The following is quoted from Thomas Murphy's 1928 History of Lackawanna County . 1 (Remember that references to now or today refer to 1928 and do not necessarily reflect life in 2003.)
What is now Glenburn owes its start to George E Humphrey of Orange County, New York. In 1848 Mr Humphrey purchased the land holdings of the heirs of Thomas Meredith, built a mill dam and flouring mill. This mill had four runs of stones. A fairly sizable village grew up around the mill and in time the place became known as Humphreysville by which it was designated on early maps and railroad time tables. About the time the village was incorporated, 1877, the name was changed to Glenburn, a most appropriate cognomen. The borough was formed chiefly from South Abington although some territory was taken from North Abington. Glenburn and Gravel ponds, the latter a particularly beautiful body of water, are within the borough borders. Building of the "cutoff," shifted the Lackawanna railroad tracks but service is provided by the Scranton & Binghamton Railway.
Whjen Mr Humphrey, the mill owner, met with financial reverses, the property was taken over by Hon Gideon W Palmer. He operated a sawmill as well as a fouring mill. In 1854 Mr Palmer together with Hon A B Dunning were elected to represent the county in the legislature. Later on Mr Palmer was sheriff and also a member of the state constitutional convention. His son, Hon Henry W Palmer, became a leader of the Luzerne bar, congressman and attorney general of Pennsylvania.
With the organization of the borough in 1877 N C Northup was elected burgess. The following were made members of council: W N Sherman, Andrew Leighton, E A Atherton, Jabez Hall, Jerome Morrow and W C Hall. Andrew Leighton was the first secretary of council. George Sherman and D S Ball were the earliest justices of the peace in the borough.
Jonathan Hall, who came into the Abingtons in 1800 or 1801 and Ephraim Leach were probably the earliest settlers in Glenburn. Leach's stay was short. He soon located near Chinchilla. Jonathan Hall stayed on and became an outstanding man in the community as well as a big land owner. He built the house now occupied by Rev and Mrs E E Schumacher, the latter a great granddaughter, more than 100 years ago. Mr Hall, realizing the need of school facilities for his children, erected a building on the old Abington-Waterford Turnpike, not far from the present Glenburn station, engaged and supported a teacher, inviting neighbors to send their children to the school, and those who could to help defray the expense. Many took advantage of his generous public spirited offer. Later when the township provided a new school Mr Hall moved the old building and converted it into a kitchen of his home. It is still in use as such. Mr Hall married Eunice Capwell. THey had eight children. Mr Hall died in 1866 at the age of 86.
Few if any families added more in a cultural way to Glenburn than that of Andrerw Leighton, who located in the village in the middle part of the last century. Educated, cultured, progressive Mr and Mrs Leighton's influence spread far beyond the town. Mr Leighton was a member of the first borough council and its secretary in 1877.
In addition to the Hall school house, schools were located at an early date near the head of Glenburn pond and also where the present Church of Epiphany stands. The church in fact was converted over when the present school building was erected a few years ago. Abel Wriggley, Jessie Herbert Gardner and Hattie Phelps are still remembered as teachers in the school at the head of the pond. Rev F P Houghton, first pastor of the Churhc of the Epiphany, resigned in the fall of 1927.
A sketch of Humphreysville published in 1867 and shortly after Humphrey's failure says, "This is small post town located on the DL&W railroad about ten miles north of Scranton and one and a half miles from Waverly Borough. It contains a grist mill, store, hotel, blacksmith shop, cooper shop, plaster mill and about a dozen dwellings." The plaster mill was run in conjunction with the Palmer mill. A half mile or so north of the village and along the creek Jabez G Hall and Manuel Nothup had a sawmill.