MEETING SCHEDULE:
The February meeting
will be held at 7 p.m. in the Community Room at Kings Restaurant
in Buffalo Township on February 12. Come out, treat yourself
to ? a dish of ice cream, or a cup of coffee, or whatever, and
join us to make plans.
The March meeting will be March 11 - place to be determined - call Don for information.
LOOKING AHEAD
to the merry month
of May. We are planning a dinner meeting for that month, on a
date to be announced. Plans are tentative at, but it looks as
if it will be held in the social hall of Freeport United Methodist
Church with food prepared by Freeport Foods. The next newsletter
will have all the details. We hope to have a big crowd to discuss
what the Society is doing and what the status is on the Mill.
We will also see slides of the work on our Mill and slides of
a mill in Tennessee that has been restored.
EAGLE EYE SWEENY
The last newsletter
had two pictures - Richard Sweeny identified the location of both
- one was the corner where the library now stands, the other
was the spot where the firehall now stands.
FREEPORT CEMETERY
Don Collar has been
working on making a list of those who have been buried at our
cemetery. He is currently up to about 1926. Call him if you
have any questions (724/295-4635).
DUES
Yes, it’s that
time of the year again - time to renew your membership in the
Society. Dues are $10 and can be sent by check to the Freeport
Area Historical Society at P. O. Box 107, Freeport, PA 16229.
Please renew - we need you.
HEIRLOOM RECIPES
Boston Cream Pie
Cake:
1 C. flour, 1 t. baking powder, dash of salt. 2 eggs, separated,
1 C. sugar, 1 T. butter or margarine, ½ C. hot milk
Mix flour, baking powder and
salt. Beat egg whites until thick, beat yolks until thick and
lemon colored. Fold yolks into whites and beat together. Add
sugar gradually, beating constantly. Fold dry ingredients into
mixture. Melt butter in milk, stir into mixture and blend thoroughly.
Turn into greased and floured 8 inch round pan. Bake at 350° for 25 - 30 min. Cool and cut in half crosswise. Spread filling
between layers. Dust top with powdered sugar.
Filling:
2/3 C. sugar, ¼ C. flour, 2 T. cornstarch, dash of salt,
2 C. scalded milk, 1 beaten egg, 1 t. vanilla
Mix sugar, flour, cornstarch
and salt. Stir in milk. Cook in top of double boiler until thick
and smooth, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir a little
of mixture into egg, return to double boiler and cook 2 min. longer.
Cool and add vanilla.
This recipe came from my grandmother, Anna Kelly Gallagher -Dianne
Michael
FROM JOHN SHOOP’S
WEATHER BOOK 1848-1870
Editor’s note:
Spelling, punctuation and grammar are as written by John Shoop.
Their was more lumber went down the river 17 April 1860 then ever
was knowen in one day their was about 250 rafts passed here that
Day…On the 18 April 1860 their was 2 hundred and 25 rafts
went down past here & containing about 17 hundred men…On
the 25 April 1860 their was snow on the ground all over white
very cold it Snowed al day & winter wether…David Kistler
the conductor on the Valley Road was kiled April 25 th 1860…The
first of May 1860 was cold & wet a little sleet…Capten
Thompson was drowned in the river at Pittsburgh May 2d 1860…Ember
Day May 30 1860 rainy & worm…we had rain 7 Days in Succesion
every Day in June 1860 that is from the 3d to 10 & cool but
no frost…the Spring of 1860 was very wet & cold…I
was in Pomeroy 9 & 10 May 1860…I was in Kittanning June
11 1860 to bye lots at tax sails & bot 109 & 7 in Anderson’s
Plot…Johnathon Camp was here from Ohio on the 16 June 1860
& went to old Jacks…the river raised 1 foot & 6 inches
on the night of July 5th 1860…Their was a rise at Pittsburgh
of 9 feet July 6d 1860 a fine Steam boat rise & flat boats…John
Shoop’s Wife was bured July 20 th 1860…I paid Woodburns
Estate $500. Dollars July 18 th 1860…theire was 7 feet water
in the Chan at Pittsburgh July 25 1860 in the Alegany their was
no rise…on Sunday 29 July 1860 their was a tremendious rain
I think the heviest I ever saw…We had a fine rise in the
river Augt first 1860 boats & rafts went down it raised about
5 feet in 24 ours…their was very rain & thunder Storm
Augt 7 th 1860.
Editor’s note: Spelling,
punctuation and grammar are as written by John Shoop.
FREEPORT JOURNAL
The following items
were printed in the March 6, 1891, edition. Editor’s Note:
Some errors may have resulted from misreading the microfilm.
BANK ROBBERY
The Festive Burgler
Burgles the Freeport Bank
Several Thousand Dollars worth of Securities, Bonds, Postage Stamps,
etc., missing. Private Individuals the sufferers, While the Loss
to the Bank is Small.
Yesterday morning when G. M. Ludwick opened the bank he discovered that someone had been doing business in his absence. A chisel lying on the floor attracted his attention and on looking at the door leading into the vault he found that the combination knob had been broken off and a hole drilled through the door. The door was closed and at first it was thought the burglars had failed to get in, but on closer examination proved that they not only got in but got away with considerable plunder.
