Hyssong Pottery, Bloomsburg Pa

 

BLOOMSBURG HAS ITS OWN POTTERY
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 One of the Few to Be Found in the State.-Has Wide Reputation 
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O. A. HYSSONG OWNER 
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One of the few, potteries in Pennsylvania and one of the best in the business is the Bloomsburg Pottery which Charles A. Hyssong is the proprietor.
The success of the business is easily understood when it is stated that Mr. Hyssong has spent this entire life time in the business, and succeeding his father, under whom he learned the business and who was himself in the business for more than fifty years. When advancing years caused his father, with whom he had been associated for years, to give up active business, it was only the natural thing that the son should take over the business in which he had been given such a thorough schooling and which he understood so well.
Lines Largely Extended.
 Since taking over his father's business Mr. Hyssong has extended the lines, built a new kiln and in many ways expanded the business which had been established upon such a firm foundation.
The pottery manufactures crocks of all descriptions- butter jars, jugs and flower pots, and has capacity of 48,000 gallons a year. Wherever Mr. Hyssong's pottery is used, there it is  appreciated.
 In addition to manufacturing crockery, he deals extensively in sewer pipe. He is one of Bloomsburg's substantial citizens who enjoys the respect and esteem of all who know him.

From the Morning Press, 1921

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1896

September 23rd 1909

"Thursday night lightning struck the pottery of A. L. Hyssong, in Bloomsburg. The bolt was of the freakish sort. Entering the building, it splintered a hemlock post, driving a splinter into the celling. Running into  another room, it struck an umbrella,  splintering pieces the hard wood handle.  Several of pieces of pottery were ruined but this was the principal damage."

1968

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OCR Included for search purposes, but spacing, errors, and spelling have NOT been corrected in this text:

AUSTIN  L.  HYSSONG  has  carried  on  a 

pottery  business  at  Bloomsburg  for  over 

twenty  years,  during  which  time  he  has  had  to 

enlarge  his  original  plant  to  accommodate  the 

profitable  trade  he  has  built  up  in  stoneware, 

stovepipe  collars,  flower  pots  and  similar 

goods.  His  father,  Elisha  B.  Hyssong,  fol- 

lowed the  same  calling. 

Elisha  B.  Hyssong  was  a native  of  Franklin 

county,  Pa.,  and  was  there  bound  out  in  boy- 

hood to  learn  the  potter’s  trade,  serving  four 

years  as  an  apprentice.  Later  he  went  to  Cass- 

ville,  Huntingdon  Co.,  Pa.,  where  he  first 

worked  as  a journeyman,  and  there  he  mar- 

ried Rachel  E.  Green,  a native  of  Huntingdon 

county.  When  he  built  a pottery  of  his  own 

he  had  to  clear  the  location,  and  that  plant 

was  carried  on  by  the  Hyssong  family  for 

nearly  sixty-five  years,  Elisha  B.  Hyssong  con- 

tinuing to  operate  it  until  his  death,  in  1873, 

after  which  his  son  Bruce  took  it,  running  the 

business  until  the  spring  of  1912.  Mr. 

Hyssong  was  a much  esteemed  citizen  of  his 

neighborhood,  where  he  was  very  well  known 

not  only  in  his  business  relations  but  also  be- 

cause of  his  activity  in  politics,  the  administra- 

tion of  public  affairs  and  church  work.  He 

was  a justice  of  the  peace  for  over  twenty 

years,  a stanch  Republican  in  political  senti- 

ment, and  a lifelong  member  of  the  M.  E. 

Church,  which  he  served  officially  for  over 

forty  years,  being  deacon,  elder,  class  leader 

and  Sunday  school  superintendent.  In  his 

prime  he  was  a noted  singer,  and  music  af- 

forded him  one  of  his  chief  sources  of  enjoy- 

ment. He  died  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him, 

and  his  wife,  who  still  survives,  continues  to 

make  her  home  at  Cassville.  Twelve  children 

were  born  to  their  union,  ten  reaching  ma- 

turity, namely : Annie,  who  is  living  in  Pit- 

cairn, Pa.;  Jennie,  now  deceased;  Martha, 

widow  of  Oliver  Beaver,  of  Altoona,  Pa. ; 

Bell,  at  home  with  her  mother ; Margaret,  mar- 

ried and  living  in  Philadelphia ; Austin  L. ; 

George,  of  Altoona,  Pa.,  who  became  a potter 

(he  is  married)  ; Bruce,  also  a potter,  now 

engaged  in  the  crucible  factory  at  Philadelphia, 

who  married  Jennie  Horton;  Russell,  who 

learned  the  potter’s  trade,  now  employed  as 

a guard  in  the  reformatory  at  Huntingdon ; 

and  Alice,  who  died  unmarried. 

