Shamokin Online MuseumIn this exhibit, we present a series of photos from Shamokin’s Old Home Week Parade in 1914. These photos were captured by Frank Posca and presented courtesy of the Northumberland County Historical Society.
Click Here to learn more about Frank Posca and his work.
Francesco (Frank) Posca as born in the province of Calabria in Southern Italy on June 15, 1901. The youngest of four children, he worked with his father and learned the family trade if shoemaking as he grew up. Frank’s father came to Shamokin in 1912, acquired the tools and machinery he needed, and set up a shoe repair shop. He wanted to bring his family to Shamokin and returned to Italy in 1916 for that reason but became ill and never was able to come back to America.
In 1919, Frank’s father encouraged Frank to leave Italy so he immigrated to America and reopened his father’s business in Shamokin. He supported his family who remained in Italy and attended night school to learn the English language and American customs. On May 25, 1927 he was naturalized and became a United States citizen.
There was not much demand for handmade shoes in America so Frank repaired shoes and did orthopedic work for people with special needs. He developed an interest in photography and enjoyed taking pictures of people, places and events around the community as a hobby.
Frank eventually set up a darkroom in the back of his shoe repair shop, and learned to develop film and print pictures. He experimented with different types of film and photo papers and learned to use lights to his advantage as he cleverly composed and captured images.
Frank also enjoyed music and learned to play the violin. He joined the St. John’s Evangelical and Reformed Church and played in the Sunday School Orchestra. He always had a love for music and the arts.
In 1932, Frank met Dorothy Thompson and they married on May 26, 1934. The shoe repair business prospered and the shop became a gathering place in the neighborhood. People stopped by to rehash the day’s events, watch Frank work on shoes, and see his latest photographs. Frank also learned to repair cameras and offered advice to those who wanted to take better photos. He joined a local photo club and took his camera wherever he went.
Frank continued to support his mother who remained in Italy. During World War II, communications were disrupted and Frank did not learn that his mother passed away until the war was over. Over the years he took thousands of pictures and captured life in Shamokin – both celebrations and tragedies.
Frank ran the shoe repair business until 1986. After he retired, he spent a lot of his time reviewing and cataloging his photographs. Frank left this world on August 22, 1994 but left behind a legacy of photographs of Shamokin, the town he called home and loved.
The Central Shoe Repair Shop at 320 Shamokin street is undoubtedly one of the finest and most completely equipped establishments of its kind in this entire section. Originally the firm had been located at 410 Shamokin Street and in that location Mr. Frank Posca, the genial and business-like proprietor, carried on a large trade. As the business grew from year to year, Mr. Posca, with characteristic zeal and forethought, cast about for a larger and more commodious location in order that his patronage be served more conveniently and satisfactorily and for the past three years he has been going ahead in a steady progressive manner at 320 Shamokin street attending to the needs of his large patronage.
The shop is completely equipped with the latest and most modern electrical machinery and nothing is used in the repairing of shoes but the best grade quality of leather. The firm’s affairs extend over a radius of eight to ten miles and includes most of the towns adjacent to Shamokin. The United Shoe Repairing Co. has honored Mr. Posca with the official red sign of the Goodyear Welt Shoe Repairing in recognition of his splendid work.
Satisfaction is guaranteed and Mr. Posca’s lifetime of experience in the shoe business enables him to offer a satisfactory and competent service.
Mr. Frank Posca has been a resident of Shamokin for the past six years and because of his likeable personality and honest business policies has established a large host of friends throughout the entire section. He has always taken an active interest in community affairs and is the type of citizen the town can feel proud of.
