Valley Girl Views: Sonestown

The clothes pin factory was a major industry in Sonestown from 1903 to 1929.

On October 29th 1903, the clothespin factory began making pins.

An artible from The Lumber Heritage Museum states "clothes pins were commonly made of Beech wood, because it would not stain when it was placed against damp material. Beech was not typically harvested by the lumber companies and was a perfect species for the clothespin industry. "

In Taber's Muncy Valley Lifeline, he writes:

"Logs were taken to the sawmill, white oak logs were taken to the stave mill, and maple logs to the clothespin factory, all in Sonestown. Hemlock bark was taken to the tannery in Muncy Valley."

“The process of making these is an interesting one. It is done in just six motions. The first one cuts a four-foot chunk off the log, the second saws a board from the chunk, the third saws the board into square strips, the fourth cuts the strips into clothes-pin lengths, the fifth turns the pin, and the sixth cuts the slot into it. This is done very rapidly, and they are then dried and polished in revolving cylinders, after which they are at once boxed and shipped. The capacity is 300 boxes of 720 pins per day, or twenty-nine miles in length.”

This view is looking northwest into town. The Sonestown hotel is visible at rear right, while the shop of the Eagles Mere Railroad is in the foreground.

Map from Muncy Valley Lifeline, by Taber

Note - if I flip the photo so that "Pin Mill Sonestown" reads properly, then the text on the train cars "Williamsport and North Branch" is backwards.

"Above Muncy Valley the valley rapidly narrows and farming vanishes. Sonestown is the next stop, three miles from Muncy Valley and twenty one from Halls. Until the Eagles Mere Railroad was built, it merely served as a focal point of all lumbering in the area for Lyon's saw mill. However, with the arrival of the railroad it took on new importance as a small railroad center. Several hotels were built. The Eagles Mere Railroad, being narrow gauge, required all food, supplies, and coal for Eagles Mere to be transferred by hand. The railroad had originally hoped to be able to transfer the standard gauge freight cars to narrow gauge tracks, but the sharp curves and light rails prevented it. As the main line of the railroad ran on the hillside, a short spur was built down to the flats where the depot was located. Later a clothes pin factory was established there and logs were brought to it on the train. A saw mill was also erected." - Taber, Muncy Valley Lifeline

This is another photo that appears to have the text on a reversed image. Notice the building and smoke stack to the right - in most other photos, those are on the left.

Other Clothespin factories located in towns throughout the Lumber Heritage Region included: Kane, Mt. Jewett, Kushequa, Coudersport, Duhring, Masten and Lopez.

May 1907

In May 1907 the factory was completely destroyed in a fire.

Rebuilding after the 1907 fire

close up taken from the postcard below:

A second fire, in 1911, destroyed the store, but not the factory:

Fire - March 28th 1911

Article - March 31 1911

The clothes pin factory was the mainstay industry of Sonestown for almost thirty years, from 1903 until 1929. A number of people owned it at different times

including C. W. Sones, later a state senator.

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Castano, David. “Three Hundred and Sixty Million: A History of the Dodge Clothespin Company 1896-1921,” Potter County Historical Society Quarterly Bulletin No. 215, (April 2020): pp. 2-4

Note To Self - Somewhere I have photos from when we toured the Sonestown RR Station, parts of the clothespin factory foundation were visible and should be in those photos.

The Sonestown Hotel

Built in 1886 by Thomas Magargle

"The same year [1851] Jacob Reed purchased several lots and erected a small tavern, which a few years later he sold to William Corson, who also ran a stage line from Muncy to Dushore. Corson kept hotel for about ten years when he sold out to James Taylor and moved west. Later, the hotel was sold to Thomas S. Magargle, whose widow sold it to Ellis Swank, the present proprietor, in 1898. " - History of Davidson Twp by Streby, 1903

In March of 1881, the Tunkhannock Republican reported that a license was granted to Thomas Magargle to keep a hotel at Sonestown.

