A Bimonthly Publication of the Freeport
Area Historical Society October/November, 2003
MEETINGS
Coming up: October 9
and November 13 at the
Freeport Community Center, 7 p.m.
Meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of each month. Mark it
on your calendars.
FROM JOHN SHOOP'S WEATHER BOOK
1848 - 1870
Their was 6 inches Snow fel on the 26 January 1860 a hevy Snow Storm...the fall of 1859 was an eary fall & the Spring of 1859 was a late Spring...Congress Elected Pennington Speeker on the first Feb 1860...gthe 2 Feb 1860 being ground hog day the hog did see its shadow the weather was cold it snowed from the morning to 12 then cleared up so the hog went back in its nest to suck its paw for six weeks longer snow on the groung...On the 15 Feb 1860 their was a deep snow fel 9 inch deep...The river closed here with ice for the second time 20th Feb 1860...the river broke up in the Spring of 1860 on the 23 Feb 1860...there was a Snow Storm on the 15th Feb 1860 2 of the ice Boats Started out on the 25 Feb 1860 one Sunk the other got fast the other 2 are stil in the Kiskiminities.¹...turners & hammers weirhouse was burnt down Feb 27 1860... the first Stemboat went up the 26 Feb 1860 Venango...The first raft went down in the Spring of 27 Feb 1860...Ember Day Feb 29 it was clear & warm but Commencd to rain at 4 in Ev & it raind all night & next Day...we had cold about the 10th of March 1860 & hi water the warren rafts began to run the river was full of lumber & frosty weather...The Winter of Jan 1860 was a pritte hard winter and a goodeal of snow and cold weather & good ice...one other of ice Boats went out on 3d of March 1860 and stuck on the head of Sandy Creek Island the 4th ice Boat went out on the 4 of March and stuck on the barr above the Northwestern Pears on the Westmorland side...there was a tremendous Snow Storm all Day on 12 March 1860 & cold wind...a
¹ Kiskiminetas River
Snow fell in Rochester N. York State on the 12 March 12 inches deep & hevy Storm.
Editor's Note: Spelling, punctuation and grammar are as written by John Shoop.
HEIRLOOM RECIPES
Dutch Peach Cake
1 1/2 C. flour 1 egg
3 t. baking powder 4 T. fat, melted
1/4 t. salt (oleo)
1/2 C. sugar 1/2 C milk
Combine and mix lightly. Pour into buttered shallow pan. Add topping of:
1/2 C. brown sugar 1/2 t. salt
4 T. butter
1 C. sliced peaches (drained)
Mix ingredients together and pour over soft dough. Press down well so the mixture will stay on when baked. Bake 30 minutes in moderate oven at 350°. Serve with whipped cream.
1937 from Mom Buechner. Mom Buechner
served hers with fresh whipped cream. I use Cool Whip.
-Jean Buechner
AUTOS SOLD IN HARDWARE STORE
BACK IN YEAR 1913
Another article written
by Vernon Ross and published in a local newspaper in about 1956.
Buggy harnesses were still being sold in Freeport in 1913. J. A. Sedgwick, a local merchant in that year, advertised in a weekly paper that he had several sets of fine
buggy harnesses made of oak tanned leather for sale.
Automobiles at that time could be bought in a hardware store. E. H. Wallace, hardware dealer, was agent for the Ford automobile, advertised as the "Universal Car."
The service station as it is today and the auto sales room station with its spacious showrooms was then unknown.
Veterinary Pulls Teeth
A veterinary surgeon, Dr. G. W. McLaughlin, was at Thomas' Livery
Stable every Monday. Dental work, dressing and drilling teeth
was his specialty.
The railroad was the accepted means of transportation for the traveler who went more than a few miles beyond his home town.
This same newspaper, which advertised buggy harnesses and Ford automobiles, carried advertisements of several railroads.
Pennsylvania Railroad sponsored excursions in September to Atlantic City and Cape May or to Asbury Park or Long Branch. Fares ranged from $10 to $12 for the Atlantic City Trip and $12 to $14 for the Asbury Park excursion.
The railroad also ran an excursion to Apollo Fair in September.
In the same year honeymooners or anyone else could go to Niagara Falls on a five day trip for $4.75 on the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh Railroad. Trains left Butler in the morning and evening of each day, including Sunday.
The Union Pacific Railroad used a column advertisement in the same paper to urge readers to go west.
The advertisement read in part: "When your shoes wear out, what do you do - kick and go barefooted? No, you get new shoes."
"If your land is played out, grumbling about it won't help. Look around and see where you can do better. Maybe you are in a rut and don't know it. Some of the best land in the universe is along the lines of the Union Pacific in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Utah and Nevada. A good deal has been settled and there is a good deal to settle yet."
Reduced fares were offered to colonists. All this was as late as 1913.
GENEALOGICAL SURVEY
Don't forget about using
the form in the last issue of Grist to submit your genealogy.
The chart is simple and easy to complete. Extra copies are available
upon request. The Historical Society plans to collect them and
put in a binder. This will become a great resource in our collection
and will become more valuable each year. We often get requests
for information and having the genealogies will help tremendously.
Completed charts can be turned in to the Society at a meeting or mailed to FAHS, P. O. Box 107, Freeport, PA 16229-1223. Please participate!
NEWSLETTER DEADLINE
Articles and pictures
are always welcome. Please call Don at 724/295-4635, send to
FAHS at P. O. Box 107, Freeport, PA 16229, or Email to pchale@salsgiver.com.
