Catasauqua Trivia

Last night we had our Annual Red Hat Tea Party at Friendship Circle at Salem. We are not real Red Hatters, it is just the way our group, Friendship Circle kind of started. We do a different theme every month and I am the Martha Stewart of the bunch. I do a little decorating and plan a game sometimes. Anyway, last night we played Catasauqua Trivia, which I am full of (oy, I am full of a lot of stuff sometimes). I always say I am a plethera of useless information, but it comes in handy at game time.

A shout out to my friends Nancy and Cathy for reading my blogs and knowing some of the answers!

The first thing I found interesting and that I didn't know was "Why is Catasauqua referred to as the Million Dollar Town." I thought it was because Catasauqua had so many millionaires back in the day and it did. By 1900, Catasauqua boasted 5,000 residents, and had the highest percentage of self-made millionaires of any town in the United States. But it was because in 1917, while many of the young men of the town served in World War I, Catasauqua became the first community in the United States to raise $1 million in war bonds, earning it the nickname "The Million Dollar Town." Wow, isn't that amazing!!!!!

Another thing I found really interesting was notable people from Catasauqua. They were listed as follows:

Buck Freeman, professional baseball player, 1891-1907. Played with Washington Senators. Born in Catasauqua.

Pat Kelly, professional baseball player, New York Yankees, 1991-97. Catasauqua High School graduate.

Bert Kuczynski, pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics, 1943, and tight end in the NFL for the Detroit Lions, 1943, and Philadelphia Eagles, 1946. Taught and coached at Catasauqua High School.

Bob Sherlin, Software engineer, developed the first desktop computer and gps satellite also helped develop the floppy and optical disk drives

Larry Miller, Class of 1964, Basketball Star for University of North Carolina during the 1960s and played professionally in the ABA from 1968-1975 as a member of the Los Angeles Stars, Carolina Cougars, San Diego Conquistadors, Virginia Squires, and Utah Stars.

I had heard of some of these men, but I was amazed at Bert Kuczynski, I had him is school as a Teacher, I knew he coached, but I was really amazed about his career. Further googling found this:

Bert Kuczynski - Professional Baseball and Football Player. He was a standout varsity football and baseball player at the University of Pennsylvania from 1941-1943. After graduating in 1943 he signed with the Philadelphia Athletics and pitched in the major leagues just weeks after graduating from college. He then signed an NFL contract with the Detroit Lions and played tight end for the Lions during the 1943 season, thus becoming one of the few players to ever play their rookie season in Major League Baseball and their rookie season in the National Football League in the same year. His professional career was interrupted by a tour of duty in the United States Navy during World War II from 1944-1946, but after being discharged from the Navy, he returned to play professional football for the Philadelphia Eagles during the 1946 season. After retiring from football he returned to the University of Pennsylvania where he obtained his Master's Degree in 1949. He spent the next 27 years teaching high school history and also became a very successful football and baseball coach at the high school level.

I am in awe! You know I really do love Catasauqua and become more amazed each time I find out a little more and with that .....it's another day in Catasauqua.