Announcements

“Although Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone in 1876, Bloomsburg didn’t have a telephone exchange until 1882 when a group of local investors bought a franchise from the Bell Telephone Company.  Initially, the Bloomsburg exchange had only 20 subscribers.  What building was the first home of…

” Bloomsburg’s first library was organized in 1889 and shared quarters with the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.  Later it moved into the YMCA.  It was semi-public and not free.  In 1903 it was completely reorganized and renamed as the Bloomsburg Free Public Library.  What building was…

“This building was once the place farmers went to buy feed for their livestock. It was near David Waller’s house and across the street from the Sanitarium building (both buildings now gone). Fire took the top half of the building, but the bottom remains. Today it…

“This building began as a family-owned furniture factory and store.  Like many furniture or cabinet makers, a big part of their business was making wooden coffins.  So they also established themselves as undertakers for a time.  Around 1913 the owners latched onto the new fad of…

“Where was the bottling works and beer storage facility for Charles D. Kier Brewing Company?”

“Late notable historian and columnist lamented the loss of her family home by eminent domain to build the post office.  Where was her family’s pharmacy located?”

“This building was the first home of the Bloomsburg Hospital.  Take a close up/tight shot of yourself near the front doorway and provide the current address.”

“Harry Magee’s radio station first went on the air January 18, 1948.  Originally its call letters were WLTR.  Harry wanted to use his initials HLM, but another radio station already had those call letters.  After several years of negotiating and waiting, Harry got what he wanted,…

“Electricity first came to Bloomsburg with the establishment of the Bloomsburg Electric Light & Power Company in 1889  The company supplied power to Bloomsburg’s first electric street lights in 1891.  The building still stands.  Where is it?”

“In modern days hotels have been replaced by motels located far beyond town limits, but in the old days visitors to Bloomsburg had 18 hotels to choose from, right in the downtown.  This one was a centrally located narrow three-story building tucked in between others.  There…

“This building was originally a hotel, which also held many small shops on the ground floor, including a barber shop, a cigar store, and Samuel R. Bidleman’s store, where he sold books, stationery and wallpaper.  It was remodeled after a fire.  Its restaurant was once THE…

The Forks Hotel was torn down in front of this central lot that once held the town’s horse watering trough (along with a hand pump).  At one time there was also a farm implements store on the site.  Go snap a selfie in front of the…

“The impressive Victorian home of this prominent citizen filled the entire lot now occupied by a public building. He was a minister and philanthropist who helped bring the railroad lines to Bloomsburg and was the guiding force behind the founding of Bloomsburg University. Who was he…

The caption under the photo in this morning’s Main Street Beat was in error.  The photo has nothing to do with the first clue.  Please disregard.  Here is Clue #1 for July 4: “Before malls and supermarkets, a nationwide department store chain and a local grocery…

It all starts on Monday, July 4th!  Listen to WHLM daily and click here for the official contest rules!

The Society will be closed Saturday, July 2nd, in observance of the Independence Day holiday.

Just wanted to let you know about the membership incentive we’re offering the month of June. We’re excited to share the wonderful benefits of belonging to the CCHGS: quarterly newsletter, discounts on publications and photos, and free access to our extensive research resources! Anyone who joins…

The Society will be closed for the Memorial Day holiday on Saturday, May 28th.

This week over 1700 records from the early 1800s tax assessments were added to the Deeds database. You can search this data in Land Records under the Search Databases Tab, Search by Name. Remember the Grantor Field = Occupant and the Grantee Field = Owner.

If you select Search by Name under the Search Databases tab on our Home page, you will find links to two other websites that have searchable databases populated with Columbia County names (among others). The first is the Library of Congress’s “Chronicling America” featuring newspapers from…

Over 5000 records have been added to our databases just this week. There are additions to the Names database (Deaths, specifically) which are taken from the Orphans Court Records dated 1814-1849. From this same era and record set, we are also adding Land transactions, with Tax…

The Bloomsburg Public Library and CCHGS will be closed Saturday, April 23rd, for Renaissance. Come see us at our stand on Main Street, in front of Dollar General!

Our family-style turkey dinner, business meeting and speaker will be held Saturday, April 16, at Ridge Street United Methodist Church. Charles Libby and Steve Hunter will present “From the Command Car.” Please see the Events tab for more information. Come join us!

The Society will be closed for the Easter holiday Friday, March 25th and Saturday, March 26th.

Did your father, grandfather or uncle (or aunt) serve in World War II? If so, the CCH&GS would like to include them in our next book about area war veterans. It will be entitled: 2nd World War in 1st Person, Volume 2. All you need to…