In this exhibit we present some rare images of the lobby of the Guarantee Trust and Safe Deposit Company Bank on Independence Street in Shamokin from July of 1941. In these photos we can see the lobby as preparations were being made for an interior renovation. These photos are part of the Thomas Studios silver…
Around 2 o’clock on the morning of April 8th, 1971 a fire broke out at the historic St. Edwards Catholic Church on Shamokin Street in Shamokin. The blaze was said to have been the worst the city had seen in over 50 years and completely destroyed the 99-year old house of worship. A little over…
In this exhibit, we present a series of photos from Shamokin’s Old Home Week Parade in 1914. These photos were captured by Frank Posca and presented courtesy of the Northumberland County Historical Society. Click Here to learn more about Frank Posca and his work. Shamokin’s Old Home Week Parade 1914
In this exhibit, we present a series of photos from Shamokin’s Diamond Jubilee in 1939. These photos were captured by Frank Posca and presented courtesy of the Northumberland County Historical Society. Click Here to learn more about Frank Posca and his work. Shamokin’s Diamond Jubilee 1939
In this exhibit, we present a series of photos from Shamokin’s Diamond Jubilee in 1939. These photos were captured by Frank Posca and presented courtesy of the Northumberland County Historical Society.
Click Here to learn more about Frank Posca and his work.
This publication is provided courtesy of Northumberland County Historical Society.
The Welsh Baptists of Shamokin enjoyed religious worship for some time as a mission of the Ashland congregation, and erected a frame church building on the east side of Rock street between Clay and Webster.
In May, 1884, they were organized as a church by Rev. W. G. Watkins, who became their pastor but resigned in the following year; the membership then united with the English Baptist and Welsh Congregational churches.
No effort was made to form a Baptist church at Shamokin until 1870, when Rev. A. B. Still, pastor at Sunbury, preached at Shamokin occasionally, and on September 3rd of that year a meeting of thirty- two persons with letters of dismissal from the churches at Sunbury, Danville, Trevorton, and Shamokin township was held, at which it was decided to issue a call for a council formally to constitute them a church. Pursuant to this call a council met on the 15th of September, 1870, and resolved to recognize them as the “First Baptist Church of Shamokin.”
The following were the first officers:
Among the pastors and supplies prior to the year 1884 were Reverends Still, Johnson, Rush, Brensinger, Nathan Thomas, O. R. Thomas, and Giles. Rev. W. G. Watkins, the present pastor, assumed charge in April, 1884; after considerable search he found six persons who considered themselves members, but accessions were numerous and frequent, and in 1890 the present church edifice, a substantial two-story brick structure on Lincoln street, was erected. It was dedicated on the 21st of December, 1890, Reverends J. H. Harris, Ph. D., and J. Green Miles officiating. A flourishing Sunday school is connected with this church.
The Welsh Congregational Church was organized by Rev. Henry C. Harris: seven deacons were elected at that time, but one of whom, John W. Thomas, is still an active member of this church (1890). A hall on Sunbury street was occupied for religious worship until 1864, when a frame church edifice was built on Rock street. The present church building, a frame structure on Grant street, was erected in 1870 under the supervision of a building committee composed of John W. Thomas, John Phillips, and Henry Simmons. Since 1875 the pastors have been Reverends D. T. Davis, Henry Whitby, Morris Hughes, David D. Davis, and D. T. Davis, present incumbent.
This church originally included nearly the entire Welsh population of Shamokin. The Baptists and Methodists withdrew; the former erected a church on Rock street, the latter on Independence street, and since these organizations disbanded a large proportion of their membership has again become connected with the Congregational church, which is the only Welsh organization at Shamokin at the present time.
The Rev. John Wolansky, from Gallicia, Austria, established the first Greek church in the Ignited States in 1884 at Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, and celebrated Mass for the adherents of his faith at Excelsior in the same year. During his absence in Europe the affairs of his recently established congregations were conducted by Rev. Constantino Andrushowitch.
The erection of a church edifice was undertaken by Father Wolansky upon his return; ground was secured in the southeastern part of the borough of Shamokin, and a frame structure, presenting some of the characteristics of the Byzantine style of architecture, has been erected thereon. It was dedicated with imposing ceremonies, August 19, 1889, on which occasion a large concourse of people was present, including excursions from Shenandoah, Freeland, and Hazelton. The membership of the parish is two hundred. The St. Cyril and Metody Beneficial Society, organized June 20, 1888, is an important social adjunct.