In 1950 when 16 year old Jayne Lichtenwalner made this plate in art class, Allentown for the most part had a Pennsylvania Dutch demographic. Jayne's family lived at 642 Chew Street. The principal of Allentown High was Clifford Bartholomew. After Bartholomew retired from being principal, he later would go on to become mayor.
Move ahead seventy years, and the Pennsylvania Dutch student is an endangered species in the Allentown School System, perhaps even extinct. The new superintendent of the system is from Detroit, and the mayor is from Chicago. The dominant demographic in center city is now Hispanic, and they just elected the Chicago mayor for a fourth term, even though he's indicted for corruption.
I grew up on the south side near the Mack Truck assembly plant. I graduated from Allen in the middle 1960's, and remember when Bartholomew was principal and then mayor. I worked in center city when the stores died and the neighborhoods changed. This blog was designed to be the juncture of local history and politics. Because I find the politics at the moment so distressing, I'll be conducting more history classes.
above reprinted from November of 2017
ADDENDUM AUGUST 1, 2022:This past weekend Allentown's current majority, Puerto Ricans, celebrated their heritage. A new mayor, fluent in Spanish, presided over the festivities. The New York Times had already noted the demographic transition as a sociological phenomenon twenty years ago. Recently, CBS News unfortunately tried to link the changes to the current national divide, culminating in the January 6 insurrection.
Outside analysis aside, Allentown is faring well. Like America itself, the new century has brought many changes to the valley. Allentown's location and quality of life continue to attract newcomers.
I went to Wm.Allen ,graduated 1976.and Hall street was mostly older Pa. Dutch families. My grandma at 130 s.Hall street ,the Lievinsbergers,And my mom and dad and me.it was fun.
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