USA > Pennsylvania > Dauphin County > Lykens > Lykens-Williams Valley history - directory and pictorial review. Embracing the entire Lykens and Williams Valley, in the effort to preserve the past and perpetuate the present. > Part 12
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-The first aeroplane to fly over the Lykens Valley oceured April 20, 1913, when Walter Johnson of New York flew from Millersburg to Wieonisco in 13 minutes, landing about 9:30 A. M.
-February 22, 1918, was the first time in the history of the coal mines that the miners worked on that date-Washington's birthday.
-The Bull Engine House fire happened on the first day of January, 1876.
-The first telephone installed in the valley was installed on Short Mountain Slope in the year 1880 by C. W. Snyder and Henry Erdman of Lykens.
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DIRECTORY AND PICTORIAL REVIEW
-The Big brick mines at Dayton closed operations in December, 1877.
-The new Breaker at Short Mountain Colliery was built February 17, 1913.
-The Short Mountain Washery burned to the ground April 18, 1919
-The first trip of coal brought up the new No. 1 shaft at Lykens occurred October 14, 1915.
-A flag pole was erected and flag raised at Short Moun- tain Colliery April 28, 1917-Community Services.
-The new power plant at Short Mountain Colliery- Ground broken July 18, 1919
Slush pumped up June 18, 1921
First boiler fired August 11. 1921 First current turned on and conveyed to Williamstown.
Greenfield pump October 15.' 1921
-The first electric doorbell in Lykens was installed by (. W. Snyder, in the home of Jonas Garman in the year 150.
-Lykens is named after and in honor of Andrew Lykens (Lycans) who settled at the old Forge ( Oak-dale) in 1759. The Lykens Valley also derived its name from this source.
-Elizabethville is named after and in honor of Elizabeth. wife of John Bender, who founded the town in the year 1s17.
-Millersburg is named after and in honor of Damet and John Miller, who founded the town in the year 1720.
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LYKENS-WILLIAMS VALLEY HISTORY
-- Williamstown is named after and in honor of Daniel Williams who was a pioneer of the valley and who conducted a Gris-mill near Williamstown. The Williams Valley also de- rives it's name from this man.
-Wiconisco is named after the Wiconisco Creek, as well as is the Wiconisco Township. This creek is an historical stream and is of Indian traditional origin. The original name spelled was Whiconescong.
-The first private home and store in Lykens to be equipped with telephone service was the property of Lewis H. Heilner, now the W. H. Uhler Drug Store property, in 1880.
-John Paul, Jr., who resided at Elizabethville, was a valu- able consulting engineer during the construction of the Lykens Valley railroad. He was also called into consultation by a large construction company at the time of the building of the famous Altoona Horse Shoe Bend, and he at that time solved the perplexities confronted, and made possible this great railroad feat.
-In 1846 Millersburg was a town camposed of about eighty dwellings, two stores, one mill and three churches.
-Berrysburg was the first seat of the organization of the Evangelical denomination in this region.
-Ludwig Minsker, an emigrate from the Palatinate, located in Clark's Valley in the year 1750. He built his log cabin on a run near where the old John Hocker, Jr., property now stands. He was a man of great courage, and the Indians of the neighborhood fearing him, never molested him or his family
-Andrew (Lyvan) Lykens settled at the old Forge, Oak- Dale, now Loyalton, in the year 1750.
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DIRECTORY AND PICTORIAL REVIEW
-Oak-Dale Forge was built about the year 1823 by James Buchanan, who at the same time or year following, built six or seven houses for his workmen. Some of the older families re- siding here at that time were the following-John Ginter. Thomas Nutt, George Gonner, Samuel Boon and Joseph Dunlap.
-The first Post Office located in the Lykens-Williams Valley, was at Oak-Dale, now Loyalton, and that the first Post Master was Mr. James Buchanan. In those days mail was carried by pony each week and neighbors prior to that time took turns at walking to Millersburg weekly for mail.
-The first Justice-of-the-Peace in the Lykens-Williams Valley was Mr. Adam Wise and date as of February Ist. 1799. The second Justice was Mr. John Hopple, March 19th. 1799. The places of residence of these men in the valley could not be ascertained.
