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 3
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LYKENS-WILLIAMS VALLEY HISTORY
noticed all this, but as the girl and the warrior were being sur- rounder by the old chief and his attendants, he looked in vain for his brother. He was about to start in search of him when Harold emerged from the path he followed in the afternoon. Easily getting together amid the confusion and noise, Harold said: "There is the chief's horse under that big oak tree. Be there and mounted ten minutes from now, and be ready to take the girl from my arms. See to your weapons." With these words the bold youth walked away. The revelry increased among the Indians, and without being observed William reached the tree and mounted the noble animal Harold had placed there. He was well screened from view by the thick underbrush and trees, but he could observe all the movements in the camp. Again he lost sight of Harold, only for a moment, however, for looking around he discovered him standing not more than ten paees from the maiden and her companions. Suddenly the girl knelt before the venerable chief and looking up to him said, in the Indian tongue. "My Father, the Great Spirit looks down from the black sky with his fiery eyes, the grass nestles strangely beneath my feet and the wind sighs through yonder trees like the doe when the arrows of your braves pieree her heart; methinks all is not well. Let me go apart for a moment, that I may kneel to the Great Spirit." The request was singular, but the warrior nodded assent, and the girl walked with bent head and slow steps toward where Harold Wingans stood eon- cealed, with one hand holding a steed he had taken from the drove. The maiden did not know just where he was concealed, and she might have passed him, but a low hiss like an adder's made her pause. She knew there were many eyes upon her, but . she turned towards the concealed man and sank on her knees and commeneed to pray. In a moment Harold was on his horse, and the girl, rising to her feet, was lifted into the saddle be- fore him. A dash beneath the branches, across the path to Wil- liam, was but the work of a minute. But Harold had been seen as his steed leaped the path, and a howl, a thousand times more hideous than those heard before, echoed through the valley. "Quiek, take her," whispered Harold to his brother hurriedly, as he placed the girl on the saddle before the latter. "Follow the
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path up the mountain, keep in it until you are on the other side. I will take the road below and decoy them. See!" The last word called William's attention to a blanket which was folded something in the shape of a human form, which Harold now held as he had held the girl. He recrossed the path and the savages saw and followed him. The animal upon which Wil- liam rode was a splendid one, and he dashed up and over the · rocks with his double burden as if he were conscious of their great danger. All might have been well with them, for Har- old's decoy completely deceived the Indians and drew them after him; but as William rode along, the path which heretofore was well screened by a dense growth of weeds and small trees, led into a clear spot, and as he looked below he knew that he was seen by the redskins. He urged his horse on by every induce- ment, but his heart sank when he heard the crackling of twigs and shouts behind him. The Indians were following on foot, and almost any of their sturdy warriors might overtake his sorely tired steed. But he was nearing the top, upon which welcome fact he was congratulating himself, when looking back he was astounded and appalled at seeing a dozen forms not twenty yards below him. They might have shot him. The chief had ordered the capture of all alive, to reach the top was now Williams only chance, and he did gain it, only to find himself almost surrounded. Still there was one way of escape from the clutches of the savages, if not from death. Just be- fore him, the hill he was on came to an abrupt ending, as if chiseled down by some mighty Titan. To think of Jumping down a hundred feet into the ravine below was to think only of death. The question flashed to his mind, would it not be as well to leave them capture the girl. They would save her life at least. He could not ask her, for she lay as if dead on his arm. He was on the point of calling to his foes to come when above the shouts around him he heard Harold call far from be- low : "Jump the horse over, and keep well on him; they have wounded me to death."
William did not stop longer to think. He turned the ani- mal's head toward the precipice and with a shout his horse rose in the air and then sank with alarming velocity through
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LYKENS-WILLIAMS VALLEY HISTORY
space. No one these many years has seen a miracle performed. On this night one was done. The horse struck the ground like a piece of lead. Ile fell upon no rocks, but as he touched the earth William sprang off with his charge and a glance showed him the animal was dead. Ile knew there were no In- dians at that point and plunging into the thieket encumbered with the girl, he was able to escape and fortunately meet a party of emigrants in the morning.
When your agreeable patriarch has told you all this you will thank him for the story. But he will hastily say that it is not yet finished, and your narrator proceeds.
Harold Wingans was right when he shouted to his brother that he was mortally wounded. He fell with the last word upon his lips, and little, I assure you, was his handsome body re- speeted by those red devils. But there is still a more melan- choly ending of this sad tale.
