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THE JOURNAL OFTHE [.YCOMING COUNTY HISTORICALSOCIETY &MUSEUM VOLUME xxXlll SUMMER NUMBER ONE 1991 y y ] Park Hotel, c. i88s. Lycoming County Historical Society Archiues The JOURNAL ofthe LYCOMINGCOUNTY HISTORICALSOCIETY & MUSEUM Published Biannually in Wi!!icimsport.Pennsyluania Stephanie R. Zebrowski, Editor VOLUME XXXlll SUMMER NUMBER ONE 1991 LYCOMINGCOUNTY Museum Staff HISTORICALSOCIETY & MUSEUM Executive Director Sara Ann B. Briggs Curator of Education Sandra B. Rife Board of Trustees ResearchManager Everett W. Rubendall Grace E. Callahan John Brush, Jr. William E. Nichols Museum Store Manager Richard H. Lundy Legal Counsel Administrative Assistant Jacquelyn R. Mason John E. Person, lll Intern Bernadette Zbicki Andrew W. Stabler, Jr Custodians -- Green Thumb Program George Ertel Nancy Doebler Board of Governors Museum Volunteer Staff Dr. John Piper, Jr., Presldenf Mrs. Ricki Maietta, .fqrsf rice Preside/zf Curatorial Departments Dr. George Durrwachter, Second HzcePreside/z/ Archaeology James P. Bressler, Curator Mrs. Pamela Shipman, 7hlrd rice Preside/zr Ricki Maietta Mr. Joseph Cramer, Treaszzrer Karen Rockey Mrs. Mary Welch, SecreraW Archives Dorothy Brandt, Curator May Francis Edith Green Hildegarde Pastel 1990-92 1991-93 Mary Louise Thomas Dr. Joseph English Mr. Paul Beard Firearms and Edged Weapons William W. Kennedy, Curator Mr. Carl Curchoe Mr. Spencer Kraybill Photographs Harry L. Rogers, Curator Mrs. Jacqueline Murray Mrs. Betty Gardner Paul Bennett Dr. Thomas A. Patemostro Mr. Michael Rafferty Textiles Mr. Mark Roller Jane Ingersoll, Curator Mrs. Nancy Stearns Virginia Asplund, Aust Curator Christine Brown Patricia Lockspeiser Toy Train Collection Pastor Robert Logan, Curator Robert Paulhamus Ronald Paulhamus Thomas Paulhamus Historians A. GeorgeLyon David KristopherAngle Registration Dorothy Bressler Docents Richard Allen Virginia Asplund Fred Brass Jane Brower Bruce Buckle Connie Crane Joan Decker Molly Dorr Jane Ingersoll Elise Knowlden 11 Docents (Continued) Kelly Oreo LYCOMINGCOUNTY Kim Reighard HISTORICALSOCIETY &MUSEUM Cheri Reagle 858 West Fourth Street Ken Reagle Williamsport, PA 17701-5824 Mary Ulmer Telephone -- (717) 326-3326 Paul Weaver Robert Whipple Janet Woodruff Naomi Woolever Museum Store Anna Barnes Jane Brower Jack Brown Betty Brown Adelina Caporaletti Helen Carey Ethel Chambers Miriam Cooper Linda Deljanovan Grace Fleming May R. Francis Sherri Fulmer Arlene Hater Fran Haas Marjory Lyon Gerry Martin Kay Monks Nancy Reese Kim Reighard Charlene Rupp Mary Sexton Jane Taxis Mary Ulmer Naomi Woolever Staff Assistants Amy Rider Jennifer Russell RebeccaVisco ©1991, Lycoming County Historical Society & Museum All rights reserved. Contents cannot be reprinted in whole or in part without the prior written permissionof Lycoming County Historical Society & Museum 111 lv PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE EDITOR'SLETTER It was an ordinary day that took an extraordinary turn. I was working in my The Jozfrnza/has a new look. Our new Executive Director, Sara-Ann Briggs, office in the History Department at Lycoming College when a student popped has brought many new ideas for change with her, the Jour/za/ format and new through the open door and dropped a box on my desk. Startling me, I remember type of paper, which will bring us better photographic images, included him saying something to the effect, ''My aunt said I was to give this to you This issue of the Journo/ brings you Jim Bressler's ''Man and the River,: and you would know what to do with it.' bust presentedat April's Annual Meeting. Our region is dominatedby the Susque- The box was full of old books that had been passedfrom generation to genera- hanna River. The early phases of economic development depended upon the tion. There before me were the remains of the library of the founder of Williams- many large feeder streams and the river to sustain the logging industry. The port, Michael Ross. I immediately called Andy Grugan (a past director of the natural progression led to lumber use in area industry. The fumiture manufacturers Museum) and arranged for the materials to be safely deposited with the Lycoming took advantageof the fact that they could easily obtain the necessaryraw materials County Historical Society & Museum. right in front of their factory doors, thus bringing years of prosperity and recogni I have, on occasion, reflected on this e/ent and now sharesome of my musings bon to Lycoming County. with you. Books were, and still are, considered by many people to be special Naturally, the logging of great areas of our wooded mountains had a down treasures. When someone dies and loved ones sort through their belongings, side. Some species of trees have not fully reclaimed their former ranges, while they often savethe books, at least the more personalones. People often write others like the American chestnut have been ravaged by disease when replace some of their most