Monday, December 28, 2020

On This Day In Local History - January

 

On This Day In Local History, January
JAN    FEB    MAR   APR    MAY    JUNE   JUL   AUG   SEP   OCT   NOV   DEC

In the early 1920's, the Miltonian newspaper ran a weekly page of Historical Notes, with history listed by day.  It's one of my favorite things to read, and many of the articles on this blog have come from those blurbs.  This is my version of those 1920's pages, in a month format rather than a daily one.  (They typically post daily on my facebook page, when I remember to schedule them to do so)


For an index of history posts by Subject & Town, go here:
https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/p/history.html
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THIS MONTH IN LOCAL HISTORY
Day By Day
January
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1st
From The Charles Fasold Collection:
"The original BKW Coach Line buses parked on the north side of the Snyder County Bank,in Hummels Wharf, in 1935. Buffington, Kessler, and Wilhour organized BKW on January 1, 1933. The first actual bus run was made January 1, 1935, immediately following the closing of the Sunbury-Selinsgrove Electric Railway (trolley). The bus company's route was from from Selinsgrove to Sunbury, with a stop at Rolling Green Park."
Read more about When The Trolley's Ran In Sunbury, here:
2nd
A Souvenir Photo Postcard showing the former Bloomsburg Professor turned Lion Tamer, in his show tent at Disneyland
Although the Mickey Mouse Club Circus itself ended in January 1956, Keller’s act continued alone in the nearly vacant tent for a few of months more to finish out his contact.
An art professor at Bloomsburg State Teachers College, George Keller began his circus career when a college friend mailed him a mountain lion with a note that said "Here Keller, Tame This".
That note would later become the title of his book, but only after Keller trained the mountain lion cub, sold it to the circus, purchased more wild animals, and became a professional Lion Tamer.He performed in events across the nation, worked for Walt Disney, and appeared on the Today Show. Then in 1960, while on stage, he had a heart attack and died, with the crowd  applauding his performance.


3rd
4th
  • 1817 - James Hepburn Died
  • 1867 - S.P. Kase of Danville Appointed commissioner to attend the World's Fair at Paris
  • 1870 - William P. Marr of Turbot Township and his college chum H.B. Boyle of Kentucky, killed at grade crossing above fair grounds, as they were driving to a social function at Milton.  They were classmates at Princeton and were enjoying the holiday vacation at the Marr homestead.
  • 1875 - Thieves robbed the Catawissa station, South Front Street Milton https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2022/01/catawissa-station-at-milton.html
  • 4th1929, 39 year old Alfred  Mincemoyer of Watsontown was killed when a school bus he was driving was hit by the Dewart Milk train. The man had taken a load of children to the Dewart school and was on his way home. He did not notice the approach of the train.  
White Deer Dam - "Where Watsontown Gets Its Clear Water"


5th
6th
7th
  • 1762  - Great thaw produced record floods in this valley
  • 1853 - Drug Store of Thornton and Christ, and dwelling of Dr Thos H. Wilson at Lewisburg destroyed by fire
  • 1856 - The first train to Sunbury passed over the new river bridge at Northumberland.
  • 1868 - Alexander McNeil killed at Car Works in Milton [Later AC&F]
  • 1902 - Joseph Cromley of Limestoneville [or Turbotville, depending on the  report], and his 9 year old son, both  killed by Buffalo Flyer at Watsontown Crossing.  A short time later, a second tragedy with the same train was narrowly avoided in Milton. To read the accounts, scroll down to the year 1902 in this article  - https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/04/watsontown-train-station.html
  • 1954 - An Airforce Plane Crashed into the roof of a home in Muncy Pa https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/07/when-air-force-plane-crashed-into-muncy.html
1911 - New Marble Home of First National Bank in Milton opened for business.

Milton National Bank was organized in 1858, with James Pollock on the first board of directors. Business was held at the corner of Broadway and front street.  That building was lost in the 1880 fire.   
 In 1881, the bank moved to the brick building on the east side of front street (beside what would later be Haags Hotel) 
In 1910, half of the brick building was torn down, and a new bank was built.
 The new white Milton National Bank was opened in January of 1911 
The Milton Public Library moved into this building in 1932.
Today the library is in the Rose Hill Mansion up on the hill, and this is the Milton Art Bank.