No matter how treacherous or murderous an Indian's nature may be, it can love, and can be true to that love. The old chief's son mourned for days and months the maiden he loved, and many were the fruitless searches he made for her. He began to visit the spot where the great leap had been made. He went there often. One day he came down among his people, for he would not allow them to leave their encampment, laugh- ing and singing love songs, and his hair gaily decorated with gaudy flowers and pretty grasses, while he danced through the camp with the lightest of steps. His people looked at him and then at each other. His father, the chief, old feeble and sick saw him and the old man fell baek dead. It broke his heart when he saw his noble boy a helpless maniac. Then the tribe left those grounds, but they could not prevail upon the disappointed lover to accompany them. He climbed again to the fatal spot, and there for five years he lived and labored. At what did he labor ? you ask. Go to-morrow up a narrow pathway straight out from Market St., Lykens, follow it, and you will be treading where William Wingans rode with the rescued white girl in his arms. When you get to the top you will find where he made that great jump. Look over the edge and you will see about five feet below two large reeesses eut in the solid rock. In one of these,
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DIRECTORY AND PICTORIAL REVIEW
both cut by himself, the heart broken Indian lover sat day by day, waiting in silence for the maid who came not, until ten years later, when William Wingans brought his wife and child among these wilds with a hunting party. Her Indian adorer saw her as he looked up from his lonely seat. He smiled and motioned to the recess beside him. Then he closed his eyes. When Wingaus reached him he was dead. The ancient legend teller stops speaking. Is that all? you ask. "That is all, except that we still call the place, as it was named long ago, Love Rock."
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LYKENS-WILLIAMS VALLEY HISTORY
LYKENS VALLEY COAL-WHEN DISCOVERED.
On a Sabbath day in the year 1825, Jacob Burd, Sr., and Peter Kimes, then living at the lower end of Short Mountain, in what was then Lykens township, in the northeastern part of Dauphin County, went out on the mountain for a stroll, and when near the top paused, and took in the magnificent view of the valley below. One of them having a stick in his hand, care- lessly dug it into the ground. The dirt seemed suspiciously black. They made haste to communicate this to others, and soon the opinion became general that there must be coal de- posits in the mountain. Not many days thereafter a party were successful in digging out what proved to be an excellent quality of coal and a road was made and the coal brought down the mountain in wagons.
The tract of land before comparatively worthless, now be- came an object of great commercial value, the richness of the coal being fully established as the very first order of red ash, with ashes heavy, and containing 89 percent of fixed carbon. The tract consisted of 1600 acres and was purchased a short time before this by Mr. Thomas P. Cope, then a well-known merchant of Philadelphia, for the paltry sum of $400.00 the consideration being one-half in store goods and the rest in shoe buckles. These lands were for a time controlled by Mr. Cope but afterwards became the property of the Short Mt. Coal Company, superin- tended by Job R. Tyson, a prominent attorney of Philadelphia and a son-in-law of Mr. Cope.
Coal was gotten out of the moutnain in a small and seat- tered way until the year 1831, when the Wiconisco Coal Com- pany (named after the Wiconisco Creek, a stream in the im- mediate vicinity) was organized and consisted of six members, as follows: Simon Gratz, Samuel Richards, George H. Thomp- son, and Charles R. Thompson, all of Philadelphia; and Henry Shreiner and Henry Shaeffer of Dauphin County. The first named gentleman, Mr. Gratz, was possessed of rather large means and visited the region frequently, taking great interest in it's development. Work was now begun in the drifts in the gap at Bear Creek, a tributary of Wiconisco Creek, and coal
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DIRECTORY AND PICTORIAL REVIEW
43
was sold in the vicinity in 1832. James Todarff, John Brown, and William Hall, who came from Schuylkill County, were the
c
LYKERS VALLEY
D
LYKENS
COAL
---
first experienced miners to lend their skill to the great work. It may be stated here that, the Short Mountain Coal Company, where this work was commenced, is a prong of the Southern An-
The Old Shipping Office for the Lykens Valley Coal Co., at Millersburg
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LYKENS-WILLIAMS VALLEY HISTORY
thraeite Coal, field, forming a narrow basin, hardly a mile wide at the head of the valley. The Southern side of the basin of the North dip is the one that has been worked from that time to the present.