precious memories in books; Michael Ross used the fly-leaf ments from another part of the world were brought here. But, like so many of one to record that he namedWilliamsport for his son. Bibles, in particular, other aspectsof our environment, the chestnut has not given up. There are many often survive and Ihave several from various ancestorswith some of their nota- of us who have seenour own American chestnut trees flower each year with tions in them. Many of you have similar old items. hope, only to wither again. The point is, though, that next spring they will grow Most families have other keepsakespassed down from former generations. backC The Rossfamily was a little exceptionalin that Michael was famous as the founder Also included is a story by Henry W. Shoemaker. Once again, this is a previ- of a town. Most people do not have famous ancestors, but keep such posses- ously unpublished work which I have edited for your enjoyment. Since this story sions because they are the ties to their past. I suspect that most of us have at involves a famous Williamsport landmark, I have included its history. least one box of personal effects (books, jewelry, clothing, photographs, personal ]f Williamsport has one good storyteller, it has to be Bill Mosteller. And, papers, etc.) that have been carefully preserved. These reminders of the past he hascome up with a goal one involving a famous relative and a famous villian. may be precious to us, but at some point their condition becomesendangered. Most of you shouldrecognize both, either from personalrecollection or high They begin to decay or fall apart or someoneinherits them who has no interest school history class. in keeping them. That is sad, but preventable. I read a letter the other day passedon to me by one of the many helpful folks I once studied a famous revival that took place in New Lebanon, New York who provided information for this issue. The author was an elderly woman in 1827. After deciding to visit the site, Ifound a direct descendantof the revivalist reflecting on her life. She wrote that, ''living is a sort of 'sorting ' procedure' '; still living in the area. Alas, two years previous to my visit, she had decided a weedingout. And, so too, is history a sorting procedureor a weedingout, to burn all the old 'junk ' in her attic, 150 years of books and papers suddenly a separationof fact from folklore and myth. I hope you enjoy the effort. destroyed. Fortunately, the descendant of Michael Ross chose a better way. Our Museumhas a fine collection of artifacts and archives,but is far from StephanieR. Zebrowski complete. We are always interested in receiving items that help to reveal our Editor region's history. If you have inherited something, why not consider giving it to the Museum so that it can be shared with others to help make a more com- plete story about Lycoming County residents. Just as Michael Ross's notation answered the question how Williamsport got its name, so may your personal keepsakesprovide answers. The items may still be precious to you, but they may need special care you cannot provide. The Museum is equipped to store and preserve artifacts and documents so that future generations can enjoy your story John Piper President VI CONTENTS MAN AND THE RIVER b) James P. BressLer ©James P. Bressler President's Message V This is the story of a river, one that is very much a part of our own lives. We Editor's Letter VI can approachour story in one of several ways, either by following its geographical courseor by tracing its history through time. Perhaps,it will be a bit of both, Man and the River, but at any rate my purpose is to chronicle man's adaptationto the river and by James P. Bressler l to see how that relatesto our own history in Lycoming County. The Susquehanna,one of nature's masterpieces is a stream as lovely as its A History of the Furniture Manufacturersof the Lycoming County Region name. It is about 444 miles long altogether, and is considered to be the longest byStephanieR.Zebrowski.................................... 9 non-navigable river in the United States. From its 28,000 square mile drainage it pours ] 9 million gallons of water into the ChesapeakeBay every minute. How Portrait of an Enterprising Man: Frederick Mankey old is the Susquehanna?According to Dr. William Shirk, Professor of Geology by StephanieR. Zebrowski . 17 at Shippensburg State University, the Susquehannawas already in place by the time of the Permian Age, well over 200 million years ago. The mountains of The Miracle of 1879 the Allegheny Ridge were formed when the floating African Continent bumped by William Landis Mosteller 18 into the then American Continent and buckled the Tectonic plates on which they rest. This was a slow process which the Susquehannatook in stride. As the The Meteoric Showerof 1833 mountains rose in response to that collision the river kept wearing down the by J.C. McCloskey 22 land in its path.

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