Austin  L.  Hyssong  was  born  Dec.  25,  1851, 

at  Cassville,  Huntingdon  Co.,  Pa.,  where  he 

acquired  a common  school  education  in  youth 

and  early  commenced  to  learn  the  potter's 

trade  with  his  father,  and  he  has  always  fol- 

lowed it.  Remaining  with  him  until  he  at- 

tained his  majority,  he  then  went  to  Lewis- 

town,  Pa.,  where  he  was  located  most  of  the 

time  for  the  next  twenty  years,  for  several 

years  running  the  Dipple  pottery  there.  He 

was  at  Lewistown  for  the  four  years  follow- 

ing his  marriage,  spent  the  next  year  at  Peters- 

burg, Pa.,  returned  to  Lewistown  for  two 

years,  and  then  did  business  in  Huntingdon 

for  three  years.  Going  back  to  Lewistown  he 

formed  a partnership  with  J.  & C.  Dipple,  with 

whom  he  was  associated  four  years.  In  1891 

he  came  to  Bloomsburg  and  purchased  from 

John  Rehm  the  plant  he  has  ever  since  oper- 

ated. During  his  ownership  it  has  been  con- 

siderably enlarged,  and  many  valuable  im- 

provements have  been  made  in  the  property. 

Mr.  Hyssong’s  patronage  has  been  extended 

steadily,  his  wares  being  sold  in  various  sec- 

tions, and  besides  manufacturing  he  deals 

quite  extensively  in  terra  cotta  sewerpipe,  for 

which  he  has  found  a good  demand  in  the 

local  market.  His  substantial  position  in  the 

community  has  come  as  a recognition  of  solid 

worth.  Though  his  activities  have  not  ex- 

tended into  public  life  he  is  well  known,  and 

like  his  father  is  a stanch  Republican  and  an 

earnest  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  in 

whose  work  he  is  thoroughly  interested,  help- 

ing it  along  zealously.  Socially  he  is  a mem- 

ber of  the  P.  O.  S.  of  A.,  having  belonged  to 

the  camp  at  Lewistown,  No.  462,  for  over 

twenty  years. 

In  1875  Mr.  Hyssong  was  married  to  Anna 

Margaret  Dipple,  daughter  of  John  and  Mar- 

garet (Peters)  Dipple,  of  Germany.  The 

father,  who  was  a potter  by  trade,  settled  at 

Lewistown  and  operated  a pottery  there  until 

his  death,  in  1872.  He  was  killed  while  cross- 

ing the  Pennsylvania  railroad  track,  on  his 

way  to  dig  clay.  His  wife,  who  survived  until 

1903,  ran  the  business  he  established  for  sev- 

eral years  after  his  death.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 

Dipple  had  six  children:  Anna  Margaret, 

Mrs.  Hyssong;  Anna,  widow  of  James  Irwin, 

of  Lewistown,  Pa. ; Ida,  who  married  William 

Miller,  of  Lewistown ; John,  deceased,  who 

was  a potter  and  worked  with  his  father ; 

Andrew  G.  C.,  who  owns  the  old  pottery  his 

father  established  at  Lewistown ; and  Charles, 

who  was  formerly  in  the  grocery  and  confec- 

tionery business,  now  a mail  carrier  at  Lewis- 

town. 

Five  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 

Mrs.  Hyssong : Charles  has  always  worked  as 

974 

COLUMBIA  AND  MONTOUR  COUNTIES 

a potter  and  is  engaged  with  his  father;  John, 

a carpet  weaver,  now  settled  in  Philadelphia, 

married  Nettie  Cashner,  and  they  have  four 

children,  Robert,  Martha,  John  and  Ruth ; 

Walter,  who  died  when  twenty-fours  year  old, 

learned  the  trade  of  potter,  but  afterwards 

worked  as  a machinist  at  the  locomotive  works 

of  the  Standard  Steel  Company,  at  Burnham, 

Pa. ; Irwin,  a resident  of  Bloomsburg,  who 

also  learned  the  potter’s  trade,  married  Mary 

Beagle,  and  they  have  three  children,  Robert, 

Edna  and  Esther ; Wilbur,  who  worked  with 

his  father  in  the  pottery  until  twenty  years 

old,  and  has  been  a machinist  in  the  governm

ment employ  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  for  the 

last  two  years,  married  Estella  Knepp  and  ha.<5 

two  children,  Alargaret  and  Estella. 

From Beers History Of Columbia & Montour Counties