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Hurry, hurry - read all about it! The Donora Public Library is pleased to announce that photocopies of the original World War II Webster-Fellsburg Sentinel newspaper are available to be read here in our Local History room!

Thanks to retired library circulation clerk Alberta Alonzo's loan of her issues of this historic publication, readers can now glimpse life on the Mid-Mon Valley homefront and read notes sent home by the men and women serving in every theater of the war.

Led by Donora Wire Mill Superintendent George D. Johnston, the all-volunteer, seven-member Webster-Fellsburg District Military, Naval, and Home Service Committee and a supporting cast of reporters and typists maintained the morale of their former neighbors with anecdotes of daily life here and news of their buddies in other branches of the service. Each four-page paper (and one six-page exception), printed twice monthly in Monongahela, was sent to servicemen and -women free of charge, but sold for five cents (later ten cents) at home. In addition, each person known to be in the Armed Forces from the Webster-Fells Church vicinity (pre-war population approximately 3,000) received a Christmas box of candy from the Committee.

The library's 42 copies of The Sentinel range from the second issue, dated March 1, 1943 (Vol. 1, #2) through October 5, 1945 (Vol. 3 #10). We are missing six issues: Volume 1 #1 (2/15/43); Vol. 1 #7 (5/15/43); #12 (8/1/43); and #15 (9/15/43). Vol. 2, #18 (11/1/44) is missing as is Vol. 2, #23 (1/15/45). If anyone owns one or more of these missing issues, the Library would appreciate the opportunity to photocopy and/or scan the pages to preserve in our collection and make available for others to see.

Those interested in the Second World War, local history, or the daily lives of their Webster-Fells Church area relatives of 70+ years ago are invited to read The Sentinel during regular library hours,11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Friday, or 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday.

Although we recognize that an index to The Sentinel would be helpful in locating specific names of people, places, and events, we regret that we have not had time to undertake that project. However, anyone wishing to volunteer to improve access to The Sentinel by indexing it (or to correct OCR scans of its pages) is asked to call the Donora Public Library at 724-379-7940, or to send an e-mail to donorapubliclibrary@comcast.net. We look forward to hearing from you!

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