Newkirk Veterans Memorial

About 1.5 miles west of Tamaqua lies the small unincorporated coal village of Newkirk, Pa. Newkirk is unique in many ways, one of them being not falling victim to the sprawl and development of our modern days. Newkirk is also an epitome of patriotism. On a brief ride on old Route 209 and Newkirk's two or three back streets, this patriotism is visible through displays of American flags big and small. What many people don't know is that through the hard work of a few people, Newkirk has a hidden gem that pays tribute and respect to our veterans. It is estimated that since World War II roughly half of Newkirk families have a member that has served their country. Somewhere around 2010, some former and current Newkirk residents got together and formulated the idea to create a memorial to those veterans. Spearheaded by Joe Bickleman and Danny Farber, this memorial came into existence. This amazing, fitting display sits in the rear of the village against the backdrop of its once prosperous coal lands. Without any organizational sponsoring or funding, Joe and Danny started work on building the Newkirk Veterans Memorial. They enlisted the help of Joe's wife, Marlene, Danny Farber Jr. and Joel Farber, and started building this tribute.