Billmeyer Boat Yard, Lewisburg Pa

P. Billmeyer & Co, on the 1884 Fowler Map

In 1845, William Frick and Eli Slifer opened a canal boat-building operation in Northumberland. They moved the business upriver in May 1849, still in Northumberland County on the east bank of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River a mile or so below the Lewisburg bridge. That year, the business built twenty canal boats for the Pennsylvania Coal Company. In April 1850, Frick & Slifer relocated yet again, this time to the mouth of Buffalo Creek at the north edge of Lewisburg, then in 1852 moved south of the creek to “its present location.” By that time, the company had erected a wharf at the mouth of Buffalo Creek and had excavated a basin above the creek bridge to hold completed boats. In July 1852, Henry Frick (William’s son) entered the business at age 25, the name of the company changing to Frick, Slifer & Company to reflect the addition. Philip Billmeyer was added to the firm a year later in 1853.

Billmeyer's Boat Yard is #9, on the right, on the 1884 Fowler Map

 Colonel Eli Slifer and his partner, William Frick, had moved their boat yard to Lewisburg in 1850, completing it in 1852. Although their mill burned in 1853J the same year the bridge burned, it was rebuilt immediately. In 1868, the boat yard was shown operating on the south side of Buffalo Creek on both sides of St. Anthony Street. By 1886, it was known as P. Billmeyer and Company, employed 100 workers, and produced finished lumber and river bridges ( Centennial History by Mauser, 1886)

On March 25 1862 - Frick, Billmeyer and Co, of Lewisburg launched the biggest boat ever built in the yard. It was 76 feet long and 240 tons capacity

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Read more about when the Susquehanna Valley Had A Canal, with photos by town, here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/10/when-susquehanna-valley-had-canal-west.html

See more about Lewisburg's Cross Cut Canal, here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/10/lewisburgs-cross-cut-canal.html

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Find More Stories & History Of Lewisburg Here:
https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/08/lewisburg-pa.html

And More Stories & History From Surrounding Towns Here:
https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/p/history.html

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READ MORE

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1857 Map showing Frank Slifer Boat Yard

The Canal Boatyard

[copied from a historical survey of the bridges in Lewisburg, this must be from one of our local history books, but I am uncertain which one]

In 1845, William Frick and Eli Slifer opened a canal boat-building operation in Northumberland. They moved the business upriver in May 1849, still in Northumberland County on the east bank of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River a mile or so below the Lewisburg bridge. That year, the business built twenty canal boats for the Pennsylvania Coal Company. Slifer, born in Chester County in 1818, had come to Lewisburg years earlier but after both parents died, he was raised by relatives in Chester County. Slifer returned to Lewisburg in 1834, served as an apprentice hat maker and then entered the canal cargo business. He was Frick’s brother-in-law, having married sister Catharine M. Frick in 1840. Frick’s father, John III (born 1784) was involved in the canal business at Northumberland, so it apparently was natural for his son to also take an interest in the canal.

In April 1850, Frick & Slifer relocated yet again, this time to the mouth of Buffalo Creek at the north edge of Lewisburg, then in 1852 moved south of the creek to “its present location.” By that time, the company had erected a wharf at the mouth of Buffalo Creek and had excavated a basin above the creek bridge to hold completed boats. In July 1852, Henry Frick (William’s son) entered the business at age 25, the name of the company changing to Frick, Slifer & Company to reflect the addition. Philip Billmeyer was added to the firm a year later in 1853. 

In May 1858, William Slifer left the company, which was reorganized as William Frick & Company. William Frick left in 1860, selling the boatyard and sawmill to Henry Frick and Philip Billmeyer for $18,300. The company was now Frick, Billmeyer & Company, having added A. H. Dill and William Nogel as partners. Henry Frick departed in July 1865 and the name was changed to Billmeyer, Nogel & Company. The company’s name continued to change as partners came and went:

1870–M. R. Dill added as partner
1871–George S. Matlack added as a partner
1872–Nogel departed; new partners included William D. Himmelreich and H. C.  Wolfe; company name is now Billmeyer, Dill & Company
1873–M. R. Dill departed, R. O. Learch added
1880–A. H. Dill departed, firm became Philip Billmeyer & Company

Billmeyer died in September 1885 but his estate continued to manage the company, which continued under the same name for some time. By 1892, the name had changed to Himmelreich & Company