amount of time and money without anything getting done. In … Read more

This story opens in Pottstown in 1933 on South Washington Street about 6:30 in the morning. Here they come: a stream of workers from all over Pottstown, hundreds and hundreds of them. You can hear their voices and the sound of their work boots hitting the pavement as they walk — very few people had … Read more

          The Pottstown Historical SocietyThursday, June 16, 2016, 6:00 – 8:00 pm  We hope you enjoyed our 2016 Walking Tour.   If you missed it, you can use the outline below to assist you as a self-guided tour to appreciate the long history of the area included in this short walk of … Read more

Trip to Washington DC

The history of Pottsgrove Manor stretches back further than recorded history.   Long   before   William   Penn   became proprietor of the colony of Pennsylvania,  American Indians lived along what the Lenape people called the “Manatawny Creek,”  which translated  to  “the  place  where  we drink.” Archaeological excavations on the Pottsgrove Manor property indicate a native presence reaching back … Read more