2024 doesn't even sound like a real year to me. But neither did 2023 or 2022.
Nevertheless, here we are again for another end-of-year wrap-up post! As those of you who have been with me for a while know, I like to end the blogging year with a final post which shares some facts and figures related to the blog, acknowledges certain persons, and talks about what I have in mind for the coming year. I began taking the month of December off from blogging back in 2019, when I had severe pneumonia on top of my chronic health problems; and because my day job is in retail, it just seems like a good idea to do it every year. So this is the final post for 2023, and I'll be itching to get back to it by the time January arrives. (I'll also be itching to not hear any Christmas carols for the next several months, because my store and some of the radio stations have been playing them nonstop since November first, but that's beside the point.)
What are some facts about MarkerQuest™?
The blog turned five years old in May and I made the decision to keep it going. Thanks to a couple of road trips and a few guest contributions, this year I was able to add Bedford, Chester, Cumberland, Lackawanna, Pike, and Westmoreland Counties to those covered by the blog. This means that I have now done at least one post from each of thirty of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, so I'm almost halfway through the state. I've long since finished all of the posts for Carbon County, and I only have one more post to go for Montour County as well.
I'm continuing to make friends for the blog too. I still haven't gotten to meet Jon Miller, the Hometown Historian, in person so that we can cook up some collaborations, mostly due to his own health challenges; hopefully the new year will see him feeling better. I did, however, get to meet Jim Cheney of Uncovering PA, when I attended an event where he was selling his photography, and that was very cool! Apparently he enjoys my work as much as I enjoy his, which was deeply flattering. I also got to meet Shane Kiefer, my contact at the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau; Shane's the one who makes sure that my posts about those counties are included in their quarterly newsletter whenever possible. Elyse of Second Glance History sent me some yummy chocolates last year for Christmas, and I'd still love to collab with her sometime as well. I connected with a few more individuals over specific posts, such as John Cox from the Wild About Houdini blog and Tom Davidson of the Pennsylvania chapter of the Lincoln Highway Association. I'm very grateful to them for sharing my work with their own readers.
On Facebook I'm involved with lots of different history-related groups, both on my personal account and on that of the blog itself; this year that list grew to include Pennsylvania History, For the Love of History, and - as of just this morning, when I was invited to join - Eerie Tales From the Susquehanna. I also made the internet acquaintance of Mike from Creative History, so we're often checking out each other's work. And of course, I continue to appreciate the support of the Historical Marker Database and the PHMC itself.
As is my tradition, let's see what the most popular posts of this past year have been. No huge upsets like last year, although in terms of all-time hits, my post about Gnadenhuetten (one of the three original posts on the blog) overtook the post about William McGowan (from last year) to reclaim the top spot.
The actual most-read post of 2023 is History Endangered: Can the Shrine Be Saved?, which is about the then-pending closure of the Liberty Bell Shrine Museum in Allentown. (The answer, as it turned out, was no. The relics from the museum are safe in the possession of the Lehigh County Historical Society, but the museum itself has been closed.) It's kind of a 'special edition' post, much like the one you're reading now, so I don't include it on the list; however, since it is the true #1 of the year, I had to mention it. Also, just like last year, I have to expand the list slightly due to an exact tie. In fact, if the list went to the twelve most popular posts instead of ten, I would have had multiple ties.
In reverse order, the eleven most popular posts written in 2023 are:
10) Marshalls Creek Explosion, East Stroudsburg, Monroe County
9) Fred McFeely Rogers, Latrobe, Westmoreland County (tie)
9) Graceanna Lewis, Phoenixville, Chester County (tie)
8) Haines Shoe House, Hellam Township, York County
7) Philo T. Farnsworth, Glenside, Montgomery County
6) Sheppton Mine Disaster and Rescue, Sheppton, Schuylkill County
5) Rocky Glen Park, Moosic, Lackawanna County
4) Crane Iron Works, Catasauqua, Lehigh County
3) Goshenhoppen, Bally, Berks County
2) Pennsylvania Match Factory, Bellefonte, Centre County
1) Boyertown Burial Casket Company, Boyertown, Berks County
In total, the blog has received upwards of 122,000 hits, which is roughly double what it had at this time last year! The Facebook page has 291 followers as of this writing, and I am grateful for each and every reader and follower I have.
What's coming up for MarkerQuest™?
I'll be returning to my beloved Zenkaikon in March of next year, so I'm once again looking forward to my long weekend of complete relaxation in beautiful Lancaster. I'm anticipating repeating my presentation about the history of that wonderful city, which was very well received, and will also be applying to give a related presentation about the more mysterious parts of its lore, in keeping with the con's 2024 theme of 'dark academia.'
I'm still hoping to finally finish the first MQ book and get it out onto shelves in the coming year. If all goes according to plan, I will also be introducing a spinoff project; I'd like to get started on that while I'm on my December hiatus, if I have the spare time and the weather isn't too hard on me.
Whatever you celebrate, I hope it's peaceful, warm, and full of joy. I look forward to resuming my weekly posts in January, and wish everyone a Happy New Year.
To all of my readers, my supporters, and the friends which MarkerQuest™ has gained over the last five years - thank you for joining me on this adventure. It wouldn't be nearly as much fun without you and I hope you'll continue to be a part of the MarkerQuest™ crew in the coming year.
Except where indicated, all writing and photography on this blog is the intellectual property of Laura Klotz. This blog is written with permission of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. I am not employed by the PHMC. All rights reserved.
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