In the spring of 1895, in preparation for the Lycoming County Centennial, a " Diploma Contest" was held.
The committee offered $60.00 in prizes for the best six papers read at the celebration and prepared by pupils of the public schools; $30.00 to the pupils of the county schools, and $30.00 to the pupils of the city schools: First $15.00, second $10.00, and third $5.00.
"Mr. McMinn, in the preparation of the supplemental program, assigned one or more topics in every district, borough, and ward of the city, for pupils to write upon, believing that if the papers were carefully prepared a great deal of interesting local history could be rescued, which otherwise would soon be lost beyond recovery.
In the preparation of these papers the pupils were advised to consult the older people of their districts, men and women who were supposed to have special knowledge of the various matters of interest, as well as such histories of the county as might be available. All papers prepared under numbers six and nine of the program were to be sent to the secretary of the committee, who would see that they were tabulated and preserved.
The idea of the committee worked well. A very large amount of local history in all parts of the county was collected. Many of the papers were meritorious productions and elicited much commendation from the teachers, and many were afterwards published by the local press. And in preparing these papers the pupils learned much about the history of their county and the trials and sufferings of the pioneer settlers. The work, therefore, was not only made interesting to those engaged in it, but it became a powerful, yet silent, historical educator."
The names of the successful contestants for diplomas and prizes are given herewith, together with the local subject on which they wrote:
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"Newberry in Time Past," Frances Stevenson;
"Blooming Grove," Eleanor Grove;
"Black 01," Allicia Sigfried;
"The Maynard Mansion," Jennie Pool;
"The Russell Inn, Jennie Davis; "
The Old Canal," Clifford Heilman;
"Early Railroads," Elizabeth E. Jewett;
"Market Street Bridge," Nellie C. Pott;
"The Sutton Farm," Edwin Wilkinson;
"Slavery in Lycoming County," Mabel Hostetter;
"The Old Furnace," Emma Vollmer;
"Gamble Township," Loretta Cummings;
"Potter's Basin," W. S. Bastian;
"The Boat Yard," Eva Winner;
"Michael Ross and His Plantation," Lester McFadden;
"The Octagonal School House, Montoursville," Alice Kragle;
"Hon. William Hepburn and Deer Park Farm," Margaret Updegraff ;
"History of the Fourth Ward," Carrie McMinn ;
"Montoursville," Estella Bubb;
"Cascade Township," Emma C. Whiteman;
"Lumbering Industry of the Fifth Ward," George S. Tayer;
"The Sixth Ward," Margaret Shale;
"The Fifth Ward," Ellis McMinn, (A junior, High School Building);
"The Williamsport Academy," Walter J. Kurtz;
"Michael Boss, Plantation and Mansion," Harriet N. Beugler;
"Early History of Newtown," John Edward Hess;
"Jaysburg," Emma Rosecrans;
"Lippincott's Operations," Arthur Wilson;
"History of Jaysburg," Agnes Brown;
"The Old Furnace," Jennie Ellis;
"The Russell Inn," Emma Forster;
"Lost Streams," Eleanor Hoagland;
"Dickinson Seminary," Jennie Smith;
"The Furnace," Elizabeth Hunt;
"Newberry," Hartman Farley;
"The West Branch of the Susquehanna River," Martha Gohl;
"Public Schools," Edith Reider;
"The Public Schools," George Young;
"The Public Schools," William B. Hough;
"The Free School System," Wilmot C. Stone;
"The Little White School House," Grace Heilhecker;
"Our Public Schools of Pennsylvania," George S. Trayer;
"Our Public Schools," Florence Wise;
"Williamsport in 1840," Alice Taylor.
"Bits of History," Ross A. Mills;
"The Sixth Ward," Elizabeth M. Foley;
"The Public Schools," Marguerite Taylor;
"The Little White School House," Albert B. Heimes;
"The Hepburn Mansion," Bertha Sheffer;
"Early History," Ella Kostenbauder;
"Local History," Ada Cummings;
"The Connecticut Claims," Anna Callaghan;
"Rapid Transit," Mazie B. Hill;
"Camp Susquehanna," William Reed;
"The Big Runaway," Norman E. Henry;
"The Massacre at the Brook," Edgar Munson.