The bolts had been forced back
and both doors leading into the vault opened. Inside there is
a large safe containing the money and valuables belonging to the
bank. The combination knob had been broken off this and an attempt
made to drill through the door which was unsuccessful. The private
boxes in the vault were all broken open and such of the contents
taken as seemed to be of most value. Silas Gibson had $925 worth
of postage stamps belonging to Uncle Sam and these of course were
taken. A. N. Hargar had over two hundred dollars in cash besides
some valuable papers in his box and these are among the missing.
Miss Retta McCain had a box containing bonds, notes, etc., these
were scattered over the floor but none of them are missing.
Mrs. Pillow had a lot of city, school and other bonds but these
were thrown aside as valueless. Dr. J. C. McClelland is short
a few government bonds and W. K. Fleming’s PRR stock and
other securities went off with the thieves. It is impossible
at this writing to tell of even approximate closeness the amount
of loss for some of who had boxes in the vault are away from home.
The burglars secured an entrance by prying open a shutter at
the rear end of the building and were evidently at work early
in the evening for J. J. McCormack heard them when passing along
twenty minutes past 9 o’clock. He heard a noise and saw
a light in the building but supposed it was some one connected
with the bank; he never thought of burglars being at work at that
hour of the evening.
The job was evidently done by some one accustomed to the business. Dr. Schnatterly who lives next door was up until one o’clock and did not hear a sound or notice anyone about.
An expert came up on the noon train and opened the safe where everything was all right, and the bank is doing businesses as usual. As near as can be ascertained the rascals got about seven hundred dollars in cash beside the postage stamps, bonds, etc.
THE FREEPORT BOOK STORE!
H. W. Rowley,
Dealer in
Books, Stationery, Artists’ Materials
And
PERIODICALS.
Subscriptions taken for any Newspaper or Magazine published, at
Regular Price
Also Dealer in TOYS, DOLLS and FANCY GOODS.
Small Musical Instruments, Guitars, Banjos, violins, Mandolines,
Fifes, Drums, Flutes, Tambourenes, Accordions, Cornets. Also
Viola Strings, Guitar Strings
Fifth Street,
Freeport, PA
DO YOU KNOW
that you can buy cheaper
AT
S. Turner & Son’s
Than anywhere else and have
an immense stock to select from? Whether you want the Finest
Parlor or Bedroom Suit, or some Good, Every day Furniture, you
can be suited in price and quality at
S. Turner & Son’s
Mammoth
Furniture Store!
Fifth Street
Freeport, PA
…………………………………………………………………
CHURCHES
The town of Freeport is as large as it can be as it is bordered by the Allegheny River and Buffalo Creek, and the Laneville section is surrounded by Buffalo and South Buffalo Townships. Although the population of this municipality over the last 50 years stays around 2,000 persons, it has always amazed me that at one time we had 9 churches within the Borough. They were: Baptist, Catholic, Episcopalian, Free Methodist, Gospel Tabernacle, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian and United Presbyterian.
Four of these no longer exist in the Borough today. The Baptist Church was located at the corner of Fifth, Washington and Buffalo Streets across from Trinity Lutheran Church. This congregation passed out of existence and the building was dismantled. The Free Methodist Church was on lower High Street. The building was destroyed by fire and the church moved to South Buffalo Township. This congregation also passed out of existence and that building is now the Freeport Community Center. Gospel Tabernacle moved to Sarver where it is now known as Evangel Heights. Their building in town along High Street houses The Sheltering Tree. The United Presbyterian Church on Fourth Street merged with the Presbyterian Church on High Street. The United Presbyterian Church building was razed and that location is now the site of the Eye Care Center.
So today in Freeport we have 5 churches, St. Mary’s Roman Catholic, Trinity Lutheran, Episcopal, United Methodist and Presbyterian.
If we go further back in time to around 1919, there were 3 Lutheran churches in town. The German Lutheran was located on lower Market St. The English Lutheran was on Fourth Street and that building now houses the Masonic Hall. St. Matthews Evangelical Lutheran was located on Fifth Street at the corner of Buffalo. This building was moved down on Cherry Way, behind the post office and the Presbyterian Church. For many years it has been known as the Montgomery Apartments. Trinity Lutheran was built in 1926.
--Rod Chapman
DO YOU
Know some of the
history of the Freeport Area? Would you like to share your knowledge
with other members of the Society? Please contact Carol Hale
at pchale@salsgiver.com and we’ll include the article
in an upcoming newsletter.
AND, SPEAKING OF QUESTIONS
We’ve had a
request from Mr. Ben Holme, who has Emailed us from the United
Kingdom. He is requesting information - survivor accounts, photos,
newspaper accounts - of Thomas Brownlie and wife, Margaret, who
were on the ill-fated Luisitania journey. Thomas died that day,
May 7, 1915, and his body was subsequently recovered and buried
in Ireland. Margaret survived. Mr. Holme would like any information
relating to this couple or to other passengers with a Freeport
connection. Please contact us at FAHS
at P. O. Box 107, Freeport, PA 16229,
or Emailing to the address given above.