Tom Kelley
School Teacher in Cherry, PA
About 1900
Hundreds of Young Men and Women Became Teachers in
Sullivan County as
the Children of Large Immigrant Families Reached School Age
You can read an article written
by young Kelley in 1899 on the topic of local schools and education at
Historical Sketch. at the end of the How to Contribute section of our web page.
Photo Contributed by Carol Brotzman
EARLY CHURCHES, RAILROADS, TOWNS, BUSINESSES AND SOLDIERS
EARLY CHURCHES
Almost as soon as they arrived, the pioneers of Cherry erected houses in which to worship their God. Built of logs and as unpretentious as their dwellings, they here assembled for religious teaching and to hear the Word of God expounded by the occasional minister to reach the new settlement. Already, among the early settlements has been mentioned the start of the Baptist church among the pioneers of Cherry Hill.
The Germans who came soon after the Turnpike was built also wanted a place to worship God, so, as early as 1825, a log church was built and called Friedens or Peace church. Lutherans, German Reformed and Catholics all assisted in building this church, Yonkin, Thall, Litzelswope and Graifley being very instrumental in its erection. The first record of baptism is that of Caroline Hoffa, a daughter of Jacob Hoffa, who was baptized in June 1827. The congregation was served at various times by Reformed and Lutheran ministers, but all preached more or less irregularly until 1839 when Rev. Carl Erle assumed the pastorate. Some years later, a frame church was erected and is known as the Germany church. Services are still occasionally held here by the Lutheran minister of Dushore.
The settlers of East Cherry were not without religious service, as Rev. Erle held services in his house. The cornerstone for a frame church was laid in 1851, Rev. Erle being assisted in the dedicatory services by Revs. Bahl and Boyer. This church is still standing, but no regular services have been held here for several years, the people going to Dushore to worship.
The United Evangelical church in Cherry began by camp meetings held at various places throughout the township, and later services were held in the homes of different members of the church. Two of the early ministers to serve this charge were Bishops Seibert and Long. The circuit was called the Cherry circuit and extended to Muncy, at which place the minister resided. There were 31 preaching points, among them being Muncy, Hughesville, Penn township, Unityville, Warren, Greenwood, Sonestown, Nordmont and Cherry. The minister preached every day, traveling from place to place on horseback and studying his Bible as he rode. Later, the old church and parsonage, still standing near Bahr’s cemetery, were built, the parsonage being now owned by Ralston Hunsinger. Here the people worshiped until the building of the Evangelical church at Dushore in 1870.
The history of the Roman Catholic Church dates from 1836. In that year, at the suggestion of Freeman Fairchild, who knew the name of the bishop of the diocese of Philadelphia to which this section belonged, James Dunn wrote to the Bishop, Rt. Rev. Francis Patrick Kanerick, of Philadelphia, who came and baptized the children of the families belonging to the Catholic faith. He also made arrangements to build a small frame church at Dushore and located the present cemetery. The church was built within a year and, in 1837, he again came from Philadelphia, accompanied by his brother. Rev. Peter Richard Kanerick, who had been ordained a priest in Dublin the year previous and who afterward became the noted Archbishop Kanerick of St. Louis. He died about 10 years ago, over 90 years of age. On this trip, arrangements were made with Fr. O’Reilly of Susquehanna county to come once in three months and hold services in the church in the English language. Fr. Steinbacher of Nippenose Valley, Lycoming County, was also to come once in three months and hold services in the German language. These priests had to travel over sixty miles to reach this church and these arrangements continued until 1846 when the Roman Catholic population had grown to such an extent that a priest was stationed at Towanda and he conducted services at Dushore.
