USA > Pennsylvania > Lycoming County > Picture of Lycoming County, Vol. 2 > Part 14
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THE "HOUSE OF MANY STAIRS" AND "LOCKABAR"
The Historic Preservation survey of the County Planning Commission compiled a list of 37 county sites recommended for the Federal Registry. Among these are two very old and significant houses : The House of Many Stairs and Lockabar.
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Of late 18th century stone construction, The House of Many Stairs was built into a hill at Pennsdale. The name of the house is derived from the layout with each room on a dif- ferent level. During the early 19th century the house was used as a tavern; later still it was recognized as a stop on the Underground Railroad of the Civil War period. The architectural value of the house is rated very high.
The house known as "Lockabar" in Limestone Township is the second oldest building in the county. It is a fortified stone dwelling and was built in 1769. Besides Lockabar, it is also known as Forester's Fort. The interior woodwork of the house is of chestnut and walnut. In the 19th century a Col. Sanderson discovered a secret room in the house which yielded a most remarkable find -- the skeletal remains of a Hessian soldier who fought for the British during the Revolutionary War. The soldier was still dressed in his British-made uniform with his sword lying at his side. No doubt between them, Lockabar and The House of Many Stairs could tell some enthralling tales, if their stones could but speak.
HISTORICAL DISTRICTS
The efforts of the County Planning Commission and the His- torical societies of the county have helped to inform coun- ty residents of the wealth of architectural and historical delights available here. Further efforts not only to pre- serve but, whenever possible, to restore and expose these delights are the goal of the historical district idea. The Planning Commission survey revealed seven areas in the coun- ty of concentrated historical sites worthy of incorporation into historical districts. These include the Brock-Barlow Estate near Muncy; Pennsdale; South Main Street, Muncy; sections of Picture Rocks; the old Williamsport Post Office to Fifth Avenue on Third and Fourth streets; South Main Street, Jersey Shore; and Cedar Run Village, Brown Township. To date only the Williamsport historical district has been enacted.
The rationale for historical districts rests in the control they establish over historic areas. Once instituted by township supervisors, or borough or city councils, an his- toric review board is set up to make recommendations to the governing body concerning the proposed use of or alterations to property within the district.
The Williamsport Historical District Ordinance passed in November, 1975. A nine-member review board screens all applications for exterior alterations and additions, as well as all erections and demolitions. The City Council then normally accepts the recommendations of the board. The board is appointed by City Council and must consist of
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at least three residents of the district, a registered architect, a licensed real estate broker, the city building inspector, and a member of the Williamsport Planning Com- mission.
Prior to enactment of the Williamsport Historical District Ordinance, a number of property owners in the proposed dis- trict objected strongly to the plan, claiming it would in- fringe upon their constitutional rights. Despite these protests, however, other property owners predicted property values would increase. The Historic District Ordinance passed the City Council unanimously and was upheld despite a veto by Mayor John R. Coder. The Historic District plan has generally worked well since its inception.
THE U. S. COURTHOUSE AND FEDERAL OFFICE BUILDING
As past generations have bequeathed the works of their hands to us, so we shall have our own contributions to pass on. Besides the new Lycoming County Courthouse, there is the re- cently opened U. S. Courthouse and Federal Office Building at 240 West Third Street. Dedicated on April 28, 1978, the new building is named in honor of former Congressman Herman T. Schneebeli.
Not without its trials and tribulations, the new building was plagued by cost overruns and construction delays. Work on the building began in 1975 and was not completed until 1977. At one point several steel beams in the new structure began to crumble and had to be replaced. Later it was dis- covered that the ceiling in the Federal Courtroom was too low and had to be raised. Eventually the snags were worked out, and the building was ready for use. It is an imposing addition to the Third Street row of public buildings.
HISTORICAL SOCIETIES
The preservation of historical landmarks, artifacts, memora- bilia and documents is one of the functions of the Lycoming County Historical Society, founded in 1907. The Society's museum is located on West Fourth Street in Williamsport. The museum is a repository for the many gifts and bequests of historical interest made to the Society. Many of these items are on permanent display in the museum; other special displays are periodically arranged relating to some aspect of life in the county's past. Mr. Andrew Grugan is the cur- rent director of the museum.
