Newspaper Accounts of Harrisburg's Old 8th Ward
The Old 8th Ward was, by all accounts, a rough neighborhood. Robberies, brawls, and other sorts of melee occurred in the ward often enough that it obtained a statewide reputation for being dangerous and ridden with crime. Adding to the aura of the ward were newspaper men, whose hunger for sensational stories could always be fed in the Old 8th. These journalists, who were not above exaggerating to improve a story, have left a record of the ward filled with crime and violence.
A sampling of newspaper stories about the Old 8th, which were published in local Harrisburg newspapers, can be viewed by following the links below. Articles appear in categories as noted below and have been transcribed for readability.
For further reading:
- See Kimberly Sebeystian's paper on newspaper articles from the Telegraph