Early in 1910, notices began to appear in the local and area newspapers of the coming of a new railroad, the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad, to the Lykens Valley. The notices included the towns to be served, names of those who held shares in the corporation, and later the names of the first officers.
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From the Harrisburg Daily Independent, 21 February 1910:
THE NEWS OF CAPITOL HILL
Dauphin and Schuylkill counties are to have a new railroad, running northeast through the coal fields from Millersburg, Dauphin County, to Ashland, Schuylkill County, tapping a portion of the coal fields that have hitherto not had railroad facilities. The incorporators are mostly non-residents of either county.
At the State Department Saturday a charter was issued to the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad Company, the line of which runs from Millersburg, Dauphin County, to Ashland, Schuylkill County, through the towns of Killinger, Berrysburg, and Gratz, Dauphin County, and the towns of Sacramento, Valley View, Hegins, Weishample, Mable and Gordon, in Schuylkill County, a distance of forty-three miles. The capital is $430,000and the incorporators with the number of shares held by the largest are as follows: Walter E. Harrington, Pottsville, 2,300 shares; John F. B. Atlkins, Philadelphia, 1,491 shares; Franklin C. Dively, Philadelphia; William M. Sheahan, Philadelphia, 150 shares; Edward A. Price, Chester; Robert J. Ritchie, Philadelphia; Frank A. Apple, Philadelphia; Joseph B. Lanning, Philadelphia, 150 shares; Harry B. Reeves, Woodbury, New Jersey, 200 shares.
The President is Walter E. Harrington, Pottsville, who is also a director, with the following other directors: John H. Williams, Pottsville; Charles G. Shadle, Gratz; Joseph F. Romberger, Berrysburg; Harry B. Reeves, Woodbury, New Jersey; Edgar D. Rank, Williamstown; Harry I. Silliman, Tamaqua.
There is nothing to indicate when the work on the new road will begin, but it is intimated that the surveys and preliminaries will be accomplished this coming spring.
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, 22 February 1910:
New Railroad for the Coal Regions
The Midland Pennsylvania Railroad Company, which has been chartered by the State Department, purposes to build a line from Millersburg to Ashland through the towns of Killinger, Berrysburg and Gratz, Dauphin County, and Sacramento, Valley View, Hegins, Weishample, Mabel and Gordon, in Schuylkill County, a distance of forty-three miles. The capital is $430,000. The incorporators are mostly Philadelphians.
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From the Elizabethville Echo, 3 March 1910:
The Midland Pennsylvania Railroad has been chartered with a capital stock of $430,000 and proposes the construction of a line from Millersburg, Dauphin County, to Ashland, Schuylkill County, through the towns of Killinger, Berrysburg, and Gratz, Dauphin County, and the towns of Sacramento, Valley View, Hegins, Weishample, Mabel and Gordon, in Schuylkill County, 43 miles. The incorporators are Walter E. Harrington, Pottsville; John F. B. Atkins, Franklin C. Dively, William M. Sheahan, William A. Radford, Philadephia; Edward A. Price, Cheser; Robert J. Ritchie, Frank A. Apple, Joseph B. Lanning, Philadelphia, and Harry B. Reeves, Woodbury, New Jersey.
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From the Elizabethville Echo, 8 September 1910, reporting a financial item from a Philadelphia newspaper:
The Midland Pennsylvania Railroad, projected to run from Ashland to Millersburg, was officially organized last Friday at the first annual meeting of the stockholders. The following officers were elected: W. E. Harrington, President; Dimner Beeber, 1st Vice President; Joseph F. Romberger, president of the Lykens Valley Bank, Elizabethville, 2nd Vice President; Finley Acker, 3rd Vice President; S. F. Houston, Treasurer; John H. WIlliams, Secretary. The following directors were also elected: N. D. Yoder, C. S. Shadel and J. F. B. Atkins.
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Transcribed from Newspapers.com.