In December, 1960, the first county historical museum build- ing on the same site as the present one was badly damaged by fire. The building was the old J. Roman Way mansion which the Historical Society purchased in 1939 and conver- ted for museum use. The present museum was erected in 1967
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after funds for construction were made available through state appropriations and private contributions.
Along with operating the museum, the County Historical Society has published spring and fall issues of its Journal since 1955. The Society also holds regular meetings in the museum at which presentations are made regarding topics of historical interest.
Lycoming County also has several local historical societies, of which the Muncy Historical Society is the oldest, having been founded in the 1930's. It operates a museum and pub- lishes the well-known historical magazine "Now and Then" which was first published in 1868 by J. M. M. Gernerd. Published until about 1900, the magazine was revived by Dr. T. K. Wood of Muncy in the early 1900's and has been published ever since. The last editor of "Now and Then" was Eugene P. Bertin of Muncy, who served in that capacity from 1963 to 1977. Today, "Now and Then" has a circulation of 800 subscribers.
More recently, the Jersey Shore Historical Society was for- med. It purchased the old federal style Samuel Moss house on South Main Street, Jersey Shore. Eventually the house will be used by the society as a museum. Other historical groups exist in Montgomery and Ralston.
In 1978, the Bloomingrove Historical Society was formed for the purpose of maintaining and operating as a museum the old Dunkard Meeting House near Balls Mills. The Meeting House was the place of worship of the old pietist Baptists from Germany, or Dunkards.
History is written not only in books but also in the build- ings and landmarks of the past which gain in historical value with each succeeding generation. Fortunately for us, those landmarks that remain were both well-built and pleas- ing to look at. The condition in which they are preserved for future generations depends on the manner in which we treat them now. If we show the past little honor, future generations will have little reason to honor us. But if we strive to preserve the legacies of the past, they will, themselves, be one of our legacies to the future.
To treat the landmarks and architectural heritage of the past as mere relics, worthy of preservation so long as they do not interfere with future plans demonstrates a disturbing lack of values and imagination; it is an unfortunately com- mon attitude in our country today and has contributed to the blighting of much of our nation's landscape. Fortunate- ly, Lycoming County, at official levels, has recognized the desirability of preserving the treasures of the past so as to enhance the quality of life in the future. This goal
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will take money as well as commitment, but it is a goal worthy of all the effort an enlightened and concerned citizenry can muster.
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QUESTIONS CHAPTER 14
1. List some of the architectural landmarks of the county.
2. Name and locate outstanding historical sites in the county.
3. Explain the purpose of the Historical District Ordin- ance.
4. Name historical societies within the county.
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THE U. S. BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION IN LYCOMING COUNTY
Chapter 15 In 1976, bicentennial celebrations in the county exploded with fireworks displays, block parties, parades, and ex- hibits. Having been designated a bicentennial community in 1975 by the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration, Williamsport adopted the state theme, "So Your Children Can Tell Their Children." Robert E. Ruffaner served as general chairman. Committee chairpersons were Doris T. Heller, Festival USA; Mrs. Harold D. Hershberger, Jr., Heritage '76; John A. Felix, Horizon's '76; and John Powell, Parade '76.
The bicentennial celebration in Lycoming County was held at a cost of $50,000. Thirty thousand dollars was raised be- tween the city of Williamsport and the Williamsport Founda- tion. The Bicentennial Commission of Pennsylvania granted $4,700 to the Williamsport Bicentennial Commission. With funds received through sales and donations, the actual cost of the celebration, shared by the three sponsors, was $12,000.
Celebrations began in March when the Hemlock Girl Scout Council, in conjunction with National Girl Scout Week, held a fair at the Woodward Township Fire Hall. Hundreds of people attended the fair marking the beginning of cele- brations of the nation's 200th anniversary. Twenty-five Girl Scout troops consisting of about five hundred girls manned booths displaying a general store, a country kitchen, a quilting bee, a pottery display, Indian crafts, a log ca- bin, corn husk dolls, the Boston Tea Party, and Betsy Ross making an American flag.
The musical comedy 1776 by Sherman Edwards was performed at the Williamsport Consistory on April 2nd and 3rd under the direction of Dr. Robert Falk.