RAILROADS
Train Station at Eagles Mere
An Old Postcard About 1910
By the end of the 19th Century, train travel
had changed the entire appearance and way of life of Sullivan County
Contributed by Carol Brotzman
Original posted on Ebay in August 2002
Sullivan County had reached the point where it was deemed advisable to take some definite action on the question and a petition, bearing the date of April 6, 1849 was circulated to procure money to make a preliminary survey. In 1851, Michael Meylert of Laporte, George D. Jackson of Dushore and M.C. Mercur of Towanda, on the knowledge of previous surveys made by Mr. Meylert and Mr. Mason of Laporte, engaged Major E. McNeal to make a survey. The survey was made in November and, during the following winter, Mr. Meylert who was then a member of the Legislature procured the passage of an act, supplementary to the original act, authorizing the building of the Towanda and Catawissa railroad by which the company could make such connections with other roads and have full authority over any part as though they had completed the whole road. This subsequently became the basis for other legislation by which the charter for the Muncy Creek Railway Company and the State Line & Sullivan, or Sullivan & Erie as it was originally called, obtained their charters. About this time, a survey of the Bernice coalfields was made by Prof. P.W. Shaffer and William A. Mason. They found nothing but the underlying small vein of coal and reported that there was not sufficient coal to warrant the building of a railroad. From 1855 to 1859, little was accomplished. In 1859, the upper vein was discovered and opened up. George D. Jackson and his father, Dr. Josiah Jackson, purchased a portion of the coal lands. These gentlemen with Mr. Meylert, M.C. Mercur of Towanda and C.F. Welles, Jr. of Athens, took measures to develop the coal and build a railroad from Towanda to Bernice to market the coal. The State Line & Sullivan railroad was commenced in 1867 and completed to Bernice in 1871. Arrangements were made with the Barclay railroad company to use the Barclay tracks from Towanda to Monroeton and the road was built from Monroeton to Bernice. In 1886, the Lehigh Valley railroad company, which had previously leased the State Line & Sullivan railroad, extended the road from Bernice to Lopez and later to Harvey’s Lake connecting with the Harvey’s Lake Branch of the Lehigh Valley and making an eastern outlet from Lopez.
In 1893, the Williamsport and North Branch railroad was extended from Nordmont to Satterfield, connecting at this point with the Lehigh Valley.
Train Wreck
Near Satterfield, PA
Williamsport and North Branch Railroad
It was said that the wreck came about as probable revenge, the engine having hit a farmer's cow near the spot the previous night. The locomotive carrying engineer Delbert Bennett and his fireman on the morning run from Satterfield allegedly derailed after the farmer threw a switch.
1910
Auctioned on eBay in November 2005
Photo Submitted by Carol Brotzman
BERNICE
Bernice was named in honor of Mrs. Bernice Jackson, wife of Hon. George D. Jackson, one of the leading men in promoting the State Line and Sullivan railroad. The road was completed to Bernice in 1871, and upon its completion the railroad company commenced to develop the coal on a large scale and build the town. Previous to this, coal had been mined on a small scale for the local trade. About three hundred men have been employed in and about the mines. In 1902, the Connell Anthracite Mining Company purchased the improvements and leased the coal lands to the State Line & Sullivan Railroad Company. A new breaker has been erected and another will be built in 1904. The improvements now in progress will greatly increase the output of coal. The town of Bernice is owned by the mining company except the I.O.O.F. hall, church, parsonage and a fine two-story schoolhouse. A sawmill cuts the lumber the company needs, and the store and meat market are leased at present to a firm known as the Bernice Store Company. The United Evangelical Church holds regular services, Rev. J.T. Hower, of Lopez, is the pastor. The Presbyterians have an organization and hold services.
The Old School House in Bernice
Postcard Photo Taken Before
the School Burned Down in 1937
Local students began going to the new
consolidated Cherry Township High School (Turnpike School) in September 1939
Suggested by Henry
Retzer of Hanover, PA.
GUNTON COLLIERY
To Walter B. Gunton, belongs the credit of proving that coal mining in Sullivan County can be made a very profitable business, producing a new epoch in the history of mining in the county. In 1898, Mr. Gunton leased 102 acres of land from the executors of Josiah Jackson and others and erected a coal breaker. In the spring of 1899, he commenced operations. A number of houses were erected in the vicinity of the breakers, but, as most of the miners live at Mildred and surrounding localities, no attempt has been made to build a town at this point.
Stone Bridge Across Birch Creek at Mildred, PA
From an Old Undated Postcard
Likely Early Twentieth Century
Published by B. B. Hymen
Contributed by Elaine Frey
MILDRED *
Mildred, including the Sugar Hill settlement adjoining, is a very important and thriving town. The business is derived from the mining of coal in the collieries nearby, where most of the men and boys are employed. The old town of Shinersville, which was started when the Turnpike was built, was located at this point, but only the ruins of a few houses marked the place when the town of Mildred, formerly called Birch Creek, was commenced in 1870. Most of the families own substantial homes, giving it a very desirable population. John Schaad was the pioneer businessman in the place; he established a restaurant and meat market in 1870. About 1885, he built a large hotel and in 1890 he erected a distillery. In 1898, Mr. Schaad leased his hotel and distillery to his sons and retired from business. The town has five hotels, Schaad Bros.; Daly’s Hotel, conducted by John Daly for about eleven years; the Connor House, conducted by John Connor for a number of years; C.E. Jackson built his hotel in 1894; in 1902, John Luksie purchased the Guye House. There are five stores, Frank Meyer has been conducting a general mercantile business of Julius Vogle in the spring of 1903, John Sick is postmaster and conducts a shoe store, Simon Fromburg runs a clothing store. Henry J. Schaad is proprietor of the meat market, Schaad Bros. Conduct a distillery. Dr. John A. Campbell is the physician. The Roman Catholics built a handsome church and parsonage in 1896; the church was named St Francis and was dedicated, August 2, 1896. Rev. J. A. Enright has been the resident priest since the parish was struck off from Dushore in 1894.
