When Nixon Came To The Valley

 
 Vice President Richard Nixon addressing a crowd on the lawn of the Northumberland County Courthouse, November 1 1956

Vice President Nixon and his wife Pat made a "Whistle Stop Tour" of Pennsylvania, November 1-2 1956.

"Nixon's train journey would begin Nov. 1 with an early morning stop at Stranton for a motorcade tour of that city and nearby Wilkes Barre and Kingstone.  The train would next stop at Berwick, Northumberland, Sunbury & Williamsport.

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(Not sure of the location for this stop, but it's a clearer view of the train)

Rear platform speeches would be made at these places with the exception of Sunbury, where Nixon is to speak at the city square."

From Williamsport, Nixon and his aides few to Pittsburgh, for a televised speech.

The following day, Nixon would stop for brief speeches in Greensburg, Johnstown, Altoona, Huntingdon, Lewistown, and Harrisburg.  A motorcade then cook the group form Harrisburg to Hershey, for another televised speech.

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AT SUNBURY

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A crowd began to assemble at the court house in Sunbury, shortly after noon on November 1st.  The Shamokin town merchants had cancelled their monthly meeting, so that the merchants could attend the event.

By the time Nixon and his wife arrived, Market Street Square was filled with an estimated crowd of 10,000 people.

According to the Shamokin-New Dispatch, Nixon referred to the turnout as one of the largest groups he had confronted in any town during his speaking tour throughout the country.

The Sunbury High School band marched down Market Street before the Vice Presidents arrival, and they played the National Anthem after the visitors were seated on the stand.

Nixon complimented the band, and referred to them as one of the outstanding band in the inaugural parade in Washington D.C. four years prior.  He said he hoped that they would appear again in Washington "when President Eisenhower is inaugurated again in January."

The "veep" also "paid tribute to a large group of Susquehanna University students who were in the large crowd."

While the vice president spoke, traffic was rerouted to another section of the city.

After Nixon's speech, his wife Pat was introduced.  "A young daughter of Frederick Hoffman of Sunbury" presented Mrs. Nixon with a corsage of roses.

Included among the Secret Service men who guarded the Vice President and his wife during their visit to Sunbury was John Sherwood Cresson, a brother in law of former Shamokin mayor W. Fred Kohler. Sherwood, a graduate of Bucknell University, also served as a bodyguard to Franklin Roosevelt, Harry S Truman, and President Eisenhower.

The committee that arranged Nixon's "Whistle-Stop" included Henry W. Lark and county commissioners Fred Hoffman & W. Fred Kohler.  

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AT WILLIAMSPORT

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In Williamsport, Nixon was expected to arrive at 2:20pm.  Although he would only be there for 25 minutes, a "gala supporting program" was planned.

The rally was held near the Pennsylvania Railroad Tracks between Pine and Market Streets.

(In the event of inclement weather, plans had been made to move the program to the Rialto theater)

There was "martial music by no less than six high school bands", including a German fun band, and accordion duo, piano and organ solos and vocal selections.

2,000 bags of peanuts and popcorn and 1,500 helium balloons were distributed before the Vice President alighted from the train, "to put the attendants in a festive mood."

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