FOREST CITY AREA
HISTORICAL SOCIETY EVENTS
2025
April:
5th Master Gardeners 10am-1pm
16th Book Club 1pm-2pm
27th John Revak 7pm
May:
3rd Master Gardeners 10am-1pm
3rd John Revak 7pm
7th Italian Favorites Cooking Class 6:30-8pm
18th Mark Miklos 2pm
20th Election Day Lunch 11am-1pm
21st Book Club 1pm-2pm
June:
6th Old Time Fiddlers 7:30pm
18th Mexican Cooking Class 6:30-8pm
22nd Annual Breakfast 8am-12pm
July:
2nd American BBQ Cooking Class 6:30-8pm
16th Book Club 1pm-2pm
18th Russ Rentler 7pm
19th Take Out/Eat In Dinner 4pm-7pm
August:
1st USS Indianapolis Film TBA
2nd TraiItown Festival TBA
*FC Distinguished Citizen Award TBA
6th Classic French Cooking Class 6:30-8pm
20th Book Club 1pm-2pm
September:
3rd Mediterranean Cooking Class 6:30-8pm
13th Take Out/Eat In Dinner 4pm-7pm
17th Book Club 1pm-2pm
October:
1st Everything Asian Cooking Class 6:30-8pm
4th Heritage Trail 10am-4pm
22nd Book Club
29th Halloween On Main 1pm-2pm
November:
1st Rocky Horror Picture Show Murder 7pm
14th Murder Mystery Dinner TBA
15th Murder Mystery Dinner TBA
19th Book Club 1pm-2pm
29th Christmas @ Museum TBA
5th Master Gardeners 10am-1pm
16th Book Club 1pm-2pm
27th John Revak 7pm
May:
3rd Master Gardeners 10am-1pm
3rd John Revak 7pm
7th Italian Favorites Cooking Class 6:30-8pm
18th Mark Miklos 2pm
20th Election Day Lunch 11am-1pm
21st Book Club 1pm-2pm
June:
6th Old Time Fiddlers 7:30pm
18th Mexican Cooking Class 6:30-8pm
22nd Annual Breakfast 8am-12pm
July:
2nd American BBQ Cooking Class 6:30-8pm
16th Book Club 1pm-2pm
18th Russ Rentler 7pm
19th Take Out/Eat In Dinner 4pm-7pm
August:
1st USS Indianapolis Film TBA
2nd TraiItown Festival TBA
*FC Distinguished Citizen Award TBA
6th Classic French Cooking Class 6:30-8pm
20th Book Club 1pm-2pm
September:
3rd Mediterranean Cooking Class 6:30-8pm
13th Take Out/Eat In Dinner 4pm-7pm
17th Book Club 1pm-2pm
October:
1st Everything Asian Cooking Class 6:30-8pm
4th Heritage Trail 10am-4pm
22nd Book Club
29th Halloween On Main 1pm-2pm
November:
1st Rocky Horror Picture Show Murder 7pm
14th Murder Mystery Dinner TBA
15th Murder Mystery Dinner TBA
19th Book Club 1pm-2pm
29th Christmas @ Museum TBA
The Forest City Area Historical Society Museum will be open every
Sat. 11 am - 1pm in in 2025 starting on
May 2 through November 29
or
by appointment, please 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
|
Visit us on Facebook |
The next FCAHS meeting will be Sunday June 8, 2025 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
2025 Membership in Forest City Area Historical Society Now Available
Anyone seeking genealogical or historical information can contact Curator Barb Klobucar at [email protected] (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: [email protected]
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: [email protected]
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.