If you didn’t know it, Wednesday was National Baker Day. When you get a chance, check out this new story at Harrisburg Historical about bakeries, confectionaries, and German immigrants in Harrisburg’s Old Eighth Ward.
Written by Emmy Fogle, senior public history major at Messiah University, the piece tells the story of the German immigrant, Frederick Wagner, and his family, who set up one of the longest running businesses of the Old Eighth. The piece features primary photos of the Wagner family, and audio clips from an interview with Wagner’s descendant, Joann Pressley Smith.
Here’s the start:
“In the early twentieth century, confectioneries and bakeries were the heart of the community, much like coffee shops are today. People enjoyed the candies of confectioneries and purchased essential goods from bakeries while sharing neighborhood news. In the Eighth Ward, there were ten bakeries owned by sixteen bakers and eleven confectioneries owned by thirteen confectioners between the years 1890 and 1917. Among these was Frederick Wagner’s bakery, located on the corner of State and Cowden Streets, which served Harrisburg for forty-four years.”
Check out the full story here: “The Wagner Family Bakery: Bakeries, Confectioneries, and Immigrant Life in Harrisburg“
