Shamokin, Lynn & Packer - The History Of Packers Island In Sunbury

Packers Island - The Island Between Sunbury & Northumberland

 This island has also been known as: Shamokin Island, Lynn's Island, and Island Of Corsica.

When The Island Was  Shamokin Island:
The island as we see it today  has been "much shortened" by erosion.  When Fort Augusta was being built, the lower end of the island extended a short distance below the fort.  The island at this time was part of an area today known as Sunbury, but originally known as Shamokin, which can be a bit confusing, as we also have a Shamokin today.

In the mid 1700s, the Moravians operated a mission in "Shamokin" (today Sunbury), and missionaries kept a day-to-day journal of events at the mission.  The diary tells us that during the 18th century, as many as 300 Indians lived at Shamokin –  an area which included Packer Island as well as parts of present-day Sunbury and Northumberland.

By the 1770s, these Indians had all moved west to Ohio or north toward New York State.  
Reverend John Heckewelder, one of the moravian minsters,  lived with the Delaware Indians  between 1762 and 1810, in both Pennsylvania, and later Ohio.  Heckewelder spoke the Delaware language fluently and knew many Indians on a personal basis. When he retired, he returned to  Bethlehem, Pennsylvania where he wrote several books about his experiences. First published in 1820, Heckewelder’s "History, Manners, and Customs of the Indian Nations Who Once Inhabited Pennsylvania and the Neighboring States" describes how the Indians lived.

The first white man known to have lived there was Mungo Reed. He purchased the ilans from the Penns for $1,533, and erected a cabin there.In 1786, Reed sold the Island to Abraham Scott, an officer of the French and Indian wars, and brother in law of Colonel Samuel Hunter, commander at Fort Augusta.    

Part of a larger painting, this portion shows Packers Island

When The Island Was Lynn's Island
Next to own the island was Edward Lynn, a cotton manufacturer from Nottinghamshire who emigrated with Dr. Joseph Priestly.

Lynn wrote a letter to his daughter, and from that letter we learn more of the island.  In it he says:

"I am happy to find you pleased with my purchase of the island! the ancient name is the Indian one, and I shall always continue to call it Shamokin.  The country for a great many miles around was called by that name till lately.  But the settlers are giving new names to a great part of it.  Some people are for altering the name of this by calling it the Island of Corsica, after the most delightful island in the Mediterranean, but very small.

Between 30 and 40 years back the Indians were the only inhabitants of this island, where they have two towns, one about 100 yards from my house, and another about a mile above it near the upper end where some of the stumps of their wigwams were remaining a few years back.  We found several stone axes, and pieces of sharp flint, which were the points of their arrows.  In digging in the cellar this morning we found the skeleton of an Indian about two feet below the surface.  It must have lain there many years.  About 60 yards from the house is a mount covering many bodies slain in battle"

In a later letter, Lynn writes about a fox hunt on the island.  "I shall venture to give you an account of a fox hunt we had the other day on the island. For some time past we have seen a fox.  In consequence, I informed a neighbor, who keeps three or four couples of hounds.  Of him and some neighbors we borrowed some more and they came this morning to hunt.  Their pack consisted of six couples, and a half: the hunters all on foot, about 10am we sallied forth up from the island about a mile from my house, where a boy of mine had been foddering some cattle; on his return home, crossing a strong wheat stubble, he put him up:  we where there with the dogs in about two hours after but not one hound hit upon the scent.  but they operated very finely when they came upon partridges, pheasants or rabbits, of which we have plenty.

At length, after about two hours sport in search of the fox, he was encircled about the middle of the woodland part of the island; after running a little time we perceived the dogs had to brace up, and our pack divided, about half to each and after them several times around the Island they fairly ran them down and killed them above the ground, one stood about 15 minutes longer than the other. "  (Obviously they found more than one fox on this hunt)
He went on to say that he never saw a company in England enjoy the sport more than those on the island hunt that day.  There were approximately 100 people there, and 16 came back to Lynn's house to eat boiled beef and roast squabs when the hunt was over. "but in one material point to their honor, differed much from the English hunters, in not drinking to excess after the hunt."

