Pioneer Days in the Wyoming Valley

This is a primary source for the history of Pennsylvania’s Wyoming Valley by someone deeply rooted in its society. Mary Hinchcliffe Joyce (1882-1938) was born in Sabastopol, Jenkins Township in Pennsylvania, and graduated from St. John’s High School. She did not attend college, but worked as a stenographer and bookkeeper at the Howell and King Brewery. A successful marriage made her a mainstay of life in the region, with service in myriad local groups-the Pittston Hospital Auxiliary, the Mothers’ Assistance Board of Luzerne County and the Luzerne County Historical Society. She was married to state senator, Patrick F. Joyce. In addition to being a politician, he and other associates owned Howell and King, making it into a soda pop and desserts business during Prohibition. His business success enabled him to maintain a large racing stable. This edition is dedicated to Isaiah Akin, who has demonstrated a keen appreciated for the materials by which history is constructed.