Thanks for your help.
SHARE WHAT YOU REMEMBER
We have begun collecting
memories from some of our members and/or residents in the community.
We can lend you a tape recorder and give you a list of topics
to talk about. Later we will transcribe them, possibly to make
a booklet. Save those memories before they are gone forever!
Contact Don at the number above if you can participate. You
can do it over a period of time-we'll wait for you!
MILL ROOF
The roof is completed.
We want to thank everyone who helped. People pulled old materials
off, disposed of it, hauled new materials in and up to the third
floor, pounded it on the roof; others provided some of the materials
we used. There is no adequate way to thank you - but we try!
Come and check it out - no leaks!!
SLATE LICK
The following is an excerpt
from a book printed by the Democrat & Sentinel Press in Kittanning,
1888. It was reprinted by Warner Printing, Slate Lick, Pa. in
l987. The original was titled:
Slate Lick: An account of
A Reunion
Of Present and Former Residents
Held at
Slate Lick, Pa.,
August 30-31, 1887.
War's
loud alarms were sounded through all the western part of this
State, in 1812; and in the more northerly counties especially,
a fair panic seized the people, because of the threatened landing
of the British forces on Pennsylvania's soil. But quiet old Slate
Lick does not seem to have been specially disturbed; for very
few indeed of the fathers of this community seem to have felt
specially called to go out and help drive back the threatening
invader.
Of course Slate Lick, as well as all other communities, was subject
to "the draft" to obtain men for their country's service.
A careful enrolment of all men able to do military duty was therefore
made under the militia law. The substance of an old paper, kindly
loaned to the writer by Hiram Bricker, a grandnephew of the Captain
named, is here given because of the interest that attaches especially
to its list of names. The heading of the paper will best serve
to explain its purpose. It is as follows: "A Class List
of all persons subject to Militia Duty, residing within the bounds
of Captain Nicholas Bricker's Company, 150th Regiment, John Sloan
Lieut. Col. Commandant, 15th Brigade, Second Division, Armstrong
County Militia, 2d day of June, 1812, with a form annexed as a
specimen for an Inspection Roll, to be filled up annually by each
Captain or officer commanding a company." At the foot of
the paper is Captain Bricker's affidavit "that the above
Class List is just and true to the best of my (his) knowledge."
The officers enrolled are: Nicholas Bricker, Captain; William
Bole, Lieut.; John McCormick, Ensign.
The names of the "Class List" are given, as they appear,
in their "classes" in the paper; their several ages
we enclose in parentheses following the names:
"First Class": John Beck (38), Charles Foreman (31),
David Girt (22), George Weaver (30), Andrew Patterson (42), this
name crossed out, and John McCua (25).
"Second Class": Nicholas Best (44), John Painter (22),
George Vandike (28), a name crossed out, Robert Clark (22), William
Shields (25), William Murphy (22), John Galbreath (32), next name
not legible due to fading ink, and Jacob Christman (26).
"Third Class": George Clark (27), Isaac Bole (23),
William Morrison (33), William Hill (44), James Dickinson (20),
and Daniel Fry (19).
"Fourth Class": James Mathis (Matthews?) (38), William
Sloan (40), William McCrery (21), George Stoup (26), John Hancock
(24), Adam Stoup (19), John Girt (25), James Hill, Jr., (19).
"Fifth Class": Abraham Colmer (38), James Foreman (29),
Jacob Young (24), John Young (43), Matthew Bole (21), Michael
Eiseman (20), Michael Swisher (18), James Stewart (32) and John
Reamer (36).
"Sixth Class": John Crookshank (30), James Steel (42),
James Hill (22), Joseph Graham (42), William Thornberg (23), John
Smith (21), George Sherer (32), William Dickinson (18), William
Sipe (19), John Moore (28), and Abraham Lawman (26).
"Seventh Class": John Sipe (38) James Sloan (42), David
Ralston (22), John Ralston (20), Joseph Weaver (24), George McKean
(36), Robert Galbreath (24), Robert Morrison (28), Benjamin Weaver
(18), Robert Mahaffy (18), William Clark (21), Nelson Young (20)
and John Lawman (22).
"Eighth Class": William Reasor (23), George Hawk (29),
Benjamin White (22), William Girt (24), John Bricker (20), Henry
Weaver (-), John Clark (23), James Clark (18), and Jacob Best
(18).
Home Coming-World War I
September 20, 1919, was a great day in Freeport as the town honored
the returning veterans of the "War to end all wars." Following a parade through the business district of town, ceremonies
took place in front of the Borough Building on Market Street.
A platform had been erected and with proper observance and welcome,
speeches were made. Each serviceman was introduced and a presentation
was made.
James Elliott gave me the following
information. A wallet was presented to each veteran and the one
presented to Jim's father read as follows: "To Guy Elliott,
in honor of Homecoming, Freeport, PA., September 20, 1919, and
in appreciation of his Loyal Service to our Country in the
World War, by 78th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry,
Freeport Post #32, Grand Army of the Republic and the Spanish
War veterans."
I remember how, following World War II, the towns in the Alle-Kiski Valley had welcome home celebrations for their veterans, with proper tribute paid to those who made the supreme sacrifice . Freeport never had such a reception or thank you for its members at the end of WW II. I do believe each church had a recognition dinner for their own members, but I have often thought about those who had no church affiliation-they were left out-too bad. -Rod Chapman