I like to refer to Charles as my cousin, but we actually aren't. We share a common relative, but aren't related. Still he's a wonderful person and, as you can get a glimpse of in this article, a very talented man. It's a brilliant look back into Hazleton's past and where it's future could lie. Please head on over a check out his piece called "Renewal Gone Bad Ruined Jewels of Hazleton's Past."
You don't need to have family in the Hazleton area to really find interest in this article. Charles addresses what happened in many cities on the decline...urban renewal. Urban renewal wasn't confined to northeastern Pennsylvania. It happened in so many cities and some of what was done I was completely ignorant of (and shocked by).
Charles specifically references the Duplan Silk Mill and how it came to be in Hazleton. I had ancestors that worked at Duplan so the piece had special meaning to me because it filled in a bit of family history.
Always a fountain of information, Charles McElwee has once again educated me in local history. Seriously...why did I learn none of this in school!?!?
Head on over. You will not be disappointed!