Editor's Note:: In mid-2014, Henry Retzer, a graduate of Cherry Township High School (Class of 1951), drew our attention to the life and writings of Robert E. Hood (1926-2011). Hood, a fellow ghraduate of the same high school (1944) is the author of Mama's Boy (2006), a self-published hsitory of Hood's childhood years in Midred, PA. The book was available on Amazon in 2014 as well. Here is Hood's obituary:
Bird's Eye View of Mildred, PA
From an Old Undated Postcard
Likely Early Twentieth Century
Contributed by Elaine Frey
A Parade in Mildred in 1921
The Participants All Seem to be Women
Contributed by Veronica L. (Fritsch) Ellis
SATTERFIELD
Satterfield, formerly called Dohm’s Summit, was named in honor of John Satterfield, of Buffalo, N.Y., one of the principal stockholders of the Williamsport & North Branch Railroad. The town is small, containing not more than 20 buildings. It derives its importance from being located at the junction of the W. & N.B. and the State Line & Sullivan railroads. M.P. Gallagher conducts a boarding house, John Jacoby a blacksmith ship, P.F. McGee a restaurant, and E.J. Borton has the post office.
CHERRY MILLS
Cherry Mills derives its name from the township in which it is situated and its two mills. It is located on the Little Loyalsock Creek four miles from Dushore. In 1846, a 20-horse waterpower gristmill was erected at this point and a sawmill was built farther down the stream. A Mr. Coganhogan owned the gristmill at an early date and the place was known as Coganhogan’s Mill. The late B.M. Sylvara, of Dushore, owned the mills at one time. In 1866, the gristmill was purchased by C.S. Sick and it is now owned by his brother Joseph Sick. C.S. Sick embarked in the mercantile business in 1878 and holds the post office which was established a little later when the place was named Cherry Mills. The sawmill is owned and operated by George J. Hartzig; he purchased the mill of William Smith who purchased it of Joseph Sick. J.G. Gross is the proprietor of the hotel; J.M. Dempsey is the village blacksmith.
HUNSINGER'S CORNERS
This hamlet is located about one mile east of Dushore on the Little Loyalsock Creek. P.W. Hunsinger has a sawmill and store at this place, R.C. R. Kshinka conducts a blacksmith ship. These industries with a small number of residences constitute the town.
THE SOLDIERS
Cherry furnished a large number of soldiers. Colonel James Deegan organized a company which did gallant service during the Civil war. The following are names of the "Boys in Blue" who responded to the call to arms, from Cherry and Dushore; James Deegan, Jeremiah Deegan, William Deegan, R.C.R. Kshinka, George Baumgartner, Anthony Baumgartner, Adam M. Baumgartner, Lewis M. Zaner, William Graul, Joseph Huffmaster, John Dunn, John Kinsley, John Hartzig, Joseph Sick, Samuel Bahr, Charles Arey, Hiram Kisner, William Burke, John Huffmaster, Joseph T. Hested, William Scott, Jefferson Colley, Feliz Timmons, Ira Bently, John Henley, Green Henley, Daniel Prichard, John S. Dieffenbach, George W. Thrasher, Ellis Persun, John McCracken, Thomas McCracken, John McCracken, Jr., Francis Bennett, Miles McDonald, John Thall, Charles Kneller, Samuel McNeal, Alfred Cole, John J. Hoffa, Charles Murnna, J. Harrington, Henry Stahl, Jeremiah Mooney, Henry Hileman, Nathan Persun, John Mooney, George Harlacher, Thomas Deegan, Lewis Otton, Henry Dieffenbach, H.H. Hartman.
Maple Avenue in 1909
Dushore, PA
Photo Contributed by Carol Brotzman
Source: An old postcard auctioned on eBay in December 2005
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