Old Wiconisco Canal Basin, Millersburg
Loading the canal boats on the Wioonisco Canal, from the Lykens Valley Trestles
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-
The Summit Branch Trestle Work, Susquehanna River and Mt. Patrick
End of Lykens Valley Trestle and End of Wiconisco Canal
April 7th, 1830 an act of Legislature was passed forming the Lykens Valley Railroad and Coal Company, the object of which was to construct a railroad from Millersburg, a point on
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LYKENS-WILLIAMS VALLEY HISTORY
the Susquehanna river 16 miles distant. The road was located on the North foot of Berry's mountain by a Mr. Ashwin, an English eivil engineer. The road was constructed under the direction of John Paul, Jr., civil engineer, Henry Sheaffer, superintendent, and Simon Sallada Director. This was the
Lykens Valley Basin and Wharf also end of Old Wiconisco Canal
fourth railroad in the United States, and the first in Dauphin County, built for the purpose of carrying Anthracite Coal. The road was completed in 1834, and coal was taken to Millersburg by horse power on a flat strip rail. It required two days to make a trip to Millersburg, as the road was a single track, badly con- strueted, and the cars frequently jumped the track. A num- ber of Ark loads of coal were shipped down the Susquehanna river from Millersburg in the Spring of 1834. Coal could only be shipped in this way in time of a high freshet, as ordinarily the river would have been too shallow. This being too spasmodic,
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DIRECTORY AND PICTORIAL REVIEW
Old Lykens Valley Breaker
Shaft at East Brookside
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LYKENS-WILLIAMS VALLEY HISTORY
The Old Brookside Breaker
another plan soon suggested itself. The coal cars were boated across the river from the terminus of the railroad at Millers- burg to the Pennsylvania canal at Mount Patrick on the op- posite side of the river.
The Lykens Valley company erected a set of shutes at this point, where they shipped their coal to market. The first boat load of Lykens Valley coal sent by eanal, left Mt. Patrick Satur- day, April 19th, 1834 by a boat number 76, with 43 tons, Capt. C. Faunee in charge the shipment was consigned to Thomas Borbridge, Columbia, Pennsylvania.
Shipments continued in this way until 1845, when the railroad was worn out, and nothing more was done until 1848, when the road was re-graded and laid with T rail. The Wieo- nisco Canal as built in 1848 and shipments resumed and rapidly inereased from that time. Coal was mostly shipped in lump form until 1848, when the old Lykens Valley coal breaker was built, and assorted sizes were obtained for shipment. Since this time the Coal Industry has been largely revolutionized,
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im
FED
red
m
U
U
4
The Summit Branch Breaker at Williamstown
and millions of dollars have been expended in modern methods of mining and preparing the produet for market. Machinery has replaced the older methods and just this year 1922 a modern electric plant has been completed at the Lykens Colliery, which will furnish sufficient electric power to the local mines of the Susquehanna Collieries Co. This huge plant has been erected at a cost of something like two million dollars, the fuel to oper- ate this plant consists only of the eoal dirt, heretofore carelessly thrown away. A modern and proficient shaft has been sunk, which enables a quicker and more increased output of eoal per day with a great depreciation in the costs. In the Pioneer days of this industry it required two days to make a trip to Millers- burg with a few small cars full of eoal-to-day a train load of about fifty ears holding approximately thirty tons each, leave the mines for market every twenty four hours.
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LYKENS-WILLIAMS VALLEY HISTORY
The New $2,000,000.00 Electric Plant at the Lykens Colliery
r
New Breaker at Brookside Colliery
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DIRECTORY AND PICTORIAL REVIEW
LYKENS TOWNSHIP AND GRATZ BOROUGHI
Lykens Township
Upon the petition of inhabitants of Upper Paxtang town- ship asking for a division of said townships, the court issued an order at their January sessions, 1810, to three Commissioners to inquire into the propriety of granting said prayer, and to make a plot or draft of the township, etc. The Commissioners reported in favor of a division of the township by the following line, to wit : "Beginning at a pine tree in the Halifax township line on the Summit of Berry's Mountain at Peter Mountain. Gap; thence north ten degrees east along and near a public road which leads from Halifax to Sunbury through Hain's Gap, four hundred and sixty perches to a post on the north side of Wiconisco Creek near the said road; thence north eighty perches to a pine; thenee running along the public road aforesaid north five degrees west four hundred and seventy perches to Buffing- ton's Church, leaving the said church on the westward; thence a course north ten degrees west, leaving the dwelling of John Hopple westward eleven hundred and fifty perches to Mahan- tango Creek," etc.
