"Monopoly's Redding Railroad"

Reading, Pennsylvania is a haven for historians, with historical sites for the Civil War and 30 different museums. The city is also the site of the famous Parker Brothers' Monopoly game's Reading Railroad... one of 4 railroads' squares on the famous board game.

Thanks to Karin Schueler Donato for finally & officially retiring the age-old debate: is it pronounced "Reading" or "Red-ding?" The answer is that it is pronounced as "Red-ding" which is the way this PA city & railroad pronounce it. A cousin, Clint Hadden, said that the way the locals say it, is the way it is!

I hated to give in on this, as we always called it "Reading Railroad" saying it as it looks. The debate grew as my son tried to hold on to our tradition and his wife, Christie Schueler West - yes, Karin's sister! - fought, with Vigor and a few other people, against us! Christie resorted to having all of her friends on FaceBook to vote for her precious "Red-ding" version of the name.

Alas, as a true West, we will show our honorable side by admitting that we were wrong! Karin submitted this as her proof - the History of the Reading Railroad called Reading Railroad Online.

For a time in the 19th Century, Reading was the largest corporation in the world. As the coal business declined and truck competition increased, Reading's revenues signficantly declined. Reading entered bankruptcy in 1971. I wonder if they had pronounced the name correctly, would they still be prominent & powerful today?

- Compiled by JGWest

PS: The Schueler sisters are from Cincinnati for whatever that is worth.