Sweets Steel, Newberry Pa

Dodge Mills, Newberry Pa

Later the location of Sweet's Steel

Dodge Mills, a lumber business, operated from around 1873 to 1881. It was next operated by the Pennsylvania Joint Lumber and Land Company, until around 1902.

By 1904, the location was Sweet's Steel. Sweets remained until the early 1960s.

After that, the property was owned by Lundy Construction, Lunch Homes, and Your Building Center.  The New Trail Brewing Company is today on this property.

Aerial View, Sweets Steel, Newberry Pa

On February 5 1904, The Sun Gazette reported that work at the Sweet's Steel Plant at Newberry was progressing steadily.  The placing of the siding on one of the large steel buildings had begun.

The former Dodge Mill Boarding House became lodging for many of the Sweet's Steel Workmen.  

May 1912

Williamsport has Just raised $100,000 for the purpose of increasing the facilities and output of one of Its leading industries and has done it without making a particle of fuss or noise.  The right men -went about-it in the right way and the result desired attained.

The Industry in question was the Sweets steel plant. It had  reached point where progress demanded enlarging several departments and placing of new and modern machinery in others.  All this expansion required the  expenditure of money in large  amounts and it was determined to place on the market treasury stock amounting to $l00,000.  

The Right Man

One hundred thousand dollars is a large amount of money and to raise it just now is no small undertaking, but Mr John Young took the matter in charge and it was done.  Mr. Young is not a man who makes much noise - but he  makes up for this by doing things and  that is what has happened - he has been doing things.

The entire amount of stock has been subscribed for and a call has just been made for the first installment.

This is just one more evidence of Williamsport's way, of which so many have been given in recent years.

1956 Sweet Steel Brushes

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On Nov 1 1904, John Yount of Milton was found suffocated in the das house of the Sweets Steel Plant, where he had been sleeping

Polish Community Found Home in Newberry

Grit - 1982

Around the turn of the century, thousands of young men left loved ones behind in such Polish cities as Krakow and Warsaw to make their way to the United States, where they hoped to make a lot of money.

It was the intent of many, after fulfilling their dream, to return with their new found wealth to their homeland to marry and raise families.

However, for many of the immigrants, this plan did not work out. So they stayed in America and helped keep the wheels of industry turning.

The Father of Lewis M. Kuzio, 317 Depot St., was one of them.

“He came directly from Krakow, Poland, to Syracuse, NY and went to work for Sweet Steel. When the plant moved to Newberry, he followed along,” said Kuzio, 75, who was born on Queen Street and has lived all his life in what came to be known as “Williamsport’s Polish Section”.

Poles also came from nearby mining towns to settle in the area running approximately from the river north to the Pennsylvania Railroad and from Lycoming Creek west to the former Reading railroad Yards.

Though many poles worked in the plants and mills in and around Williamsport, some chose to farm the land atop Newberry Hill, now the Grimesville Road area.

Most of the Polish people that came to Williamsport stayed and worked at Sweet Steel on Arch Street, where Lundy Construction now has offices, and other nearby factories, said Kuzio.

According to Stanley J. Szybist, 49 Round Hill Road, a Williamsporter for 77 years, a considerable number of Poles migrated to the Newberry section after initially settling in Morris Run, Blossburg and Ralston.

When the coal mines in those areas played out and disputes arose within the business, Szybist said, many of the Poles came to Newberry to work in the factories and mills.

“They worked 10-hour days, six days a week” he said. “The plants and industries in this area were really blooming around that time, especially during World War 2.”

Many of the early Polish people in the Newberry section were too young to fight in World War 1, and then too old to be drafted into World War 2.

“My dad was an older man and he was drafted into World War 2.” Said Kuzio. “He didn’t get to go though. The war was about over then. Everybody around here had somebody in the war. I had three brothers in it.”

Szybist added, “We used to go to the old Park Hotel railroad station and watch all the soldiers get on the trains and leave for the wars. Everybody was very proud and patriotic.”