On May 8th, children from schools, churches, and scout troops, paraded tissue paper floats that portrayed the na- tion's past in the Young Americans Parade. Betsy Ross, Molly Pitcher, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, Martha Wash- ington, and colonial children were represented in the floats. More than 1,000 children participated in marching bands, dancing groups, and colorful floats.
Colonial crafts were displayed by local craftsmen at the YWCA from May 2nd to May 25th. Many visitors saw for the first time such colonial crafts as candle and broom-making and the hand crafting of dulcimers. A puppet show enter- tained visitors with plays of local historical events.
In June, 50,000 people crowded the city streets to see the Greater Williamsport Bicentennial Parade. Children and adults sat on curbs in front of lawn chairs lined six rows
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deep. Spectators watched from rooftops, balconies, and apartment and office windows. As the parade moved along West Third Street, prisoners in the Lycoming County Prison hugged the iron bars of their cell windows to get a look at the celebration. Twenty-seven units made up of 150 floats, several marching bands, military units, and costumed per- formers, formed the largest parade people could remember in recent history. Spectators were excited by volleys fired by the U. S. Coast Guard riflemen and from a cannon mounted on the 40 et 8 locomotive. Many people wore folded news- paper caps on their heads to protect themselves from the hot sun. Helium balloons exploded in children's hands in the 80-degree heat as flags stirred gently in what little breeze there was.
The Susquehanna Council, Boy Scouts of America reenacted the Great Runaway of 1778. Traveling by canoe, the scouts left Lock Haven on June 5th and traveled down the Susque- hanna River to Williamsport arriving the next day. On June 7th the scouts arrived at Sunbury to find security from the Indians at Fort Augusta.
A bicentennial wagon train consisting of more than 20 cover- ed wagons and 200 travelers excited residents as it made its way along old Route 220 en route to Valley Forge. The covered wagons rolled along the rain-soaked road, making camp at Jersey Shore on June 23rd. The next day the wagon train, one of two in America, rolled through Williamsport on its way to Nicely Field in Montoursville where it again made camp. On June 25th the wagon train camped at the Ly- coming County Fair grounds in Hughesville. At every stop weary travelers were greeted by jubilant crowds and brass bands.
Pony Express riders and outriders contributed to the excite- ment and realism of the area's first wagon train in over one hundred years. Thousands of people were guests of the travelers at an old-fashioned wagon show at the Jersey Shore Area High School football stadium. The travelers sang folk songs and played guitars after which the crowd joined them in singing "This Land Is Your Land. "
Five thousand people celebrated the nation's bicentennial anniversary at a block party on Pine Street on June 25th. People ate hot dogs, reviewed exhibits, and danced to music performed by the rock band, "Reunion." The chorus of the Pageant "Susquehanna" performed under the direction of Robert Sheffer. Prizes were awarded for period costumes. On July 4th, Williamsport displayed its largest fireworks display in its history. Several fireworks displays were held around the county.
The Freedom Train displayed many of the nation's important
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Bicentennial parade
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Bicentennial wagon train
Bicentennial Pageant
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Freedom Train
documents while stopped in Williamsport on July 14th and 15th. Twelve of the 26 cars in the steam-driven Reading train displayed memorabilia. As the train chugged down the Penn Central tracks, people laid coins on the tracks to be flattened as souvenirs. Thousands of people waited in lines that stretched down Little League Boulevard from Walnut Street to Hepburn Street and back. Thirty-six thousand people toured the train. Williamsport was the only stop made by the train in North Central Pennsylvania. A golden spike was driven into the tracks to memorialize the occasion.
The height of the planned celebrations was marked by the pageant "Susquehanna!" which was performed before an esti- mated 9,000 people over July 20th and 22nd at Bowman Field. The three-act pageant, directed by Miriam Lesher Hunter, was locally researched, written, and staged. A cast of 87, supported in some scenes by up to 160 people, depicted the early history of the West Branch Valley. Hundreds of volun- teers made costumes, designed sets, and made promotions. A chorus of 96 was featured, complemented by ten instrumental- ists and six dancers. Live oxen and wagon horses were used. The pageant encompassed such events as the first meeting in this area between Indians and white men, the Fair Play Men, and the growth of Williamsport through Michael Ross. A special film of the pageant was made depicting the eleven scenes.
