Professor Hamilton's Diary: April 21, 1935

They attend Easter services; Japanese island suffers horrendous earthquake

It was a full day of church-going for the Hamiltons. The couple attended Easter services in the morning — Margaret’s mother keeping baby Mary Elizabeth — bringing Gwennie with them. Then they returned to a 6 p.m. service in which Gwennie “recited” with the other children at church.

The Hamiltons had not attended the sunrise service on Penn Mountain at the pagoda, a landmark of Reading that still stands today. The April 22, 1935 account in the Reading Times said 5,000 people were on Mount Penn when the dawn broke.

Built in 1908 at a cost of $50,000, the Reading Pagoda was originally intended to be a luxury hotel and restaurant. When the project failed, it was donated to the city of Reading, which adopted it as its symbol. The pagoda survived anti-Japanese sentiment during World War II and has undergone several restorations. Today it is home to a small restaurant and a gift shop.

Speaking of Japan, the island then known as Formosa suffered a devastating earthquake on this day. Paid subscribers can read on. It costs just 16 cents a day to get the full experience of this historic diary.

The postcard showing the pagoda at night is being offered by a dealer on eBay.