Jamison City, Pennsylvania

 
Assorted Photos & History Of Jamison City, Columbia County Pa

Jamison City is located on the east branch of Fishing creek. Over thirty years ago Messrs. Phelps and Payne purchased a large body of timberlands along the creek and engaged in lumbering on a small scale. Later Messrs. Craig and Blanchard also purchased a large tract of land in this vicinity and spent considerable money in trying to find coal, but all their efforts proved unsuccessful.

In 1887 the Bloomsburg and Sullivan railroad was completed to this place, and a company was organized at Williamsport under the management of James Corcoran and Thomas Wheeler.

 Two farms were purchased and the town was laid out. It was first called Jameson City after Col. John Jameson, who was interested in the town lots, but later B.K. Jamison, a Philadelphia banker, who was also a heavy stockholder in the Bloomsburg and Sullivan railroad, succeeded in having the name changed by substituting the "i" in his name for the "e" in the original name, this change being made when the post office was established at that place.

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 Jamison City as I Remember It From 1900 to 1917 
By Catherine Casey Chapin 

In November of 1888, the Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad began service from Bloomsburg to Jamison City. In 1900, James Casey came to Jamison City, as an engineer for the railroad.  He brought with him his wife Elizabeth [ Metherhall] Casey, and his 3 children, Catherine, Mary, and Thomas Albert.    In 1976, at the age of 81, Catherin [Casey] Chapin wrote a short memoir of her time in Jamison City.   I've added photos to her descriptions.  Find it here:https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2023/05/jamison-city-as-i-remember-it-from-1900.html

The chimney  is part of the remains of on the site of the old Jamison City Tannery, which closed in the 1920s. There are additional ruins nearby.  More photos of the chimney at the bottom of this post.

The tannery was built in 1889 by Corcoran, Richards and Wheeler. In 1890, Thomas E Proctor bought the tannery and conducted the business until 1893, when he sold to the United Stated Leather Company. 

Sawmill and Log Pond in front, Tannery in back

 It was similar in size and output to the Hillsgrove Tannery; most of the bark used came from Sullivan County. This tannery was sold to the Trust in 1902 and closed in 1909.

The Tannery began operations on July 28th 1890

This tannery has a capacity of 666 sides per day. George W. Lambert is superintendent, and Clayton N. Wilbur, general foreman. About 75 men are employed. A large sawmill is also operated

September 1893

The county line divides the town. The tannery and about a dozen dwelling houses are located in Sullivan County, and the sawmill and business portion of the town consisting of a hotel and several stores are in Columbia County, giving that county nearly the whole population of the town, while the timber and bark which supplies the tannery and sawmill nearly all come from Sullivan County.

Jamison City R.R. Station with "The Onion" in the background

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The Big Onion

Side view of the Proctor Inn - The Big Onion

Post card labeled "The Big Onion" - but the hotel is missing it's two turret porches

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Jamison City General Store

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The General Store

This appears to be a postcard of the  A. W. Vaughn General Store

But someone has crossed out the text on the building and written 

"B.F.Mather" on the photo.

Up on the hill behind the store is the Grand Hotel, formerly the Proctor Hotel, and known locally as "The Big Onion"

The Jamison City R.R. Station, General Store, and Sawmill

Frank Mather & Jud Oplinger, in front of the General Store

The General Store in 2020

The sign on the building today tells us that is was owned by Mather from 1903-1926

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The City Hotel

About 1908

From Chapins Memoir - 

" a large hotel three  stories, on the corner operated by John Hill later by Dennis Dorsey; "

With the train passing by

Birds eye view of Jamison City showing the City Hotel on the left

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Lumber Dock at Jamison City

July 4th, Jamison City

Knights Of The Macabees & Band Parade

Knights of the Maccabees was a fraternal organization formed in 1878 in London, Ontario, Canada. Most active in the U.S. state of Michigan, the group's fraternal aspects took a backseat to providing low-cost insurance to members. In the society's early years it also provided other final-expense related benefits such as society cemeteries.

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The Sawmill & Lumber Yard

The Lumber Yard

Saw Mill in the front, beside the log pond.  Tannery in the background.

Cutting Ice on the Mill Dam, Jamison City Pa

At Jamison City, Pa

News from Jamison City

June 1911

Jamison City about 1927 - just a few buildings left

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READ MORE

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 A Quiet Boomtown, Jamison City, Pa., 1889- 1912 by  Craig A.  Newton and James R. Sperry

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MORE PHOTOS OF THE REMAINS OF THE TANNERY

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October 1915 - 

Jamison City Man Touches Bear With His Feet

"Returning from Elk Grove School where he teaches, Walter Kle of near Jamison City saw a bear near the Fred Getz farm.  The bear saw an old log road leading to the mountain and went up this while Kile concluded to follow  The bear was soon overtaken and the pony being more cautious than Kile promptly bucked.  Kile was thrown nearly over the pony's head, but managed to cling to the animal, while his feet touched the bear."