8th
  • 1794 - William Hepburn elected to congress in a special election
  • 1850 - Odd Fellows Hall in Milton dedicated
  • 1874 - An engine from Sunbury broke loose and made it to Milton in 11 minutes, with no engineer or fireman on board.  A dispatch was sent to Milton, to turn the switch  and thrown the engine off the track, preventing it from running into the mail train that was headed to Milton from Watsontown.  https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/12/an-index-of-railroad-incidents-in.html
  • 1909 - "Mr Jacob Rissel of this place who has been a fireman on the Reading railroad for many years was thrown from his engine near the Dougal on Saturday last, fracturing his right arm between the elbow and wrist.

Nothing about a Pandemic or Epidemic is funny - but  the similarities in how we all react can be. For all of the differences  and changes in the world over the last 100 years, how a pandemic effects society doesn't seem to have changed all that much. 
Here's what some of our local newspapers looked like in 1918, during the Spanish Flu - 
9th
  • 1811 - First Fire Co. Organized in Sunbury
  • 1817 - Sunbury Brush Factory purchased by David Rittenhouse and move to Milton
  • 1888 - Big Freshnet in river brought down 8 million feet of logs.
  • 1889 - Storm at Sunbury blew down houses, stacks and killed two men
  • 1891 - J.M. Runk moved from his hotel in Sunbury to the Hotel Haag in Milton.  There are many men who deserve credit for saving our local histories, and I am thankful to all of them. But considering how frequently I reference Bell's History of Northumberland County, It's is J.M. Runk that I am often the most thankful for.  Read more here: https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/05/when-our-history-was-saved-by-john.html
  • 1902 - Mr. Cromley, his son, and a team of horses were killed on the Pennsylvania Railroad at Watsontown. In 1904, Mrs. Cromley was still involved in lawsuits for damages, with the Railroad company. https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/04/watsontown-train-station.html

In January of 1928 H. Beam Piper wrote in a letter:
"I received Otzinachson....  and I am delighted with it.  I'd say off hand, that it is worth all that I am going to pay for it ($15) both as a history of the valley in which I spent some of the happiest days of my life, and as a source of information and material for my projected series of three novels dealing with the Fair Play Men.  As to the latter, I think it will serve as the foundation, to which I will build up my other research into old records, oral traditions, and such."  Read  Otzinachson,  A History Of The West Branch Valley by Megginess here

 A folklorist and friend of Henry Shoemaker, Pipers first published Science Fiction story took place in Williamsport Pa. He went on to write stories that were sold to Walt Disney, and reportedly inspired George Lucas' Ewoks.  During his lifetime, his work was met with mixed reviews.  After his death, his work developed a cult following.
Read More here:

10th
  • 1768 - White Mingo and nine other Indians murdered by Frederick Stump at Middle Creek.  This crime caused much trouble for the whites for many years.
  • 1796 - Northumberland Fire Company organized at Northumberland [still in active service in 1924]
  • 1951 - the flood protection system was formally turned over to the city of Sunbury.  https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/06/when-sunbury-got-flood-wall.html
  • 1935 - a local newspaper printed "The 8 Wonders Of The Keystone State", as listed in an 1857 guidebook. The wonders included: Philadelphia Waterworks, Delaware Water Gap, Ohiopyle Falls, Natural Warm Springs, The Portage Railroad, Endless Caverns, Independence Hall, and Englers Falls in Lycoming County. Read more about each of these wonders here: https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-eight-wonders-of-pennsylvania-in.html

11th
  • 1796 - Col. Thomas Pollock and brother William came into Milton from Derry township, now in Montour County, and began a career as Merchants there.
  • 1850 - A weekly express was established between Milton and Philadelphia by W.H. Thompson of Sunbury
  • 1911 - J.A. Fegley, a Lewisburg stationer, found guilty of selling The Woodpecker, containing libel on Hon B.K. Focht, of the Lewisburg Sunday News.
  • 1922 - Milton Moose held their first meeting in their new home.
  •  1928 - Fire at the White Deer Woolen Mill  https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2021/02/white-deer-woolen-mills.html

When "ice boxes" were the primary method for storing food, the annual Ice Harvest would typically last from a week to a month.   Pennsylvania once ranked third in the nation for ice production, behind only Maine and New York.
Read more here:


12th

13th
  • 1858 - John Watson died in Delaware township, aged 89 years.
  • 1864 - Danville American and Danville Democrat consolidated
  • 1883 - Watsontown Car Manufacturing Company won verdict from Williamsport Lumber Company for $2763
  • 1922 - "Dr John Ruskin, noted explorer, guest of the Kiwanis club" at Milton
  • 1931, Mrs Bressler of Watsontown was killed, when her car "slipped inside of the road", and collided wi.th an oncoming car.   In 1930 and 1931, there were numerous accidents on front street in Milton, all attributed to the trolley tracks A coroners jury, at inquest, declared that the accident had been unavoidable, and recommended that the tracks be removed. https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/05/south-front-street-milton-pa-through.html
  • 1940, Foster Hoffman of Watsontown escaped injury when his car skidded on the icy road and upset in Devils turnip patch.  Hoffman was returning from work at the Williamsport Wire Rope Company. https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-devils-turnip-patch.html