Market Street Building:
"Progress of Williamsport," Lloyd Sallade;
"The Settlement of the West Branch Valley,-' Charles E. Welteroth;
"A Well-Known and Popular Educational Institution," Margaret Forster;
"Dickinson Seminary," Edna Clark;
"Williamsport," Fred P. Dates;
"Churches and Schools of Lycoming County," Maud M. Smith.
"The Old Furnace," Sallie Garvey;
"A Short History of Lycoming County," David Louis Levi;
"History of Second Ward," Layton Hartranft;
"A Short History of Lycoming County," Nellie G. Dietrick.
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Washington Building:
"Schools of Lycoming County," Mollie Weiss;
"Some of the First Schools of Williamsport" John Hopkins;
"Local History," William Robinson;
"The Public Schools of the Third Ward," Josephine McMinn.
"Newberry — Seventh Ward," Maud Trout;
"Jaysburg," Kate Murnane;
"Fort Huff," Nell Murnan;
"The Old Stockade," ------- ----------
"The Sixth Ward," Helen Wagner.
Emery Building:
"History of Twelfth Ward," Laura Belle Scholl.
"Schools," Priscilla E. Sands.
GENERAL, PRIZE CONTEST.
First prize, |15. "The Public Schools of Pennsylvania," Edith Bennington, junior Williamsport High School.
Second prize, $10. "The Public Schools," J. Milnor Dorey, senior Williamsport High School.
Third prize, $5. "The Public Schools of Pennsylvania," William T. Mclntyre, senior Williamsport High School.
THE COUNTY SCHOOLS.
"The Public Schools," Ida Smith.
Anthony
"Early Settlers and Industries," G. M. Robinson.
Brady
"White Deer Valley," Annie M. Shaffer.
"Lumbering," A. J. Stroud;
"Schools, &c," Harry E. Campbell;
"Lumbering, Past and Present," C. B. Oollister;
"Early Mail Routes," Charles Maxwell, age nine;
"Early Schools," Edna Quiggle;
"Mineral Resources," Merton L. Taylor.
"History of School District/' Arthur E.
Adams;
"Clinton Township," Luther Gross;
"History of Clinton Township," Albert Decker.
Cascade
"Cascade," Edward J. McLaughlin.
DuBoistown
"Local History- of DuBoistown Borough," J. C. Smith.
"Local History of Eldred Township," Jacob Moyer;
"Quaker Hill," Joseph Heim.
Gamble
"History of Gamble Township," Debbie Calvert;
"Rose Valley," ;
Franklin
"The Public Schools," Harry I. Arthur;
"Local History of Franklin Township," Brady Bartlow.
"Blooming Grove," Reuben Uliner;
"The Dunkard Church,'' Maurice Snyder;
"Blooming Grove and the Dunkard Church," Annie Simmers;
"Hepburn Township," Alvin Mutchler.
"The Hughesville Schools," Lee R. Parker;
"The Early Schools of Hughesville and Vicinity," William T. Price;
"Public Schools," George K. Warn.
"Academies of Jersey Shore," Margaret Stevenson;
"Churches of Jersey Shore," Mary W. Seely;
"Sunday Schools of Jersey Shore," Helen Blair;
"A Local Historical Sketch," Ruth Stuart,
"The New Jersey Shore People," Virginia Hill;
"Historical Sketch," Ralph Stevenson.
"Jackson Township," Delia G. Miller.
Mill Creek
"Pioneers," Harrie Lipp.
Limestone
"The Public Schools," James T. Zerbe;
"Water Courses, Sink Holes and Minerals," Sadie Koons;
"Limestone Township," Mabel Pearson.
"McKinney's Forge," S. S. Strieby;
"History of Loyalsock Township," Annie Hagerman.
"Lumber and Bark," Boyd L. Caldwell;
"Lewis Township," Ollie Sayers;
"History of Lewis Township," Nellie Mulcahy.
"Agriculture," Nora Sloanaker;
"Lumbering," Tessie Derr.