The men insisted upon giving the fox skins to Mrs Lynn to make her muff, which was "considered a great compliment indeed.  The skins are valuable, being red fox with long fine hair, such as the finest muffs are made of in England. "  

On the fourth of July, which Mr Lynn explains to his daughter "was the anniversary of the American Independence", about 50 citizens met and dined together at the shade grove at the lower end of Lynn's island.  "The dinner consisted of cold fowls, roast and boiled hams, beef, veal, etc, with plenty of good wine."  "General Bull and Mrs Priestly were on chairs, the former at the upper end.  Close to the point was placed a common 12 pound canon (formerly belonging to the British government), which was fired after every toast, after some, nine, or six, or three times, which had a fine effect by the echo in the lofty hills surrounding us.  Several of the company brought in instruments of music with them, and formed a good band."

According to Lynn, they had a pleasant day, and everyone returned home at 6pm perfectly sober. Lynn went on to say that the former proprietors, Mungo Reed and Abraham Scott "were federalists, synonymous with aristocrat".  Lynn had found boards for the table and seats and had put them up himself, and had also gathered a bushel of cherries for the desert.  He thanked his guests for their favorable opinion, and said he hoped that the annual meeting would always occur on the same spot on his island as long as he owned it.

Owners over the next few years included: , John Boyd, John Cowden, Alexander Cummings.  Within a month of purchasing it, Cummings sold the Island to the Philadelphia Bank.  The bank sold to Ebenezeer Greenbough, Greenbough sold to Weitzer, Weitzer sold to Bird, and in 1877, John B. Packer purchased the island of $20, 500.

Packers Island, showing the  old covered bridge

When The Island Was Packers Island
John B. Packer was one of the largest landholders in Pennsylvania, and he was a stock holder in the Philadelphia and Erie railroad.  His wife, Mary, was a major donor for the Mary M. Packer hospital, and she also helped to start the Opera House on Chestnut street.  The Packers lived a font and Markets street.

One history tells us that on the other side of Market street Packer had stables where he kept his prized race horses.  On the island he owned one of the two mile race tracks in the state. (At the time, the only other mile track was in Allentown)

A View Of The Racetrack On Packers Island (Today, the airport is here)

Another history credits the horse track to John Packers son, James C. Packer, saying he  used the island farm as a training ground for his race horses.  "He built a private race track on the upper part of the island, where the airport is now located."

A man by the name of Leeser managed the island farm for Packer; Packer owned 15 additional farms.  There were three houses on the island and Leeser lived in the middle one, which stands near the bridge to Sunbury.  One of the other houses stood where the drive in (formerly Mays) is today, and the third house was located where the social club later stood.

The 12 cows on the farm furnished milk and butter for the Packer and Leeser families.  The artesian well was sent to wooden holding tanks 25 feet in height.

The brick home built as the Packers summer residence still stands today.

Island Park - The Amusement Park Rivalry Between Packer & Clement

Island  Park  Amusement Park opened in 1894, and operated until about 1914 - at which time, Rolling Green Park had opened.   In  February of 1919 there were plans to reopen Island Park, with new building

August 1894

Ira T. Clement operated the Steamboat ferry between Sunbury and Shamokin Dam. He had developed Clements Park at the Upper Ferry (north of Grangers Hollow Road) as a playground to boost travel on his steamboat line.  

Clements Steamboat at Upper Market Street

It was a profitable park, until James C. Packer developed a part of Island Park, promoting it as an add on to the Sunbury And Northumberland Electric Line (The trolley).

"After that, neither park produced a profit, but that mattered not to the two rich families.  They were satisfied with the annoyance each caused the other"

The Packers however, had more money.  They continued to fund, at a loss, Island park long after the steamboat had been abandoned. 

1907

Still, Clements didn't completely lose, and he had some satisfaction in that after he closed Clements park, many would come to the Upper Ferry by horse and buggy and pay for Clements Steam Boats to take the two mile trip up river to Packers Island.  Before the Canal was abandoned, Sunday Schools frequently made the trip by steamboat for their picnics at Island Park.

The Trolley Stop For Island Park, about 1900

The Dancing Pavilion on Packers Island

February 1919

Island Is Purchased By Pontious & Guyer

After Packers death, all of his many land holdings were sold at public auction, including the island. Packers Island was purchased by G. Scott Guyer and A.W. Pontius for a winning bid of $75,000.  They immediately announced their intention to lay the island out in building lots as soon as possible. 