-Towercity is named after and in honor of it's founder. Charlmagne Tower. Mr. Tower was one of the largest land owners of Schuylkill County in this valley and practically de- veloped the coal industry in that end. He died a few years ago leaving an estate estimated at twenty three million dollars. This etsate is of perpetual nature and is today refuted to be worth thirty three million.
-When the United Mine Workers of America District number 9 held their convention in Lykens, Pa. in the old opera house up on the hill, in 1901. Do you remember that funny song George Kosier rendered, "Ili-Le, Ili-Lo," ote .- at the convention ?
-Gratz Borough was laid out and named in honor of Simon Gratz, grandfather of Mr. David Gratz, residing on Market St. Lykens, Pa.
-The first settlers in the Lykens-Williams Valley were French Huguenots and Germans.
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LYKENS-WILLIAMS VALLEY HISTORY
-The Lykens valley Railroad built in 1834, drawn by horse power, on a flat strap rail, was the fourth railroad in the United States for the purpose of transporting Anthracite coal.
-The Wiconiseo Canal was built in the year 1848.
-Berrysburg is named after the Berry's Mountain lying in the vieinity.
-Hon. Harry Baker, Pennsylvania State Republican Chair- man, began his politieal carrer when Senator A. F. Thompson of Lykens apponted him a Page in the Senate, some years ago.
-The first steam boat to go up the Susquehanna River past Millersburg occurred in 1825. The name of the boat was Codores (Nolan Diary) .
-The first erime committed in the valley (murder ) occurred in 1857, a short distance below Fennels Mines on Short Moun- tain (Nolan Diary).
-The first execution in Harrisburg took place July 14. 1798. The hanging was done on what is now Capital Hill (Nolan Diary).
-The last woolen mill condueted in the valley was by Samuel Wolfe, about 21/2 miles west of Loyalton.
-In 1863 there were just three houses in Williamstown. That the town was then called Buehlerton ?
-Smallpox epidemie in Lykens-Wiconiseo in 1874. Ap- proximate total deaths were seventy.
-Do you remember when Wieoniseo Creek was a clear water brook, and one could catch with hook and line, all kinds of fresh water fish including trout, etc. ?
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DIRECTORY AND PICTORIAL REVIEW
Did you know that Lyken-Williams Valley at its highest point of elevation, is five thousand feet above sea level ?
Cyclone passed through valley touching Elizabethville most serious, during the year 1850. The property which stood on the lot now occupied by the Hassinger home, was blown clean into the middle of the street.
Theodore Miller, is the oldest resident of Elizabethville.
Did you know that Mr. C. B. Miller, one of the early pion- eers of the valley and father of Theo. Miller of Elizabethville, con- ceived the idea and assisted materially in organizing the Lykens Valley Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and was that company's first Secretary and Treasurer.
Did you know that a elose relative of Hon. George Washing- ton, our first president is buried in the old cemetery located on the Ehmer Romberger farm at the Western end of Short Mt. near Loyalton.
Did you ever notice that peculiar sight while traveling from the upper end of the valley to Millersburg on the Pennsylvania R. R. ? If this is news to you, pay attention next time you make that trip and just before you come to Woodside station you will! pass a brick house, which in passing presents all four sides i view. Traveling West, looking from the right side, you will first notice the Eastern side, then the front or Southern side, as you proceed you will see the West Side and finally before you are aware of it you are looking at the Northern exposure of the property. Look for it next time.
Hon. George Coles formerly of Wienisto, is at present United States District Attorney in the Philadelphia District.
When Lykens was laid out in lots by Edward Gratz, father of our citizen, David Gratz of Market Street. it happened dur ing the year 1848. Did you know that the first baby boy bory
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LYKENS-WILLIAMS VALLEY HISTORY
in the then organized town was none other our former ice- man, Mr. William Matter, who still resides in the borough and enjoys the distinction of being the oldest native citizen.
While Mr. William H. Matter may be the oldest native citi- zen of Lykens borough, the oldest resident is Mr. Henry Keiser of Market Street. Mr. Keiser came to Lykens, however, just a few days before Mr. Matter was born in the year 1848.
Did you know that during the summer of either 1894 or 1895, William Farnum, a present well-known motion picture star, worked in and about the mines of Williamstown, the en- tire summer.