Many souvenirs were available. A bicentennial medal of antiqued bronze was designed by the late local artist Horace Hand from a painting by another local artist, George Eddinger. The coin depicts the county's history through a lumber man and a Revolutionary soldier. A bicentennial cal- endar displayed the selected works by local artists. A memorial recording of the Music of William Clifford Heilman (1877-1946) was also produced. The local composer's music was performed June 13th in concert at the Covenant-Central Presbyterian Church by Irene Veley, pianist; Donald Freed, violinist; Ellen Royer, cellist; and the Williamsport Junior Music Club Chorus, under the direction of Doris Heller.
The works of six local artists, whose paintings captured local scenes, were chosen to hang in the Courthouse and City Hall. The following were chosen: "Buttonwood Covered Bridge" by Robert Day; "Springtime at Ways Gardens" by Marr Heilhecker; "Williamsport City Hall" by Judy Reid; "Winter on Loyalsock Creek" by Richard Griess; "Pennsdale Friend's Meeting House" by Horace Hand; and "Old Stone Barn" by Timothy Hampton.
Youths from the Montoursville Area High School built a replica of the exterior of a frontier stockade. The
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interior was used for displays, exhibits, and presentations. As a lasting memorial, a bicentennial garden was planted at Brandon Park and forty shade trees were planted in the Pine Street area of downtown Williamsport. The celebration of the nation's 200th birthday was memorialized by the time capsule placed in the Herman T. Schneebeli Federal Office Building. The capsule, containing memorabilia of the cele- bration, will be opened April 1, 2076. A film produced by local cinematographer, Steve Smith, captured all the major events and projects during the celebration in a 45-minute sound film.
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QUESTIONS CHAPTER 15
1. List outstanding events that were part of the Bicenten- nial observance in Lycoming County.
2. What Bicentennial event was written, produced and per- formed by local citizens?
3. What famous people were portrayed in the pageant "Susquehanna ! "?
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APPENDIX INDIANS IN PREHISTORIC LYCOMING COUNTY A Volume I of A Picture of Lycoming County gives us some in- teresting information on the Indians, the earliest inhabi- tants of Lycoming County. But since publication of that first volume, scholars have come to recognize that the early history of the county is, indeed, much earlier than the writers of Volume I could have supposed. Quoting from Volume I, page 3, we read: "The first known inhabitants of Lycoming County were members of an Iroquoian tribe called Andastes, a name given by the French to the "Susquehannocks" who lived on the upper reaches of the Susquehanna River. The name Andastes distinguished the West Branch Valley Indians from those living on the river to the South. "
NEW KNOWLEDGE OF THE INDIANS
From the vantage point of the writers of the first volume, this statement seems accurate enough, for they wrote with- out the advantage of much recent scholarly work and scienti- fic investigation. Forty years later, however, we have a much better grasp of the actual facts. Primary among them is that, far from being the first inhabitants of Lycoming County, the people called "Andastes" in Volume I probably did not live in our county at all and were among the last Indians to inhabit Pennsylvania. Prior to the "Andastes, " prehistoric Indians had lived in Pennsylvania for centuries.
In view of recent studies, we are aware of other inaccura- cies in Volume I. For example, the "Andastes" were not members of an Iroquoian tribe, rather, they were an early offshoot of the Iroquois before the formation of the Iro- quoian Confederacy. "Andastes" was the French name given the Indians who lived in the southern part of Pennsylvania in what is roughly now Lancaster County. These same In- dians were called "Minquas" by the Dutch and "Susquehan- nocks" by the English settlers of the region. These names did not denote places or areas of residence.
THE SUSQUEHANNOCKS
The Susquehannocks ( as they are commonly called today ) were the predominant tribe of the lower Susquehanna River Valley during the early colonial period. Eventually they were to become major trading middlemen between the white settlers and the Indians who did trapping to the north and west.
There were few Susquehannock settlements in the West Branch Valley. From archaeological finds we know that the Susque- hannocks had a village settlement near the present village of Pine in Clinton County, and a small encampment across Pine Creek from Jersey Shore. Nothing comparable, however,
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has been uncovered in Lycoming County. On the other hand, early records left by Jesuit priests among the Huron in New York State and Canada indicate that the final Iroquois' defeat of the Susquehannocks in 1675 occurred at Jersey Shore. There is, however, no physical proof of this so far, and any such evidence must await discovery by archaeologists. So neither the Iroquois nor the Susquehannocks can as yet be claimed as actual residents of our county, even though both passed through on occasion and recognized the county's militarily strategic location.
