In celebration of Liberty High School’s 100th graduating class in 2022, the Bethlehem Area Public Library is creating a digital archive of LHS Yearbooks. “We at BAPL want to give LHS alumni and their families a glimpse into Bethlehem’s past,” says Reference Librarian Matthew Rothfuss, the project’s lead. “By digitizing LHS yearbooks we aim to […]
BAPL is digging deep in the archives for some historical “Throwback Thursday” posts (#tbt). This one tells the story of the first beautiful gardens that first came to the South Side of Bethlehem with Pre-World War I immigrants coming to work for Bethlehem Steel who wanted to bring “bits of their homeland in the form […]
Elizabeth Saraceno from BAPL South Side has finding lots of gems while researching local history at the library. Check out this article from 1884. That’s 136 years ago! The “local record” column includes observations such as “Country roads are again in a passable condition,” “Youthful spring appears in an overcoat and gum boots,” and “Straw […]
Historic Maps of Bethlehem The Bethlehem Area Public Library is a great source for old artifacts on the historic town of Bethlehem, PA. Some of the most interesting artifacts that the library has (which anyone can access for study and/or leisure) are maps of the town of Bethlehem from the bygone years of 1873, 1886, […]
On March 24, 1941 a four-day steel workers’ strike began in Bethlehem. Workers walked out of factories, massive demonstrations were held, and tensions rose. A famous photograph captured an image of a car that been overturned in the tumult. See pictures, newspaper articles, and more from BAPL on the 1941 strike at the link below, […]
We are proud to announce a major upgrade to a one-of-a-kind local resource. Check out BAPL’s World War II database, where you can find over 12,000 entries on local service people from WWII. This collection includes the many accounts in The Bethlehem Globe-Times published during the war. Many articles are light-hearted, highlighting neighbors and friends […]
This summer marks 100 years of the opening of the R.K. Laros Silk Mill. The official date of the founding of the first mill is recorded as July 1, 1919. The first mill was established in the Miller Heights section of what is now Bethlehem Township. Other mills were later built on Broad St. […]
There are a number of important dates that one could celebrate as the beginning of Bethlehem Steel. There’s the ground-breaking in 1860, the opening of the first blast furnace in 1863, and the day it became the Bethlehem Iron Company in 1861. But before that, a small company called Saucona Iron Company was officially chartered […]
Tyler Gordon is a local college student, historian, photographer, and collector of relics from the The American Civil Defense Association (TACDA). During the mid-20th century, especially at times of increased Cold War tensions, civil defense was a major concern for the United States. The country was preparing for nuclear war and TACDA was active in […]
If you follow the American Library Association on Twitter or religiously read American Libraries magazine, you already know this. (And if you don’t, what are you even doing with your life??) BAPL was featured in these prestigious places! The story is about the good work Rayah Levy is doing collecting stories of ‘the Black experience […]
Check out this article from The Bethlehem Globe regarding a momentous event in the history of Bethlehem way back in 1901. – February 1, 1901 FREE LIBRARY Was Opened to the Public Yesterday Afternoon. The newly established free reading room and public library located in Colonial Row, South Main street, Bethlehem, was opened to the […]
Check out this article from NCC’s paper about the amazing work Rayah Levy is doing here at BAPL on a project documenting the history of African-Americans in Bethlehem: Black Bethlehem: An incomplete story by Jamie Ratchford Contact Rayah if you would like to learn more about this project.
In 1918, Bethlehem Steel didn’t just produce iron and steel—it ran a baseball league. Six factories were represented; the rosters included some of the greatest star players from the Major Leagues. The Bethlehem Area Public Library is proud to present Shoeless Joe, The Babe, & The Steel: The Highly Unlikely 1918 Bethlehem Steel League, Geoff Gehman’s talk on […]
July 19, 1742 is recorded as the date that a Moravian boys’ school was first established in Bethlehem. The school was held in several locations including the Brethren’s House and as a boy’s “institute” in 1755 at the newly built Familienhaus. The Brethern’s House (99 West Church Street) pictured below is just down the street […]
We’ve been working building a rich local history timeline on the library’s website, adding all sorts of interesting information about Bethlehem going back to its founding. There is interesting information about the surrounding areas as well. It can be found at bapl.org/local-history/local-history-timeline. Check it out! There are articles going back to 1741. One of the […]