The report then follows the lines around the two divisions of Upper Paxtang as they were after taking off Halifax town- ship (running the lines across the river). It is therefore un- necessary to follow them further here, as the line given above shows the divisions of what was then Upper Paxtang township. This report was confirmed by the court on the 3rd of September, 1810, and it was ordered that the eastern division be called Lykens township. Lykens township was reduced in 1819 by the formation of Mifflin township from Upper Paxtang and Lykens, and further in 1840 when that portion of south of the north side of Coal or Thick Mountain was ereeted into Wico- nisco township.
This township and the valley is named for Andrew Lyeans, one of the earliest pioneers of this section, and to whom full reference has been made in the sketch of Lykens Valley proper.
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LYKENS-WILLIAMS VALLEY HISTORY
GRATZ BOROUGH
Gratz was laid out in 1805 by Simon Gratz. It is situated on the road leading from Millersburg to Reading, thirty miles from Harrisburg. It was incorporated into a borough April 3, 1852. In 1838, Mrs. Frey kept the tavern and Solomon Shindle a store.
The oldest family of this place is (Harman) Hoffman, one of the earliest settlers in the valley and a prominent family. Squire Hoffman had been magistrate for a number of years. When he came to Gratz in 1819 there were only five houses in the place; one was the oldest house, built here by Ludwig Schoff- stall, now the old Umholtz property. The second was built by Lewis Faust, who sold it to Rev. William Hedel, now belong- ing to the estate of A. K. Kepler, deceased. The third was oc- cupied by George Feagley, and the fourth by Adonijah Matthias, a Frenchman. The fifth was occupied by George Crapp, a tenant of Mr. Wise. The store was kept by Conrod Frey, then by his widow, and later by her son-in-law, Solomon Shindle.
The first Burgess of Gratz was Theodore Gratz in 1852, and the town clerk was James Kissinger 1852.
This town, located on the old Reading road, was the centre and field of the old-time Militia musters, at which thousands used to assemble to witness the evolution of the battalions. Jacob Hoover had a noted grist-mill two miles distant, on the Little Wiconisco. After the opening of the Coal mines a post offiee was established. The ridge in which the borough stands was in the old times called "Wild Cat Ridge," from its being the abode in pioneer times of wild-eats.
St. Simeon's Evangelical Intheran and Reformed Congre- gations were organized in 1823, and until 1832 preaching was had in a house built by Mr. Gratz. A joint Church edifice was built in 1832. Rev. Isaac Gerhart was the first Reformed and Rev. John Peter Shindel the first Lutheran pastor. The pastors of St. John's Lutheran and Hoffman Reformed Churches have generally preached here.
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Hoffman Reformed Church. - This old church edifice, a two-story frame, built over a half century, is two and one-fourth miles from Berrysburg, three from Gratz, and is in Lykens township. The ground on which it was ereeted was donated by Squire John Hoffman, who was a magistrate from his twenty- fifth year until his death in 1877.
Coleman Church .- This Union Church of the Lutheran and Re- formed Churches is near the Schuylkill County line, in the · extreme eastern part of Lykens township. St. Matthew's is the name of the Lutheran Congregation, which is supplied with preaching by pastors of St. John's Church.
Early History of Gratz
Ludwig Schoffstall, who came from Lancaster county, built the first house in Gratz, a two story log. Frey kept his store in it for a long time-he then attached the tavern.
Conrad Frey built the tavern about 1820. These buildings were followed in the succession named by the log dwellings of Matthias Bellow, Faust , Rev. Handel, Daniel Fegley, An- thony Matthias, Squire Reedy and John Reichard. The first church was the brick, built in 1832-German Reformed and Lutheran. The first pastors, Rev. Isaac Gerhart and John Peter Shindel. Before the brick church was erected, meetings were held by the said pastors in an old log structure, built for that purpose by Simon Gratz. The first school house was built in 1822 by Levi Buffington, the Carpenter of the old Hoffman Church, which he erected about 1771.
