A 1933 photograph of the kitchen staff of the Lykens Valley Campmeeting, Elizabethville, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
The photo was taken in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Campmeeting. According to the history of this annual event, the first meeting was held at this location in 1894, but the records of the United Brethren conference that sanctioned the Campmeeting, show that it began a year or two prior at a site known as “Bickel’s Grove,” just west of the present site.
Not all the persons in the photograph are identified. Kneeling in front is William Bowman, the great-great-grandfather of Debby Rabold, who provided the photo. Bowman’s brother-in-law, Cornelius E. “Cornie” Rettinger (1870-1943) stands at the left. Cornelius owned the Lykens Supply located on South Second Street, Lykens, and at the time the photo was taken, was the President of the Lykens Valley Campmeeting Association. When he died in 1943, he left his cottage to the Association in memory of himself and his first wife Sarah Alice [Enders] Rettinger (1869-1936).
To assist blog readers in identifying others pictured, a number key is provided below:
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Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.
Photo provided by Debby Rabold, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from a family collection.
#1 was my gt-grandfather Walter Bowman of Lykens, son of William Bowman. Both men were miners. #2 was Walter’s brother-in-law, C.E. Rettinger who first managed then owned Lykens Supply Co.