Did you know that Eva Tanguay, one of the leading cele- brites of the stage to day, appeared for her first time on the stage, in the Old Lykens Opera House about 1894.
Did you know that Rubendalls run, which empties into the Wiconisco Creek, a short distance West of Williamstown at the North side of the Valley, is named after and in honor of Isaac Rubendall, one of the earlier settlers of the valley.
Did you know that the first church organization in Wicon- isco happened in 1838.
Did you know, or do you remember when during the month of January 1911, the thermometer registered 29 degrees below zero in many parts of the valley.
Did you know that Lutheranism began in The Lykens- Williams Valley about the year 1795. It began with Father Wirt who preached at Wirt's or Killinger church.
Did you know that Gratz Borough is one of the oldest in- corporated boroughs in the county of Dauphin. .
DIRECTORY AND PICTORIAL REVIEW
301
In Memory of Our Former Great American President The Late THEODORE ROOSEVELT
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LYKENS-WILLIAMS VALLEY HISTORY
The Live Store Always Reliable
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DOUTRICHS
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Hart, Schaffner & Marx, Kuppenheimer and Society Brand Clothes
304 Market Street
Harrisburg, Pa.
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Plant: State and Cameron Sts. Sales Office: 216 Federal Square
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BUSINESS DIRECTORY
These Progressive Business Houses in The Lykens-Williams Valley Soli- cit YOUR BUSINESS.
To consult and use the Directory proceed as per. these instructions. The compilation below consists of a careful, alphabetically arranged list of commodities and the key to the same is very simple. After having ascer- tained the article you desire to purchase, consult this list. find the article or class of the same and refer to the pages listed as the commodity.
For instance you are interested in Automobiles, find Automobiles in the list. there you will find numbers 128. 130 and so on ; turn to those pages and find the business announcements of various houses dealing in that . line, from these you will undoubtedly be able to select your needs.
DIRECTORY
Commodity
Pages
Advertising
87, 124, 142, 156, 179 128, 130, 143. 144, 153, 155
Amusements
Animals
154 140
Automobiles
128, 130, 143, 144, 153
Auto. Accessories
128, 130, 119, 143. 144, 153
Baking
86
Banking 85. 118. 121. 139. 156. 178
Beverages 54. 86. 120. 122 54. 86. 122, 130
Builders
121, 139
Confection
86, 87, 121, 130, 143, 179
Cleaning
116
Contracting 121, 142, 126. 155
Department Store 93, 94, 117, 119, 126, 143, 179
Distributors 153, 121, 87, 122, 124. 139, 144, 155
Dry Goods
88, 93, 94. 117. 126. 143, 179
Electrical
126, 142
Furniture 119. 121. 122, 139, 159, 179
Funeral Directing
121, 142, 159
General Mdse. 93, 94, 116, 117, 119. 124, 126. 143, 179
Groceries 88, 93. 94, 117, 126. 143, 179
Hardware
121. 127. 139, 155 118. 123. 125. 143
Insurance
86. 141
Investments
118, 85, 121. 139, 140, 156. 178
Ice
54. 86. 122. 130 125 139
Manufacturing
Meats
Men's Clothing
116. 119. 126. 143. 302
Men's and Women's Clothing
119. 126. 143
Music
54. 119. 121. 122. 179 54
Medicines and Drugs
Newspapers
Notions
SS, 94, 117, 119. 126, 143, 152, 179
87. 152
Printing
118, 127. 142, 157, 159
116 158
Public Service
158
Public Conveniences
Refreshments
SS, 93. 116, 117, 119. 126, 143. 179
117
Shoe Repairing
152. 127
Sporting Goods
130. 128, 119. 143. 1.4.
15: Tires
54. SG. 121. 122. 130
Tobaccos
" Tomb Stones
119. 129. 126, 143
Women's Clothing
118, 120, 123. 123, 130. 143
Shoes
$7. 124, 142, 156. 179
Novelties and Stationery
ST. 124. 189. 156, 179. 302
Professional
Pressing
120
Ice Cream
Jewlery
Lumber
139. 141, 144. 151, 152
117. 152
Hotels
Billiards
Agencies
2
610
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