"History of Muncy Creek Township,"
Romaine C. Hassrick; "The Quaker Colony,"
Montoursville
"The Montour Reserve," E. Heiny;
"The Loyalsock," Delia Meyer;
"The Industries of Montoursville," Blanche Woolever;
"The Public Schools," Evelyn Heiney.
Mifflin
"History of Mifflin Township," Loretto Losch.
"Industries," E. M. Burley;
"The Montgomery Family,'" Agnes Maneval;
"Churches," Laura Kennedy.
Mclntyre
"History of Mclntyre Mines," Sarah Willis;
"Mclntyre Mines and Incline Plane," Marguerite A. Egan;
"Mclntyre Mines, Incline Planes and Fire Clay," Catharine B. May;
"Mines and Inclined Plane at Mclntyre," Muriel E. Bell.
"Samuel Wallis," Chester McConnell;
"Samuel Wallis, the Pioneer," Bertha Tule;
"The First Roads," Elva McConnell.
"Mrs. Life's School," Eva Ditzler;
"Samuel Wallis," Eugene G. Barr;
"The Lycoming County Normal School," ;
"The PublicSchools," Joshua Bell.
"History of McNett Township," Beatrice McNett. (This paper is deserving of special mention for the thoroughness with which it covered the local history of the township.)
"Jersey Mills," Maud Campbell;
"Stone Quarries," Frank Andrus.
"Lumbering and Tanning," Pearl Shrimer;
"Tanneries and Lumber," Annie Morris;
"The Old English Colony," Amy B. Hill.
"Early History," Emma B. Haines;
"Piatt Township," Ralph Riddell.
Porter
"The Walker Tragedy," Susie Fillman.
Picture Rocks
"History of Picture Rocks," Frank Arnold;
"Picture Rocks," Ora Fleming;
"Early History of Picture Rocks," Loda Sanders.
"History of Pine Township," Lee Carson;
"Lumber Resources," Bertha M. Rogers.
"The Public Schools," Hiram V Fry;
"Upper Fairfield Township," Alice Winters;
"History of Upper Fairfield," Walter S. Hayes;
"Local History of the Township," Clarence W. Guinter.
"History of Shrewsbury Township,"
"Lumber," Mabel Neuman;
"Highland Lake," Alice Foust.
Salladasburg
"Early History and Industries," Charles Dandois;
"Salladasburg," Carrie Missimer.
"History of Antes Fort," Alice Andrews;
"Public Schools of Nippenose Township," Millie Custard.
"History of South Williamsport," Lillie O'Neill;
"Industries," Annie Hain;
"Churches," May Crooks;
"Local History of South Williamsport," J. Fred McMurray.
"History of Hughesville and Vicinity," Almora Lorah;
"History of Wolf Township," Russell Foust;
"Wolf Township," Robert McHenry;
"Wolf Township, Its History," Mabel Buck.
"Woodward Township," Pearl Carpenter.
Washington Township
"Washington Township," ;
"History of Washington Township," Mame Ballet.
GENERAL PRIZE CONTEST.
After due consideration of the papers handed in by the schools of the county in the general prize contest, the committee considered it but just and equitable to modify the award and grant six prizes of equal value, instead of a first, second and third prize as originally provided for. The merits and demerits — non-compliance with the rules laid down by the committee — make the six papers selected by the committee of very near equal value, no one of them having such superior merits over the others as would, in the judgment of the committee, justify an award of $10, the sum set aside for the first prize, and the same rule holds true as to all the papers and prizes. The committee has therefore awarded six prizes of equal rank of $5 each to the following persons:
"The Public Schools," Arthur Kennedy, High School, Muncy, $5.
"The Free Schools," William C. McOlean, High School, Muncy, $5.
"The Public Schools of Lycoming County," Maurice L. Snyder, Balls Mills Schools, Hepburn Township, $5.
"History of the Public Schools," Emma App, Muncy Baptist School, Clinton Township, $5.
"The Public Schools," Edith Young, High School, Jersey Shore, $5.
"The Public Schools," Nellie Felsberg, High School, Montgomery, $5.
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