Strange Philadelphia: Stories from the City of Brotherly Love

by Lou Harry

Book Overview

Most history books paint Philadelphia as a place of revolutionary greatness, but there exists a forgotten, alternative history of the City of Brotherly Love. For example, did you know that

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when Ben Franklin was Deputy Postmaster General for the American colonies, he ignored rival printers' requests for mailing priveleges. Instead, he loaded down the mail carriers with his own papers and enjoyed the use of a private delivery system that...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1566393752
• ISBN13: 9781566393751
• Release Date: September 1995
• Publisher: Temple University Press
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

great book not just for residents

i can't agree more with the other positive review. great stories about some the quirky history of the city. as a Philly native i've heard of some of the things mentioned here, but most all of it is new to me. a great book for any resident (past, present or future) or really for anyone who's ever been here. it's the kind of history they don't teach in school.

Fun Philadelphia

A fun collection of vignettes on the strange, weird and obscure of Philadelphia. The tidbits range from early Colonial to the late 1980's. Most of the material covers the century between 1850 and 1950. Facts about famous Philadelphians such as Benjamin Franklin and John Barrymore are included with other characters that have faded into history. As a newcomer to Philly, it was fun to learn the offbeat history of the city. It was fun to learn that a lion once lived on the street I currently live on and how towns in the area got their names. A must for any native, and fun for anyone interested in Philadelphia.