Historical Society Program Focuses on Firebirds

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by the Pottstown Historical Society

The Pottstown Historical Society’s Nov. 19 program will feature Larry Cohen speaking on the inaugural 1968 season of the Pottstown Firebirds, the minor league affiliate of the Philadelphia Eagles.

A native Pottstownian, Larry has published a family history and portrait of Pottstown history, entitled Chicken Hill Chronicle. He is a member of the Pottstown Historical Society.

Near the top of the list of unique aspects of Pottstown’s past are the three seasons from 1968-1970 when the Pottstown Firebirds ruled small town professional football. 

The Pottstown Historical Society’s program will add to the knowledge and interest regarding this history.

National visibility for the Firebirds reached a crescendo in January 1972 when the NFL Films pre-game show for the Super Bowl highlighted the Firebirds 1970 championship season. 

Entitled “Pro Football Pottstown, Pa.” the video is available on YouTube “Lost Treasures of the NFL, Vol 7.” 

In 1973, Jay Acton published the story of the Firebird’s first championship season (1969), "The Forgettables: The Bittersweet Portrait of a Minor League Football Team in the Heartland of America."

Interest in the Pottstown Firebirds is kept alive by social media and the research of several individuals. In addition to periodic reunions of team members, the Firebirds draw attention internationally from among football aficionados and Pottstown area residents. 

Bruno Baltazar, a young man in Texas with an interest in the team, anticipates publication in December of a book titled "The Greatest Stories Never Told: Detailed Chronicles of the Pottstown Firebirds." 

In addition, Baltazar maintains a Firebirds Facebook page, a blog and an extensive website (PottstownFirebirds.org).

The program will be 7 pm, Monday, Nov. 19, at the Historical Society’s headquarters 568 E. High Street, Pottstown. Telephone: 610 970-7355. 

The event is open to the public with light tailgate refreshments.

Every Picture Tells a Story ... Our Story

The Casselberry Home, by Peter Ehlinger,  was the home of Pottstown's first library.

I confess to being not only a history buff, but a local history buff.

It is constantly remarkable to me how much history lives all around us, how it is connected to the great events about which we learn in school, and thus as a reminder that the events of the day will become the same -- local history that connects us to the great events of our day.

Celebrating that local history is the Gallery on High, which is now offering the third of its Signature Series of art depicting important people, places and events in Pottstown history.

The Pottstown Signature Series is a series of collectible, high-end lithographs that will be released annually. Each edition will focus on a significant aspect of Pottstown’s rich history. The Signature Series is sponsored by the Greater Pottstown Foundation. The first edition in the series, titled Look for the Rope Edge, is centered on Mrs. Smith’s Pies. Drawn by local artist and Gallery Member Artist Steve Kent, this inaugural image is limited to a run of 100 prints.

The Gallery School of Pottstown's second edition of the Pottstown Signature Series honors the Pottstown Firebirds football team.

The second series, by Mary Ellen Christ, celebrates the Pottstown
Firebirds football team.

Relive that time in our town's history when the Firebirds were all the buzz, and everyone was a fan.

Created by Gallery Member Artist Mary Ellen Christ, this tribute is titled Hometown Champions and is available in a limited edition of signed and numbered lithographs.


The third edition is now available for order. This latest Signature Series features the Casselberry home, which was Pottstown's first library. This watercolor was created by Gallery School Member Artist Peter Ehlinger.

You can learn more about the Signature Series by clicking here.

Each Signature Series is $60, and can be purchased online at the Gallery's website, or in person at 254 E. High St. Questions? For details, call 610-326-2506 or email them.