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Public Education in Philadelphia: Central High School
By Deborah Boyer
The founding of a free public school system in the United States is the result of much discussion over several decades. In the early 1800s, Philadelphia and the state of Pennsylvania debated and tested different ideas for establishing a public school system that would provide an education for those who could not afford the cost of independent or private schools. Various experimental schools were started and operated with varying levels of success. Finally an act passed by the state in 1836 provided authorization for the City of Philadelphia to establish a Central High...
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“Conservation is Everybody’s Business”
By Deborah Boyer
On April 4, 2009, Mayor Michael Nutter hosted the 2nd Annual Philly Spring Cleanup. Around 10,000 volunteers worked together to collect 692,560 pounds of trash, complete projects at 12 recreation centers and 24 Fairmount Park sites, and plant 152 native trees and shrubs.
The Philly Spring Cleanup continues a tradition of local residents becoming personally involved in the maintenance and beautification of their neighborhoods and communities. In 1938, Sigrid Craig, an immigrant from Sweden, approached city officials about efforts to clean up streets around Philadelphia. Although her ideas initially were met with some hesitation, officials...
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Statues around Philadelphia, Part Three
By Deborah Boyer
Several statues in Philadelphia honor local residents who have contributed to the development of the city. While these individuals may be associated with a particular neighborhood or community, their statues did not always remain in that location over the course of several decades.
One such statue is that of Connie Mack, a professional baseball manager who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937. Born on December 22, 1862 in East Brookfield, Massachusetts, Mack played professional baseball as a catcher but became more famous as the long-time manager of the Philadelphia Athletics...