Harveys-Aleppo Grange #1444

04/21/2026

04/21/2026

Greene County Pomona Grange put a display in our bank window across from our County Courthouse for Grange Month

01/05/2026

To be

Every yinzer knows the tunnel breath-hold challenge, and honestly it’s basically common knowledge across Pennsylvania at this point: the second you roll into a tunnel headed toward Pittsburgh, someone in the car will say, “Hold your breath,” like it’s a rule, not a suggestion. It’s simple, it’s silly, and it somehow never gets old, especially if you grew up in the city and have been doing it your whole life without even thinking about it. You pick your tunnel, you take a deep breath, you stare straight ahead, and you quietly judge whoever has to inhale before the exit light shows up. Nobody’s keeping score, but everyone knows exactly who “won.”

01/05/2026

Pennsylvania is the birthplace of America's pretzel industry, with roots tracing back to the early 1700s when German immigrants, known as the Pennsylvania Dutch, brought their pretzel-making traditions to the region. These settlers crafted both hard and soft pretzels, introducing what would become a beloved American snack. By the 19th century, pretzel bakeries flourished across the state, with towns like Lititz and Reading becoming epicenters of production. Today, Pennsylvania remains the heart of the U.S. pretzel industry, producing over 80% of the pretzels consumed nationwide. Iconic brands such as Snyder's of Hanover and Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, the first commercial pretzel bakery in America, continue to uphold the state’s proud pretzel-making legacy.

01/05/2026

Ritchey's Dairy in the town of Martinsburg, Blair County in the 1940's. Oliver C. Ritchey founded Ritchey's Dairy on August 3, 1940, in the rural town of Martinsburg. A farmer for most of his life, his dream was to operate a dairy. He realized this dream on his farm with 46 milking cows and a 36' by 40' processing building. The business began with two home delivery routes and a dairy store. Golden Guernsey milk, cottage cheese, ice cream and other milk products were packaged in the early years. In 1943 his son, Paul Ritchey took over as general manager of the dairy. Over time, the dairy grew larger, expanding its delivery routes to cover the Altoona area in the early 1950's. The dairy stopped processing cottage cheese in the middle part of that decade to concentrate on the growing market of ice cream.

In 1962, the dairy bought its first cardboard container packaging equipment. The first machine did not seal the tops of the milk carton, so the tops were stapled shut! On the occasion of our 25th anniversary in 1965, we celebrated with our first and only four-sided glass milk bottle. The dairy continued to process milk in glass bottles until 1968. Paul turned to his son Reid to lead the dairy in 1973. Reid had been a delivery driver for the dairy, and had started the Altoona routes. Reid reformulated all the recipes for the ice cream, and continued to expand the business. In 1987, the plant was enlarged to separate the ice cream production from the milk processing part of the plant. Extra refrigeration and warehousing rooms were also added. The dairy celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1990 with various specials and an extra treat - 5 cent ice cream cones for the first weekend of August.
(Photo and Text from http://www.ritcheysdairy.com/)

01/05/2026

01/05/2026

The original name of the Pittsburgh Steelers was the Hope- Harveys. The team was originally founded in 1921. The team's name was based on two items. The first was a fire-engine house, located in the city's Hope Ward, where the team would dress and shower for home games. The second item was based on Dr. Walter Harvey, the physician who tended to injured players. According to Art Rooney, Dr. Walter Harvey never charged the team or players for his services. The team’s uniforms were handmade by the players or members of their families so each one was sewn differently.The Hope-Harvey team marks the only time that the three Rooney brothers (Art, James and Dan) played football together. It also marked the very beginning of Art J. Rooney’s long-standing career in professional football. Art Rooney also became one of the biggest stars in the Pittsburgh sandlot football circuit as the team's quarterback. Finally, this period stands as the only time when Art Rooney managed, coached and played on a team

After a few years of play, the team was sponsored by "Loeffler's Electronic Store", who renamed the team after one of its best selling products, the majestic radio. Hence the team became known as the Majestic Radios. The team's affiliation with Loeffler's ended prior to the team's 1931 season. The team was then renamed the J. P. Rooneys to promote Art's brother, James P. Rooney. The team was founded by Art Rooney, who is best known for being the founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League, and is considered to be unofficial beginnings of the modern-day Steelers. The team played at Exposition Park and reportedly had up to 12,000 people in the stands at times. In 1933, the team became the Pittsburgh Pirates, and in 1940 were renamed the Steelers.
(Photo from https://www.facebook.com/TCHistorical/)

01/05/2026

The Most Haunted Houses In America By State