[Please note that the Magargel name is spelled Magargel in some records, and as Magargle in others]

"in 1886 he [Thomas Magargel] erected a 3 1/2 story hotel of 17 rooms; the rooms were large, comfortable and well furnished, and Mr. Magargle gave the business the closest supervision and no expense or trouble was spared to make the hotel service perfect, even to the smallest detail."

The Sonestown Hotel shown on the right.

According to the book of Biographies of the seventeenth congressional district, "Thomas S. Magargle possessed a fine education and his boyhood days were spent assisting his father and running the store and later aided him in the labours about the farm. After his marriage he settled in Sonestown, where he rented the old Taylor hotel, and through his successful management of the same accumulated enough money to purchase the property, and in 1886 he erected a 3 1/2 story hotel of 17 rooms; the rooms were large, comfortable and well furnished, and Mr. Magargle gave the business the closest supervision and no expense or trouble was spared to make the hotel service perfect, even to the smallest detail. That these efforts were not lost on those accepting of his hospitality was evidenced by the fact that once guests they were always guests when business afterwards called them to that locality. He was very popular with the transients, and aided by his loving wife did all in his power to make it as home like as possible. The demise of Mr. Magargle, which occurred in the year 1889 was greatly lamented by a host of friends who recognized him as a man of sterling worth and strict integrity. He was an upright citizen highly esteemed in his community and exerted its influence and the promotion of its best interests.

Mrs. Magargel conducted the hotel after her husband's death until January 2nd 1889, and has won the highest respect of the travelling public as a landlady; The hotel as operated by her , was by all odds the best in its section of the county, was well furnished, and the meals served by this establishment also added greatly to its popularity with the travelling public."

Hotel on the left. Hydock house; Magargel & Speary stores on right.

Historic Hodge Podge, Past & Present Pioneer Makers Of Sullivan County, published in 1955, confirms that the earlier inn was torn down after the new public house was built by Thomas Magargle:

"There were no buildings between the Kiess home and Miss Eva Emory’s little store that is now the property of the Spearys and in which the girls had their first Sonestown store. Jacob Lorah’s recently built mansion stood by itself. It is now the home of Frank Magargel, and the old hotel was the next building, soon to be torn down because Tom Magargel, its owner, had completed the hostelry which is now the only public house in the village."

1890 licenses - issued to Mrs P.E. Magargle

[Phoebe, widow of Thomas Magargle]

1894
Ralph was the son of Thomas & Phoebe Magargel.

1895

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The Swank Hotel

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"...whose widow [Phoebe Magargle" sold it to Ellis Swank, the present proprietor, in 1898."

Ellis Swank was born in July of 1849. In 1880, his occupation was given as carpenter. In 1900, he was listed as a hotel keeper. Ellis died on August 1 1908, age 59.

"Two large and commodious hotels are located here, the Swank House under the management of Ellis Swank, and the Lorah House under the management of J.H. Stackhouse. " - History of Davidson Twp by Streby

In 1891, William H. Painton, a resident of Sonestown, was arrested in his mothers home, for the murder of Mrs Strominger of York County. Painton was held at the Magargle Hotel, placed in a room where he was watched by detectives until he was taken to jail in Harrisburg.

Trout & Frog Dinner

May 1895

In May of 1903, the hotel was being repainted, and was referred to as the Swank Hotel.

Although it was called the Swank hotel... it was owned by A.T. Armstrong.

July 1903

Note that in 1906, Celia Magargel, daughter of Thomas & Phoebe Magargel, married Ellery Swank, son of Ellis Swank.

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Magargle Hotel Once Again

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In July of 1903, "the license of Ellis Swank of Sonestown was transferred to Frank Magargle". Frank Magargel, born February 9th 1871, was the son of Thomas and Phoebe Magargle. In 1903, Frank took over the hotel that his father had built. Franks brother Ralph had "had control of" the hotel for a time, after their fathers death, as well. Ralph died of smallpox in 1902.

Fire at the Magargle Hotel

September 1903

Repapered, and porch enlarged

September 1903

It was still the Magargle Hotel in 1905, when a sledding party stopped for a visit. But by the 1910 census, Frank Magargel was listed as the owner of a General Store in Sonestown.