Anthony Hautz was the first pastor of the old Hoffman Church. He came back when he was seventy-five years of age- a very small, gray headed man, about five feet in height. A grist mill was built quite early, about a quarter of a mile from town, by one John Salladay, and ran by a stream of water from a spring-wheel over twenty feet high. Mr. Salladay was one of first settlers. Jacob Laudenslager was also one of the old settlers-lived about the present town, and had patented 400 aeres in one tract. Old John Hoffman lived a quarter of a mile South of the Hoffman Church. Andrew Hoffman lived east of Jacob Loudenslager a quarter of a mile and had patented
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LYKENS-WILLIAMS VALLEY HISTORY
about 100 acres. Peter Stein, adjoining, had 300 acres. Peter Hoffman lived down the Wiconiseo ereek, a mile this side of the Forge and had 400 acres. The old Reading road was made in 1800. Peter Hain owned the Gap west of town. The Gap was named for him. He originally owned the lands upon which Uniontown is now situated, before Hepner. Adam Heller laid out Berrysburg. He lived where Daniel Romberger now lives, which was formerly called Hellerstown. The place where the brick church is now located, near Gratz, was formerly ealled Wild Cat Ridge, on account of a great number of Wild Cats congregating there. Conrad Frey came from Reading Pa. The Methodist Church was built in 1846.
HARRY SMITH
Wholesale and Retail
Temperance Drinks and Ice Cream
Pool Parlor, Cigars, Tobacco and Confections Big Assortment of Records Full Line Patent Medicines and Drugs
GRATZ, PENNA.
1
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DIRECTORY AND PICTORIAL REVIEW
MR. HARRY SMITH
GRATZ, PA.
Mr. Smith was born in Bethle- hem, Pa., and first came to the bor- ough of Gratz in the year 1898 as a public exhibitor. In 1899 he returned to Gratz and settled in the borough permanently opening and conducting a gymnasium and engaging in amusement produc- tions throughout the state. He is a great enthusiast for training dogs, cats, goats, etc .- and has been very successful along this line. For the past 18 years he has con- ducted the leading confection, soda, lunch and billiard parlor in Gratz. He has also attached to his property a large and spacious hall, in which he still exhibits first class motion picture plays, en- joying the unique distinction of being the pioneer motion pic- ture exhibitor in the entire valley. It is Mr. Smith who is spoken of in the history brief of Gratz Fair. Aside from his much business. he is the patentee of several national amuse- ment contrivances as well as the manufacturer and has shipped "The Smith Jazz Swing" as far as Australia and Canada. He is a keenly interested citizen of the borough and well re- spected throughout the community. Mr. Smith has been Presi- dent of The Gratz Fair Association since 1908.
GRATZ FAIR ASSOCIATION
This fair association, and the only one in Dauphin County was first organized in the year 1873. The grounds are located just East of the historic borough of Gratz, and reputed to be one of the very best sites in the state. The track is an excellant one and many horses that have won great honors and
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LYKENS-WILLIAMS VALLEY HISTORY
Scene Showing Part of Track While Training
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DIRECTORY AND PICTORIAL REVIEW
Showing Stables and Lower Bend of Track
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LYKENS-WILLIAMS VALLEY HISTORY
some that are still taking the larger cups to day, have at one time or another spent considerable time in training on this track as well as competing in the races held annually in connection with the fair.
As in the course of the life of nearly every project, there arrived a time when the continuance of Gratz Fair held in a balance. This happened along the year 1905, at this time it was decided that the proposition was no longer a paying pro- ject and the interested parties at that time decided to discon- tinue it and sell the grounds in lots. The sale was commenced an several lots disposed of, when Mr. Harry Smith of Gratz, a wide-awake business man and thoroughly experienced Showman, offered to buy the grounds on the condition that the same be leased to him for a period of two years in order that he might determine further it's practibility, at the end of which period he would then purchase. This was done and it was during the years 1906-1907 that the fair was conducted under the super- vision of Mr. Smith. The two year try-out, proved so won- derful a suceess, contingent with the injection of good clean amusements and the creation of more instilled interest in horse racing; and at the end of the period a company was organized by Mr. Smith, and the grounds taken over. Since that date keen interest manifests itself in the Gratz Fair. Annually crowds of thousands attend its three to four day diversion and amuse- ment, and as it were the old ground has been revived to the twentieth century type and today is referred to as the play ground of the valley. -
Who has lived and dwelt in this old historic valley and never at any time attended the Fair would be rather a diffi- cult task for one to solve. Fine exhibition buildings have been from time to time ereeted, large grandstands to accommodate hundreds have been ereeted, modern conveniences for the pa- trons and exhibitors installed, etc., ete., and today on Fair-Day one visiting the grounds must be impressed with the wonderful spectacle presented, with blaring bands, difusion of colors, toys souvenirs, horses, automobiles, in short the seene would impress one as of a large tented fairy-land, overflowing with joymakers and attractions.
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