The Midland Pennsylvania Railroad, begun in 1910, with plans to connect Millersburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, with Ashland, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, turned out to be a colossal failure. In addition to the two terminal points of the railroad, stations were planned in Killinger, Berrysburg, Gratz, Springville, Valley View, Weishample and Mable. Great plans were formulated for the growth of commerce and farming. Much of the hype was presented in a Harrisburg Telegraph article in 1911. That article is transcribed here in several parts, with part three presented today.
in this part, the Lykens Valley Development Company is explained as the leading force behind the development of the Lykens Valley. This part of the article is interesting in that it describes the industrial projects for each of the communities along the railroad, a few of which came to fruition despite the failure of the railroad, but most of which did not.
From the article that appeared in the Harrisburg Telegraph, 16 March 1911:
Lykens Valley Development Company
by Robert F. Gorman
The Lykens Valley Development Company, which is really the lading organization for the development of the Lykens Valley, is comprised of men who are held in high esteem by all who knew them. Of all the men affiliated with the company none is more prominent than Finley Acker, of Philadelphia, a merchant whose “Acker Quality” trade mark stands for the very best the country over.
Mr. Acker is a person of pleasing disposition, cheerful nature, and above all one of the most conservative and highly respected citizens of Philadelphia.
Another is George B. Wells, the hat manufacturer, whose trade device, “Wells Hats Wear Well,” is known the country over. W. Atlee Burpee, the seed king, and Dimner Beeber, ex-judge of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, are also prominently connected with the company. The other men are: S. F. Houston, vice president of the Real Estate Trust Company, of Philadelphia; G. Genge Browning, director of the Camden and Suburban Railway; J. A.McKee, treasurer, Merchant & Evans Co.; William McLean, civil engineer; Joseph E. Romberger, President of the Lykens Valley Bank of Elizabethville; W. W. Cole, consulting engineer, of New York; W. E. Harrington, president of the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad Company; J. A. Keppelman, attorney; W. W. Pinkerton, president of the Pinkerton Construction Company; L. J. Grubb, of the Investment Securities Company; Thomas F. Bayard, attorney-at-law.
The officers of the company are: President, Dimney Beeber, President of the Commonwealth Title Insurance and Trust Company; Vice-President, Finley Acker, president of the Finley Acker Company; Treasurer, J. A. McKee; Secretary and General Manager, Robert H. Sexton.
Back of all the development projects now engaging the minds and energies of the Lykens Valley people is the development company. There is nothing fanciful regarding what it proposes to do, for every project if critically tested by extensive practical knowledge of commercial needs and sound business principles.
Industries for the Whole Valley
Within a short time in every section of the Lykens Valley, plans will be made for the reception of some industrial concern which will give employment to the hundreds of people who live in the valley besides bringing to the section many men and women skilled in various kinds of work and who will be needed until the local men and women become proficient in the work to which they are assigned.
Every town will be given an industry of some kind and each of these will he housed in some fitting building. As soon as all the plans for all the manufacturing concerns are completed work on the erection of the buildings will be started and rushed to a finish.
BERRYSBURG
Berrysburg will be given a large planing mill. The country about that town is full of good lumber and no better site for a mill of that kind could be found. Berrysburg has always been known as the “educational center” of the valley because of the high standard it has attained in its schools. In order that the town may maintain that name, public spirited citizens are endeavoring to establish an agricultural college or forestry school in the town. For the purpose, Jacob Hartman and Joseph F. Romberger donated fifteen acres of ground for the school. Walter E. Harrington, president of the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad Company, has offered $1,000 toward the support of the school.
GRATZ
Gratz, because of its geographical location, is known as the capital of the Lykens Valley. This borough will be the site of a large printing plant which will be run in connection with the Alfred M. Slocum Company, a big printing concern of Philadelphia. This plant will be in operation within a short time. A company known as the Yoder Manufacturing Company has also decided to locate in Gratz and it will soon begin the manufacture of shirts. The company will occupy a portion of a building which the Odd Fellows of the town are now erecting. It will give employment to about forty-five people. Another portion of the building will be occupied by the printing establishment until the owners of the concern can build a home of their own. The permanent location of the plant will be just opposite the railroad station which will be built back of Rogers’ Hotel.
Besides doing job printing, a weekly newspaper, devoted almost exclusively to the new happenings of the valley, will be issued from the plant. Mr. Slocum is making arrangements for the shipping of some machinery to Gratz at the present time.
The “capital” will also receive another industry. This will be a stocking factory and it is expected that it will be established within the next few months. This concern will occupy the old tannery at the western end of the town, which has been closed for some time. The building will be remodeled.
SACRAMENTO
At Sacramento, a second planing mill will be established and besides ground for this the development company has under construction a plot of ground which will be used for park purposes. It will be fitted up after the manner of trolley company parks everywhere and will be equipped with as many attractive features as will draw many pleasure-seekers from outside the valley.
HEGINS & SPRINGVILLE
At Hegins there will be a canning factory and at Springville a creamery will be built.
Near this latter place, a demonstration farm will be established. Ground has already been secured for the purpose. In a number of other places in the valley, too, there will be demonstration and experimental farms and those will be in charge of D. W. Guise, who for the past several months has been in the valley examining the soils and determining that product for which each is best adapted. On portions of each of these farms will be raised all kinds of vegetables, cereals and fruits. Farmers will be given instructions so that they may be better able to raise a higher grade of produce.
VALLEY VIEW
Valley View will construct a refrigerating plant. When all of the plans are completed each town in the valley will have an industry.
Thousands of acres have been purchased or are under option and these will be split up into small farms for fruit and vegetable growing. Intensive farming will be practiced. The farms will be placed in a high state of cultivation or planted in fruit before being thrown on the market.
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The lumber business will be quite extensive and it seems assured that near every town a portable saw mill will be stationed. After a portion of woodland has been cleared it will be allowed to remain idle. On each clearing, hogs will be placed. These “porkers” will eat the shoots which rise from the roots of the felled trees. In time, the roots die and then the woodland will be a thing of the past. In time to come, if the plans work successfully, big stretches of the valley will be covered by orchards. The hogs will be given the freedom of large enclosures and after a while there will be enough hogs to operate a profitable stock market at some point along the new railroad. Hogs will not molest fruit trees so that on every section of ground two distinct businesses, hog raising and horticulture, can be carried on at one time.
The next part of this series will be entitled “Gratz Is Known For Its Big Fairs, 1911,” and will tell of the history of the Gratz Fair.
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News article is from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.