HISTORY AND PREHISTORY
Recent developments in the academic science of archaeology have benefited greatly our understanding and knowledge of the prehistoric inhabitants of North America and Lycoming County. Prehistory is that time before the earliest writ- ten records from a particular group of human beings were written down. The historical period, then, embraces the time since written documents have been available concerning any given group or culture. In light of this, it is quite obvious that the prehistoric period of Indian life in Ly- coming County was of a much greater time span than the very short period which is designated historical.
Because the Indians had no written language as far as we are aware, it was only with the white settlers' arrival in America that written information on the Indians became available. It was the Jesuit priests among the Huron that gave us some of the earliest accounts of aboriginal activ- ity in the West Branch Valley.
ARCHAEOLOGY
When no written documents of a people have been left behind, the only way to study their history is to examine the physi- cal remains of their settlements and villages. This study is called archaeology, which is the systematic digging of human artifacts from the ground in order to study their age, use, origin and significance.
Of great importance to archaeologists are the actual skele- tal remains of prehistoric people which reveal the method of burial and give clues to religious belief and practices. Sometimes graves offer added benefit when burial goods are interred with the corpse.
Archaeology has yielded most of what we know about the pre- historic Indians of Lycoming County. The methods of archae- ology are varied, but they are meticulous and precise. A careful record is kept of every flint or potsherd, their location on the site and the level from which taken. This allows for analysis and reconstruction of the site to take
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place in the laboratory once the excavation is complete.
From the artifacts and remains found, such things as the period the people lived on the site, their food and how they subsisted, their dwellings, their means of travel, the crops they grew and the kinds of pots they used can all be determined. Today, archaeological activity is common in the county with many digs sponsored by colleges, univer- sities, archaeological societies, and even private indi- viduals. When attempting a dig, however, it is best that a professional archaeologist be involved so that nothing important is overlooked or misinterpreted.
What in general have the archaeologists determined regard- ing the prehistory of Indians in Lycoming County? Some of the oldest archaeological evidence of prehistoric Indians are spearpoints, by virtue of their strength and durability. Spearpoints and other stone tools are useful to archaeolo- gists in dating sites because the styles of implements changed with time as well as from place to place.
Usually spearpoints are given the name of the first place where that type was systematically studied, and are refer- red to by that name thereafter. The Indians associated with that spearpoint are given the same name. This does not mean that the place where the spearpoints were first studied is the place where they were first made, as they could have been transported there.
PREHISTORIC ERAS
The oldest spearpoint found in Lycoming County is the Clovis Point, dating from about 9,000 B.C. Archaeologists call the people who made Clovis Points the "Paleo" Indians or 0ld Indians. The Paleo Era is the first of the prehistoric eras and covers roughly the years between 11,500 B.C. and 7,000 B.C. As the chronological chart shows, the second era runs from 7,000 B.C. to 2,000 B.C. and is known as the Archaic Era. The third prehistoric era is the Woodland and ranges from 1,000 B.C. to about 1,600 A.D., with the coming of white settlers and the beginning of the historic period. Between the Archaic and Woodland eras there was a short 1,000 year period or less which has been designated a transi- tional phase.
THE PALEO ERA
The Indians of the Paleo Era are believed to be descendents of the first people to cross the Bering Strait from Asia to Alaska beginning possibly around 30,000 B.C. Like their ancestors, the Paleo Indians were nomads who traveled in small bands, usually on the heels of the large game animals
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which they hunted for food. These animals, long since extinct, included the mammoth, the mastodon and the cari- bou, all of which lived in the region of Lycoming County.
The climate was frigid even though post ice-age, and the soil was tundra-like with conifer trees the predominant form of vegetation. The Paleo Indians who tracked the large game into Lycoming County had no other means of sur- vival besides hunting. They traveled on foot and probably lived very short periods in any one place. Their appear- ance and way of life was more akin to our usual picture of cavemen than Indians.
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