14th
15th

16th
17th
  • 1850 - A new county, Freeland County, was prosed.  Had the  proposal passed, I'd be writing  this post from my home in Freeland County Pa, rather than from Northumberland County.  https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-freeland-county-proposal-of-1850.html
  • 1857 - Great Snow Storm, lasting 24 hours, closed all roads and mail was delayed for 3 days.
  • 1859 - Col. Eli Slider of Lewisburg elected State Treasurer second term
  • 1870  - Market house in Lewisburg formerly opened
  • 1872 - two years after his visit to Williamsport, and eight years before the fire that destroyed all of the buildings in downtown Milton, Mark Twain visited the Milton Opera House and gave a lecture on "Roughing It" in California. https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2019/12/when-mark-twain-came-to-milton-pa.html
  • 1874 - Frank O'Donnel won a live bear in a lottery
  • 1881 - Jacob Nicholas, of near Turbotville hot into a party of serenaders, seriously injuring Henry Shade, aged 16 years.

18th
19th
  • 1798 - First Fire Company in Milton organized at John Chapman's Tavern
  • 1907 - Street lights were turned on for the first time in Selinsgrove 
  • 1909 - Spencer Ranck seriously hurt in a fall from Williamsport bridge while painting
  • 1911 - The Old Roush Mill near Kelly Crossroads burned
  • 1912 - Old Grist mill , Locust and Arch street, built by Pollocks in 1832, destroyed by fire
  • 1922- The Miltonian published a letter from JP Kohler, reminisces of Milton, remembering the Amusements, part 2.  It included stories of ice skating , sledding, sleighing parties, in all the best locations in Milton.  https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2021/06/reminiscences-of-milton-by-jp-kohler_1.html
20th
  •  1772, Andrew Montour was killed by a Seneca Indian who had been staying at Montour's home. https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2021/10/montours-reserve-beginning-of.html
  • 1829 - Great railroad convention at Sunbury. William Tweed, William Nice, and Samuel Hepburn delegates from Milton. John L. Watson and Henry Reader represented McEwensville
  • 1872 - Captain Huff's new hotel opened in Milton.  It was five stories high and stood on the side of Hotel Milton
21st

22nd

23rd

24th

25th
In January 1911, Eber Culver wrote a 55 page memoir of his life.
The bulk of it describes his incredible journey west during the gold rush, although he does spend a few pages describing his life and work in Williamsport as well.
Read it here:

26th
  • 1866 - White Deer Woolen Mills swindled out of $18,000 by a former employee and partner https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2021/02/white-deer-woolen-mills.html
  • 1874 - William Cameron presented the Lewisburg Fire Company with a fire engine and hose carriage and, 2,000 feet of hose, at a cost of $10,000
  • 1922 - Milton dry for the first time in it's history.  No [alcohol] licenses granted.
  • 1922 - Shimer Hose Company of Milton holds "successful 500 party".

Property Advertised For Sale In Milton
January 27th 1921
Including an island.
27th
28th
29th

30th
31st
  • In the last week of January, 1853, readers of the People's Journal, were informed that the new settlers in "New Norway", in rural Pennsylvania,  were delighted with their locations and were busily engaged in making roads. A steam saw mill and two water mills were under construction and a new school house had been erected.  Read more about the famous violinist who created New Norway, and his "castle", all of which today is part of a state park.   https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2022/11/ole-bull-famous-violinist-with-castle.html
  • 1855 - Lewisburg Gas Company incorporated

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Misc January History
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 In January 1796, brothers William and Thomas Pollock came to Milton and started store keeping in the kitchen of the vacant Vincent house.

In January of 1940, the Daily Item reported that residents were demanding the Lewisburg bridge be lighted once again.  "The bridge was lighted at one time with lights in the top girder of every span, but the globes were broken so often, allegedly by youths throwing stones at them, that officials tired of purchasing new lights and removed the old ones."

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In January of 1923, the Miltonian ran several pages recapping the news of the prior year.

This is what they had to say about January 1922:




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READ MORE 
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In 2020, the Snow Geese arrived on our farm outside of Watsontown at the end of January.  Over the years, they have arrived here as early as late January, and as late as mid March.  
Read more about the snow goose migration here:


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