Pennsylvania's Tsunami - The Johnstown, Pa Horror

"One day that dam is gonna break!" 

That was probably a popular phrase in late 1800s Johnstown, and the dam in question was the South Fork Dam.  Built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania between 1838 and 1853 to provide water to the Western Division Canal, the earthen dam contained a body of water 2 miles long, one mile wide, and 60 feet deep.  The reservoir, known as Lake Conemaugh, was precariously perched in the mountains above the populated valley below.

As canals gave way to more efficient methods of transportation, they were frequently bought by the railroads.  Railroad lines were then laid right alongside the canals, so that factories and warehouses that once depended on barges could then be supplied by locomotives.  The Western Division Canal was no exception to this custom, and was purchased by the Pennsylvania Railroad Co., along with South Fork Dam and Lake Conemaugh.

The lake was of no use to a railroad company, however, and was soon sold to private parties, then sold again.  Eventually the lake and dam were converted into a private retreat for members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, many of whom were officers of the Pittsburgh Steel, and among the wealthiest individuals in the country at the time.

Cabins, eateries, and gathering halls were built for the members, but little attention was paid to the aging dam, except to lower it by several feet so that a road could be built atop it to provide convenient access to the lake's opposite shore.

A Roaring '20s Speakeasy - Bethlehem, PA

As modern Americans we take many freedoms for granted.  Among those freedoms is the simple right to bring a glass of alcoholic beverage to one's lips without the threat of being jailed for it.  America wasn't always so free, and tonight we'll relive an age when such a basic freedom was infringed upon by the Prohibitionists.

It was on January 16, 1919 that the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, prohibiting the manufacture, sale, transportation, importation, or exportation of intoxicating liquors into the United States.  The Amendment was followed in October of the same year by National Prohibition Act, also known as the Volstead Act, which provided a further definition of the "intoxicating liquors" mentioned the the amendment, specified penalties for violating Prohibition, and authorized federal officers to enforce the ban. Thus, alcohol became illegal until the repeal of the 18th Amendment in 1933.

Camping Au Naturel in Palmerton, Pa

There are plenty of places in Pennsylvania to take a hike through the woods, ride a bicycle, or get a drink and a bite to eat... but if you like to do these things in the nicky-noo-nar, your choices are limited.  Indeed, Title 18 Part II Chapter 31 § 3127 of the Pennsylvania penal code provides stiff penalties for anyone going leafless from the waist down in front of any other person, if the birthday suit "is likely to offend, affront, or alarm."   For those who prefer to do their daily activities either partially or fully divested, there is only one option: a naturist club on privately owned land.

The Sunny Rest Resort is probably the best-known of the few sans-threads establishments in Pennsylvania.  Founded in 1945 for enthusiasts of the emperor's clothes, Sunny Rest is a nudist camp located on 190 rolling acres of partially wooded land in the Pocono mountains of Palmerton, PA.