Valley Girl Views: Smith School, Cronrath Road Watsontown

The Smith School was located on the Cronrath Farm

(along 8th street, near Cronrath Road) RD Watstontown.

It was torn down in 1966, and the Millers built a home where it stood.

In 1868 Simpson Smith, a lumberman from Lycoming County, purchased a plot of land from Isaac Vincent in Delaware Twp Northumblerand County. Today that land is known as the Cronrath Farm, outside of Watsontown.

The first mention I found of the Smith School was in an 1878 newspaper, where it was referred to as the "Smith House":

"Truckenmiller" was a the teacher for the "Smith House" in 1878, according to an article in the 1878 Northumberland Democrat (see the entire article at the bottom of this page under "READ MORE".) The same article stated: "Madam Rumor says Mr. Simpson Smith sold his farm recently at a good price."

Note - Edward Berger Truckenmiller, a teacher at many of the local schools, was raised on the Truckenmiller Farm right down from the Cronrath Farm. He was however, only 8 years old in 1878, so certainly not the teacher referenced in the 1878 article. My best guess would be that it was his father, Daniel Truckenmiller, who was teaching that year?

In 1889, there were two schools were voting would be taking place, in Delaware Twp:

Pioneer School House, South District of Delaware Twp

Temple School House, East District of Delaware Twp

At the Northumberland County School Day in May of 1927, Anna M. Frederick of the Smith School in Delaware Twp placed 3rd in the Rapid Calculations contest.

Another student at the Smith School was Betty Delcina Gresh born September 8, 1921 the daughter of Walter Roscoe Gresh and Mildred E. Remley Gresh. She attended Smith School in Delaware township. June 15, 1943 she entered the Army Nursing Corps at Woodrow Wilson General Hospital, Staunton, Virginia. She served until November 17, 1945. She became a 1st Lt during WWII. She married Nicholas Andreacchi and raised a large family in California.