In City Contented, City Discontented: A History of Modern Harrisburg, award-winning journalist Paul Beers (1931-2011) reveals how contemporary Harrisburg came to be what it is. In a masterful series of essays, Beers charts the capital's development from a City Beautiful, with its celebrated public spaces and premier educational institutions, through the fractures of race riots and the catastrophic challenges of flood and near-nuclear meltdown. Beers employs the well-honed skills of a veteran reporter to craft fascinating character sketches of prominent leaders and humble citizens alike, intertwining their dramatic personal stories with a compelling survey of the region's society, politics, and culture in the twentieth century.

Recovering the Lost Art of Contentment The biblical practice of contentment can seem like a lost art—something reserved for spiritual giants but out of reach for the rest of us. In our discontented age—characterized by impatience, overspending, grumbling, and unhappiness—it’s hard to imagine what true contentment actually looks (and feels) like. But even the apostle Paul said that he learned to be content in any and every circumstance. Paul’s remarkable contentment was something grown and developed over time. In Chasing Contentment, Erik Raymond helps us understand what biblical contentment is—the inward gracious spirit that joyfully rests in God’s providence—and then how we learn it. Giving us practical guidance for growing in contentment in various areas of our lives, this book will encourage us to see contentment as a priority for all believers. By God’s grace, it is possible to pursue the high calling of contentment and anchor our joy in God himself rather than our changing circumstances.

In this second edition, America’s Urban History now includes contemporary analysis of race, immigration, and cities under the Trump administration and has been fully updated with new scholarship on early urbanization, mass incarceration and cities, the Great Society, the diversification of the suburbs, and environmental justice. The United States is one of the most heavily urbanized places in the world, and its urban history is essential to understanding the fundamental narrative of American history. This book is an accessible overview of the history of American cities, including Indigenous settlements, colonial America, the American West, the postwar metropolis, and the present-day landscape of suburban sprawl and an urbanized population. It examines the ways in which urbanization is connected to divisions of society along the lines of race, class, and gender, but it also studies how cities have been sources of opportunity, hope, and success for individuals and the nation. Images, maps, tables, and a guide to further reading provide engaging accompaniment to illustrate key concepts and themes. Spanning centuries of America’s urban past, this book’s depth and insight make it an ideal text for students and scholars in urban studies and American history.

For much of the 20th century, the name Steelton represented a great industrial complex that stretched nearly four miles along the Susquehanna River near the state's capital of Harrisburg. Immigrants from all over Europe, particularly Slavs and Italians, worked with African Americans from the South at the Bethlehem Steel Company and gave Steelton its reputation for ethnic diversity, second only to its fame for industrial productivity. Catholics, Protestants, and Jews filled the town's various houses of worship, but the taverns on Front Street, across from the mill, were crowded too. The town's powerful athletes were often state champions, beating schools many times larger. The townsmen were all proud as well of their loyal service in U.S. forces in the two world wars. The vintage images in Steelton chronicle the history of this exceptional and diverse community.

Despite being geographically cut off from large trade centers and important natural resources, Pittsburgh transformed itself into the most formidable steel-making center in the world. Beginning in the 1870s, under the engineering genius of magnates such as Andrew Carnegie, steel-makers capitalized on western Pennsylvania’s rich supply of high-quality coal and powerful rivers to create an efficient industry unparalleled throughout history. In City of Steel, Ken Kobus explores the evolution of the steel industry to celebrate the innovation and technology that created and sustained Pittsburgh’s steel boom. Focusing on the Carnegie Steel Company’s success as leader of the region’s steel-makers, Kobus goes inside the science of steel-making to investigate the technological advancements that fueled the industry’s success. City of Steel showcases how through ingenuity and determination Pittsburgh’s steel-makers transformed western Pennsylvania and forever changed the face of American industry and business.

For over one hundred years, Pomeroy's was a beloved household name for the shoppers of central and eastern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1876, the store began under another name in Reading and soon expanded to Harrisburg, Pottsville and Wilkes-Barre. George Pomeroy bought out his partners in 1923, and Pomeroy's became known for its exemplary service and a devoted sales force. From the extraordinary window displays and the annual Christmas parade to a bite at the Tea Room, the stores were a social hub where sweethearts first met and families did their Saturday shopping. Though the final stores closed in 1990, the memories live on. Department store historian Michael Lisicky chronicles the history of Pomeroy's and takes readers back in time with reminiscences of former employees, interviews with store insiders and a selection of classic recipes.

With images taken from the archives of the Dauphin County Historical Society, as well as family collections, Legendary Locals of Harrisburg encompasses biographical tributes that celebrate the deeds of actors, musicians, artists, teachers, athletes, humanitarians, politicians, veterans, firemen, and community leaders who have added a peculiar brand of Harrisburg's rich cultural tapestry. William Howard Day, an educator, and John Harris, who established Harrisburg, are two pioneers. Edward Stackpole, of Stackpole Books, and Theophilus Fenn, editor of the Telegraph, have forged the way for the city's writers. The first secretary of homeland security, Tom Ridge, and Simon Cameron, secretary of war under Lincoln, are among world-renowned politicians who have contributed to Harrisburg's valued reputation. From rival high school football coaches to dueling business owners, from civic leaders building an integrated city to aspiring young people embarking on independent journeys to the big screen, these profiles of real lives and real heroes show us that we all have contributed to the development of our own communities.