The Danville Morning news reported in September of 1919 "The plan of the new owners is to have a wide avenue crossing the island, eventually lines with handsome homes.  The land back of the main thoroughfare will be divided into lots.  It was stated by the new owners that they will lay out a golf course on the upper end of he island, residences in the central portion, and hold the lower end for industrial purposes."

Island Park Amusement Park,  Revived

It was in  May of 1923,  that a group of capitalists headed by S.M. Weist purchased 18 acres of land on Packers Island for an Amusement park. Nine acres were to the south of the concrete highway, and nine acres were to the north.  A concrete driveway and walk was planned to be built under the abutment of the bridge, to connect the two sections of the park.Plans included building a dance pavilion, a restaurant, an athletic field, a theater, boat and bath houses, and various rides and "amusement contrivances"

The park opened on June 30, 1923, and operated for 11 years, closing in 1934. 

The park featured one roller coaster, a Philadelphia Toboggan Company wooden coaster, called Island Flyer. The Island Flyer opened on May 30, 1925, and closed with the removal of all rides from the park in 1934.

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The Island Park Ballroom & Skating Rink
1935-?

Although the Roller coaster and rides were removed, part of the park continued to operate.  In 1935 "Pop" Baumgart was the amusement director for the Island Park Ballroom.  Orchestra's and dances were scheduled first on Wednesday nights, and later on Wednesday and Thursday nights, with roller skating the rest of the week.  There were occasional dances on Friday nights too, and the ballroom could be rented out for events.

The skating rink on the Island was popular for many years.

In 1961, James Sgro Kulpmont sold  the "Former Island Park Amusement Park", the land in Park Grove "from the vicinity of the Sunbury Airport to the abandoned swimming pool located in the park"

Part of the amusement park was retained however, and used for concerts through the 1970s.  In 1972, a group of concert goe-ers trashed the island, and for years there were complaints about the noise, cars parked in private drive ways, "lack of bathroom facilities for the concert goers", and the amount of trash left behind all over the island after the concerts.

By 1977, Sunbury council was working on an ordinance to stop the events.

I'm told by several that Dick Clark's Caravan came to the Ballroom at Island Park, and that many in our area saw the Supremes there, before they were the sensation they were to become.  The above ad is from the Dick Clarks Caravan that year, and although some of the groups changed from stop to stop, it gives an idea of who all may have been at that concert in 1964. 

As late as 1977, there were still amusements, and mini golf, on the island

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Shikellamy State Park Marina

Shikellamy state park is in two parts, with the overlook across the river being opened in 1960, and the marina on the island being added in 1972.

The Marina was completed in June of 1972, right before Hurricane Agnes.  The flood caused little damage to the island, but did leave a lot of mud and mess and required a good bit of clean up.

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The Airport On The Island
(71N) Sunbury Airport

In 1918, when the first air mail route between New York and Washington DC was established (with a stop in Philadelphia) lighted runways were rare, and safety was a concern.  For that reason, planes would deliver the mail to train stations, and the packages would continue on their way at night by train.

For the  transcontinental route, pilots considered the area between Sunbury and Bellefonte the least desirable and nicknamed it “Hell’s stretch.”

A Plane Wreck On the Island, early 1900s

In 1920, low clouds and fog forced air-mail pilot E.M. Allison to land in a farmer’s field on the Susquehanna River island. When Allison talked to the farm owner, he found  that another air-mail pilot had landed in the same field, for the same reason, a few weeks earlier. 

Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Department of Commerce designated the island an official emergency stop for aircraft and established a charted airfield on the farm.

Its location was ideal because it was midway between several stops.

Hoovers Fall Furniture Fair provided vintage airplane rides for residents from Northumberland County at the Sunbury Airport.

In September of 1929, Amelia Earhart was flying from Mitchell Airfield in New York, to Kansas City Missouri with her mother, when a storm forced her to land in Sunury Pa, at the Aero Club. She rested at the city hotel (Edison Hotel) in Sunbury, before continuing on her way. Read more about Earharts stops in our valley here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2019/10/when-amelia-earhart-came-to-hughesville.html

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Or on Project Gutenburg here:

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/50350/50350-h/50350-h.htm