FOREST CITY AREA
HISTORICAL SOCIETY EVENTS
Below is our current entertainment list for the fall.
Sat. Nov. 30th Christmas At The Museum
Sat. Nov. 30th Christmas At The Museum
The Forest City Area Historical Society Museum will be open for the 2024 season on each Sat. during the summer and fall from 11am-1pm or by appointment call 570-785-3800.
During the winter we have continued to install new exhibits and update our displays.
See a short video of our Museum at the link below: A Dale Keklock Film
Forest City Pa Historical Society Headquarters - YouTube
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The next FCAHS meeting will be Sunday Nov 10, 2024 6:00 pm at the Museum.
The Forest City Area Historical Society Museum,
is located at the corner of Main & Dundaff Streets in Forest City.
The Forest City Area Historical Society Museum,
is located at the corner of Main & Dundaff Streets in Forest City.
Visit our Gift Shop
2024 Membership in Forest City Area Historical Society Now Available
Anyone seeking genealogical or historical information can contact Curator Barb Klobucar at fagan@nep.net (please put FCAHS in subject line). Please go to the above link to see our policy and prices.
When the Diocese of Scranton closed the Catholic churches in Forest City they sold all the church records (to include birth, death, marriage records) to Northeast Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, “NEPGS.” You can find out the records they have in their possession at Northeast Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, and to see their policy and prices.
When the Diocese of Scranton closed the Catholic churches in Forest City they sold all the church records (to include birth, death, marriage records) to Northeast Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, “NEPGS.” You can find out the records they have in their possession at Northeast Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, and to see their policy and prices.
The former Methodist Church in Forest City was donated to the FCAHS. We thank the good people of the church, the Methodist Conference and also the members and public who have continued to donate for the upkeep of the building. Thank you so much. We treasure this wonderful gift.
Welcome to the most wonderful place in Pennsylvania
“Cut in the dark woods where never a shimmer of golden sun shines through the trees and the surface was covered with vegetation in wild luxuriance. There were monster hemlock trees, some of them of beautiful symmetry lifting their magnificent proportions to an altitude of nearly one hundred feet. Others were bent toward each other having their long limbs locked across the narrow road as if embracing each other and whispering secrets.”
This was William Pentecost’s 1864 romantic description of the area where three counties meet in the mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
The Forest City area consists of Forest City, Vandling, Browndale and Richmondale. These four communities straddle three counties, Susquehanna, Lackawanna and Wayne in northeast PA. We also are including Uniondale, Herrick Center, and the surrounding area that is not covered by by an historical society yet.
This was William Pentecost’s 1864 romantic description of the area where three counties meet in the mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
The Forest City area consists of Forest City, Vandling, Browndale and Richmondale. These four communities straddle three counties, Susquehanna, Lackawanna and Wayne in northeast PA. We also are including Uniondale, Herrick Center, and the surrounding area that is not covered by by an historical society yet.
Lumber was the first industry in the area.
The area was first settled in 1864 when William Pentecost opened a lumber mill down by the Lackawanna River. The new town of Forest Mills had 50 people in 1865. Between 1866 and 1871 the D&H Canal Company built a railroad spur in Forest Mills.
Though coal had been discovered by Pentecost in 1864, it was not until coal was found by the D&H in 1871 that coal mining became the new industry for the area.
Though coal had been discovered by Pentecost in 1864, it was not until coal was found by the D&H in 1871 that coal mining became the new industry for the area.
Forest City and Browndale as it was in 1937
1937 Movie Captures Forest City Business People
In June of 1937, almost 80 years ago, Charles and Martin Skubic Post American Legion sponsored the filming of a movie in Forest City. It was at a time when movies were big thing and having a film crew in little Forest City was a big attraction. It was by no means an Academy Award winner.
The plot was simple -- it was supposed to be about how movie stars are made and how movies are produced. The plot was explained in the June 17, 1937 issue of The Forest City News but, when filmed, the story was difficult to understand.
Forgetting about the plot, what the movie does show is Forest City’s Main Street business community as it was in the late 1930s at a time when the population was around 4,000, or more than double what it is today.
The film was only 16 minutes long and was titled “The Movie Queen.” The part of the Movie Queen was played by Mildred Hazer. Her escort was Atty. Patrick Sheridan.
Among other local Main Street business people were:
Joseph and Paul Kameen, Hank Turk, Walter Davies, Mike Gursky, Fred Kigerl Sr., Dave Krasno, Able Nodelman, Abe Soloman, Martin Muchitz, William Sredenschek, Mush Meyers, Helen Carpenter Burnakis, Harold Weiss, George Thorpe, Betty Pribula, Bill Koncdar, and others.
Very seldom does a community have a chance to look back 80 years and see those who help make that community great.
In June of 1937, almost 80 years ago, Charles and Martin Skubic Post American Legion sponsored the filming of a movie in Forest City. It was at a time when movies were big thing and having a film crew in little Forest City was a big attraction. It was by no means an Academy Award winner.
The plot was simple -- it was supposed to be about how movie stars are made and how movies are produced. The plot was explained in the June 17, 1937 issue of The Forest City News but, when filmed, the story was difficult to understand.
Forgetting about the plot, what the movie does show is Forest City’s Main Street business community as it was in the late 1930s at a time when the population was around 4,000, or more than double what it is today.
The film was only 16 minutes long and was titled “The Movie Queen.” The part of the Movie Queen was played by Mildred Hazer. Her escort was Atty. Patrick Sheridan.
Among other local Main Street business people were:
Joseph and Paul Kameen, Hank Turk, Walter Davies, Mike Gursky, Fred Kigerl Sr., Dave Krasno, Able Nodelman, Abe Soloman, Martin Muchitz, William Sredenschek, Mush Meyers, Helen Carpenter Burnakis, Harold Weiss, George Thorpe, Betty Pribula, Bill Koncdar, and others.
Very seldom does a community have a chance to look back 80 years and see those who help make that community great.
The FCAHS is always in the process of expanding our Website. Please come back often.
Website Director: Barb Klobucar
e-mail: fagan@nep.net
When e-mailing me, please put FCAHS in the subject line so that I know it is real mail.
I try not to make mistakes before publishing this website, but if you find a mistake, broken links, please let me know.
e-mail: fagan@nep.net
When e-mailing me, please put FCAHS in the subject line so that I know it is real mail.
I try not to make mistakes before publishing this website, but if you find a mistake, broken links, please let me know.