Lehigh Valley 250

"The Vault" is Lehigh Valley Public Media’s collection of original PBS39 programming through the years, plus community content made in the Lehigh Valley. Several programs are in PBS39's Friday night lineup through the end of the year.

The Walking Purchase, a 1737 land grab perpetrated by William Penn's sons, shaped the Lehigh Valley as residents know it today. But, the land wasn’t actually purchased, as the name might suggest — it was swindled from the Lenni-Lenape.

At one point, Bethlehem Steel's namesake mill employed 31,000. Its last steel beam was cast 30 years, but the work lives on in the generations of steelworkers who translated a tough job and difficult conditions into a better life.

The Bachmann Publick House in Easton soon will expand its visiting hours to accommodate more guests interested in touring the colonial landmark.

Scott Gordon is a professor of English and a scholar of the Colonial and post-Colonial history of the Lehigh Valley. He recently spoke with WLVR’s Brad Klein about the role the Moravians played in the American Revolution.

Scott Gordon is a professor of English and a scholar of the Colonial and post-Colonial history of the Lehigh Valley. He recently spoke with WLVR’s Brad Klein about the role the Moravians played in the American Revolution.

Easton celebrated its integral role in American history with historical recreations and the reading of the Declaration of Independence in Centre Square on Saturday. The city was one of three places where the declaration was read publicly on July 8, 1776.

Life changed for Bethlehem's Moravian community as the Revolutionary War waged. "Suddenly, the world just descends," said one historian. This is the first in a recurring series exploring the Lehigh Valley's place in American history.

Next year marks 250 years since the colonists produced a bold declaration of freedom and self-governance that still echoes today. It will be an occasion celebrated and recognized across the land — and we at Lehigh Valley Public Media are no exception.

The work will consist of designing a parking lot layout, ADA and emergency services access, a new well and septic system and completing a topographic survey.