Third Thursday Lecture Series
Our Lecture Series is "on the road" again this year! Since the Stroud Mansion is closed for construction of the Heritage Center, we will hold the 2024 lecture series in person at a different location around the county each month.
Please join us in Pocono Township for the June program
Reflections on the 1955 Flood Through the Camera of Albert Koster: A Then and Now Perspective
By David Koster
Thursday, June 20, 2024, at 7:00 p.m.
Keystone Hall 202A/B Community Room
Northampton Community College Pocono Campus
2411 Route 715, Tannersville
The Flood of 1955 was a catastrophic event that transformed the landscape and way of life in Monroe County. On August 19, in the aftermath of storms born of hurricanes Connie and Diane, which dumped more than a foot of rain in Stroudsburg, raging creeks overflowed, destroying everything in their paths and killing 76 people.
In the hours after the water receded, 25-year-old Al Koster, East Stroudsburg resident and budding photographer, captured ground-level and aerial photos of the devastation. While many photos were taken, Koster's differed as they were in vivid color.
Evidence of the flood's aftermath is still visible today if one knows where and how to look. In this presentation, David Koster will display many of his father's original photos, describing them in historical context and comparing them with views of the same locations as they appear today.
David Koster is a native of East Stroudsburg, although he lived many years away in Florida and North Carolina. He recently returned to Monroe County for his retirement from classroom teaching and corporate learning and development. He currently keeps busy hiking and biking, exploring activities and places around the northeast, and volunteering at the Historical Association.
The Third Thursday Lecture Series is free, but reservations are suggested due to limited space.
To reserve your spot or for additional information, please contact the Monroe County Historical Association office at
570-421-7703 or email admin@monroehistorical.org.
The presentation will also be recorded for those who are unable to attend in person. Look for the program on our YouTube channel following the event.