Editing Pottsville, Pennsylvania (section)

==History==
===18th century===
{{Further|Pennsylvania in the American Revolution}}
[[Charles II of England|King Charles II]] granted the land that would eventually become Pottsville to [[William Penn]]. This grant comprised all lands west and south of the [[Delaware River|Delaware]] and [[Schuylkill River|Schuylkill]] Rivers; present-day Pottsville was originally in [[Chester County, Pennsylvania|Chester County]]. When the legislative Council, on May 10, 1729, enacted the law erecting [[Lancaster County, Pennsylvania|Lancaster County]], which included all the lands of the Province lying westward of a straight line drawn northeasterly from the headwaters of Octoraro Creek (near the southern borders) marked with blazed trees, to the [[Schuylkill River]], then this placed Pottsville in Lancaster County. By enactment of the same Council, approved on March 11, 1752, [[Berks County, Pennsylvania|Berks County]] was erected; this placed Pottsville within the limits of that county.

Pottsville's [[anthracite|anthracite coal]] history began in 1790 when a coal seam was discovered by hunter Necho Allen. Legend has it that Allen fell asleep at the base of the Broad Mountain and woke to the sight of a large fire; his campfire had ignited an outcropping of coal. By 1795 an anthracite-fired [[finery forge]] was established on the [[Schuylkill River]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2012}}

===19th century===
{{Further|Pennsylvania in the American Civil War}}
[[File:View of Pottsville, Pennsylvania.jpg|thumb|An illustration of Pottsville in 1854]]
[[File:View of Pottsville Taken from Sharp Mountain & respectfully dedicated to the enterprising citizens of the Coal Region by J.R. Smith - - J.R. Smith, junr. del. ; J.R. Smith, senr. sculpt. LCCN98519836.jpg|thumb|An 1833 portrait of Pottsville by [[John Rowson Smith]]]]
In 1806, John Pott, the founder of Pottsville, purchased the forge. By an act of Assembly of the Commonwealth approved March 1, 1811, the [[Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania|County of Schuylkill]] was erected out of portions of [[Berks County, Pennsylvania|Berks]] and [[Northampton, Pennsylvania|Northampton]]; this placed the site of Pottsville in Schuylkill County. The town was formally laid out in 1816 by a local surveyor, Henry Donnell. Pottsville was established as a village in Norwegian Township in 1819 and incorporated as a borough on February 19, 1828.

In 1829, [[Yuengling|D.G. Yuengling & Son]] established what is now the oldest brewery in the United States. In 1851, Pottsville became the county seat of [[Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania|Schuylkill County]], replacing the original county seat of [[Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania|Orwigsburg]].<ref>DC Henning, Esq., ''Early Annals of Pottsville'', September 28, 1906.</ref>

The [[Reading Anthracite Company|Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company]], which has its roots in the [[Reading Company|Philadelphia and Reading Railway Company]], the remnants of which were acquired in the late 20th century by the [[Reading Anthracite Company]], acquired extensive coal lands and would become one of the most notable of the coal companies operating in Pennsylvania until the demise of the anthracite industry after [[World War II]].

Because of its location along the [[Schuylkill River]], Pottsville developed a small textile industry. Out of this industry grew the [[Phillips Van Heusen]] company which was founded in 1881. Moses Phillips and his wife Endel began sewing shirts by hand and selling them from pushcarts to the local [[coal miners]]. Van Heusen and other textile companies left the region starting in the late 1970s, mainly as a result of foreign competition. Another element of the textile industry was the Tilt Silk Mill on Twelfth Street, which produced silk from silk worms imported from China which fed on mulberry trees in the building's solarium. The silk business eventually was eclipsed by the development of nylon stockings. The building still stands and is presently the headquarters of a storage and vehicle rental business.

===20th century===
During the [[Prohibition]] period in the United States, under the [[Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|18th Amendment]], [[David Yuengling|Yuengling]] all but stopped making beer and moved to production of [[near beer]]. The three brews produced in this time were the Yuengling Special, the company's most popular brand, Yuengling Por-Tor (a version of their "celebrated Pottsville Porter"), and finally, the Yuengling Juvo, which was a cereal beverage. They were allowed a limited production of [[Porter (beer)|porter]] on the grounds that it had medicinal qualities. Then-owner [[Frank D. Yuengling|Frank Yuengling]] also opened the Yuengling Dairy, which produced ice cream and other dairy products for the local area. These ventures helped to keep the company afloat during that period.

When the 18th Amendment was [[Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution|repealed]], Yuengling stopped production of "near beer" and resumed making alcoholic beverages. The brewery famously sent a truckload of its Winner Beer to the White House in 1933 as thanks to President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] for the [[repeal of Prohibition]]. Yuengling still continues its family-owned business today and is the second largest American-owned brewery. The Yuengling Dairy was operated by a different branch of the family from the Brewery. Business declined and the dairy folded as of 1985. Attempted buyouts by large conglomerate [[brewery|breweries]] have all been unsuccessful.

Pottsville was chartered as a third-class city on March 22, 1911.

Pottsville was host to a [[National Football League]] franchise from 1925 to 1928. The [[Pottsville Maroons]] played in Sportsman's Park (or [[Minersville Park]]) in nearby [[Minersville, Pennsylvania|Minersville]], now the site of King's Village shopping plaza. The Maroons posted some of the best records in the NFL during the 1925 and 1926 seasons. The Maroons had a claim to the 1925 NFL championship, but [[1925 NFL Championship controversy|because of a controversial decision]] by NFL President Joe Carr, the title was instead awarded to the [[Chicago Cardinals]]. The Maroons suffered two more losing seasons before relocating to Boston and becoming the [[Boston Bulldogs (NFL)|Boston Bulldogs]]. The Bulldogs folded in 1929.

Until the middle of the 20th century, Pottsville was a popular destination for many traveling acts and vaudeville performers. The 1929 film ''[[Berth Marks]]'' stars the comedy legends [[Laurel and Hardy]] as they attempt to reach Pottsville by train for one of their booked performances. [[Pearl Bailey]] had once resided in Pottsville during the early part of her entertaining career.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} Soldiers in training at nearby [[Fort Indiantown Gap]] were prohibited from visiting Pottsville during most of World War II due to the large numbers of illicit venues and activities present during the time.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}

===21st century===
[[File:Pottsville High School - Patterson School - Pottsville, Pennsylvania.jpg|thumb|The Patterson Building served as the [[Pottsville Area High School]] from 1916 to 1933.<ref>''Pottsville High School Centennial: 1853–1953'', page 8</ref>]]
[[File:Cloud House Pottsville SkooCo PA.JPG|thumb|[[Cloud Home]] is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].]]
The city completed a streetscaping project in 2007 on Centre Street. In June 2011, the City of Pottsville became the county's transportation hub for [[Schuylkill Transportation System]] (STS) bus service throughout the county with the $16.1 million Union Station Intermodal Transit Center at 300 South Centre Street.<ref>Pytak, Stephen J. 'Union Station, Kohl's among business spurs in 2011.' The Pottsville Republican and Evening Herald. http://republicanherald.com/news/union-station-kohl-s-among-business-spurs-in-2011-1.1251565 Accessed January 30, 2012</ref> It also accommodates Trailways and Greyhound bus services.

The [[Pottsville Downtown Historic District]], [[Cloud Home]], [[John O'Hara House]], [[Burd Patterson House]], [[Pottsville Armory]], [[Yuengling|D.G. Yuengling and Son Brewing Complex]], and [[Frank D. Yuengling Mansion]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>