Also in 1910, the hotel was advertised as "Boudman's Sonestown Hotel"

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Boudman's Sonestown Hotel

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Deserter at the Sonestown Hotel

Isaac Smith Boudman was born in September 1866. In the 1900 census, he was listed as a lumberman. In 1910, he was listed as a hotel keeper, in Davidson twp [Sonestown] Sullivan County. In 1914 Boudman was still in Sonestown, he advertised a white pony, buggy, and harness, "cheap".By 1919, Boudman was in Reading, where he remained until his death in 1924.

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The next mention I find of the hotel is in 1937, where it was mentioned in passing in a story about a deer spotted in town.

In 1950 the hotel was advertised for sale, by Geno Pisaneschi

1966

Van Lee Hall and his wife Delores owned the Sonestown hotel from 1979-1981

The hotel was listed for sale in 1975 & 1983

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Face Her Fears

Lisa Regan graduated from Bloomsburg University. Several of her Josie Quinn series refer to local events, and places. Book 19 mentions the Sonestown Inn.

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READ MORE
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"Mrs Phoebe Magargel who, until January 2nd, 1899, was proprietor of one of the most popular public houses in the southern part of Sullivan County, is the widow of the late Thomas S mcgargle, who was born in the city of Philadelphia and who was son of Britten and Anne [Schuster] Magargle.

Britten Magargel Was of Scotch descent and settled in Lairdsville PA, during his later years, where he conducted a mercantile store and later engaged in general farming.

Thomas S. Magargle possessed a fine education and his boyhood days were spent assisting his father and running the store and later aided him in the labours about the farm. After his marriage he settled in sonestown, where he rented the old Taylor hotel, and through his successful management of the same accumulated enough money to purchase the property, and in 1886 he erected a 3 1/2 story hotel of 17 rooms; the rooms were large, comfortable and well furnished, and Mr. Magargle gave the business the closest supervision and no expense or trouble was spared to make the hotel service perfect, even to the smallest detail. That these efforts were not lost on those accepting of his hospitality was evidenced by the fact that once guests they were always guests when business afterwards called them to that locality. He was very popular with the transients, and aided by his loving wife did all in his power to make it as home like as possible. The demise of Mr. Magargle, which occurred in the year 1889 was greatly lamented by a host of friends who recognized him as a man of sterling worth and strict integrity. He was an upright citizen highly esteemed in his community and exerted its influence and the promotion of its best interests.

Mr. Magargel chose for his life companion Phoebe E. Houseknecht, Who has proved herself a kind and loving wife and much of the success of her husband was due to the part she had taken and the management of the hotel. She is the daughter of Jacob and Susann (Sones) Houseknecht, And her father was born in Lycoming County and was a son of John Houseknecht who was a farmer and who died aged eighty seven years. Mr & Mrs Houseknecht were the parents of the following children: John; Julian; Peter; Betsy; Jacob; Benjamin; Daniel; Charles; Mary Jane; Issachar: and Phoebe E., the subject of this sketch. Mrs. Magargel conducted the hotel after her husband's death until January 2nd 1899, and has won the highest respect of the travelling public as a landlady; The hotel as operated by her , was by all odds the best in its section of the county, was well furnished, and the meals served by this establishment also added greatly to its popularity with the travelling public.

Mr. Magargel was a solid democrat in politics served as commissioner and as constable; Fraternally he was a member and past grand of the I. O. O. F. Mr. and Mrs. Magargel Reared the following children: Harry, a farmer by trade, was married to Belle Ray, by whom he reared four children, - Brenward Schuster, Emerson, and Wort: Ella May is the wife of Lincoln sheets; the wife of Charles Starr, and two children blessed their home, - Celia and Frank, the latter deceased; Jacob B. Is a prominent merchant of sonestown; Frank, a merchant of the Muncy Valley, PA, was wedded to Cora Crawley; Ralph is living at home; and Maud, deceased."