Wilson Borough’s roots go back to 1912, when area residents first talked about creating a separate community out of a portion of Palmer Township. That year, New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson was challenging incumbent William Howard Taft in the presidential election. The residents decided that their new community would be named after whoever won. So when Woodrow Wilson wen... »
Incorporated on May 6, 1901, Northampton was originally named the “Borough of Alliance” in reference to its unification of several smaller communities and hamlets, the two largest of which were Northampton and Siegfried in eastern Allen Township. But while the name had symbolic meaning, “Alliance” never gained popular support. Instead, the post offices in Northampton and ... »
Located between Breinigsville and Wescosville, Trexlertown is the oldest town in Upper Macungie Township. Named for Jeremiah Trexler, who owned and operated a tavern in the early 1730s, the town prospered after a public road was laid from Trexler’s property through Zionsville, Shimersville and North Wales to Philadelphia. Today, Trexlertown is home to approximately 2,000 p... »
By Liz Reph Photos By Sabotta Imagery Photography In October of 2012, 32-year-old Alison Conklin awoke to a terrifying sight – absolutely nothing. “I woke up and I couldn’t see. When I was challenged to view the large ‘E’ on the optometrist chart, all I could make out was a very faint vertical line. I had never been so scared in my life.” Her husband, Geoff, immediately r... »
Best known as the home of Lehigh University, the Steel Stacks Campus and the Sands Casino Resort, Southside Bethlehem has a rich history born from diverse immigrant roots. Located just south of the Lehigh River, the 274-acre tract of land that is today Southside Bethlehem was originally intended to serve as a buffer between the deeply religious Moravians of North Bethlehem... »
Nestled in the Saucon Valley, southeast of Bethlehem, the borough of Hellertown is a charming blend of historic Victorian buildings and contemporary architecture. Settled in the mid-18th century, Hellertown is named for Christopher Heller, one of the borough’s earliest residents. He and his six sons immigrated to the New World from Amsterdam in the fall of 1738. In 1746, C... »
Ask any longtime Lehigh Valley resident to name their most beloved building in downtown Easton and you’ll likely hear this as the answer – the old Pomeroy’s store on Northampton Street. An iconic example of the “golden age of downtown shopping,” Pomeroy’s Department Store occupied the structure from 1947 until the end of 1976. The building itself, however, dates back to t... »
