While Selinsgrove is typical of the many towns located along the shores of the Susquehanna River, it has cultivated its own identity as the home of Susquehanna University, founded in 1858 as the Missionary Institute and later becoming one of the nation’s first coeducational colleges. Prior to the Pennsylvania Canal, several Selinsgrove mills were vital in the worldwide flour trade, where wheat was ground into flour and floated on arks downriver to Baltimore. For most of the 20th century, Rolling Green Park was a leading recreational attraction, and for over 60 years the Selinsgrove Speedway’s sprint car races have caused spectators to hail it as “the fastest half-mile dirt track in the East.” What truly makes Selinsgrove and the surrounding area prominent is the unique individuals that have marked its history. Through more than 200 photographs, many previously unpublished, Around Selinsgrove depicts the places and people who have made these communities into what they are today.
