A 1911 photograph of the steel beams used to construct the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad bridge at the east end of Berrysburg, Dauphin County Pennsylvania. The beams were shipped to Elizabethville, Dauphin County, by rail and then brought by eight teams to Berrysburg. According to the caption on this picture, the turkeys in the foreground belonged to John Deibler. The Berrysburg Corner Store is in the background.
This photo appeared in the Historical Book of Berrysburg and Mifflin Township, printed in 1969 for the Sesquicentennial, 1819-1969. It was the only picture that accompanied the story of the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad that appeared in the book. Note: If a better copy of this photo is located, it can be posted here.
MIDLAND PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD
When a traveler visits Berrysburg and enters by Route 25 from Gratz he is confronted by the cement abutments which were to be used for the Midland Railroad. This is only one of the remaining marks left in Mifflin Township as a result of this enterprise. Many of the cuts and embankments are just accepted by the younger generation as part of the terrain, but the old timers know this was the work of the construction company working for the Midland Railroad.
The people of the valley realized that despite its great natural resources, the valley was handicapped in development because of inadequate transportation. Farm produce not consumed locally had to be hauled to Good Spring, Oakdale, or Elizabethville via horse and wagon. In years gone by vast quantities of mine timber, lumber, and bark for tanning were produced in our wooded areas. For these also no transportation was available besides four and six-mule hauling.
In 1905 a wealthy Philadelphian, Finley Acker, and some friends visited the Valley and literally fell in love with its beauty, saw the possibilities and organized the Lykens Valley Board of Trade. Joseph F. Romberger, of Berrysburg, was elected President of the Lykens Valley Board of Trade.
Boards of Trade Organized to Help Along Development Plans
The project had a slow start, capitalists had to be found who were willing to invest money, stock had to be sold locally, rights of way had to be secured, and necessary surveys made before actual construction could begin.
The land for a terminal in Millersburg was purchased in July 1908. Right of way was secured from the farmers in the lower end of Mifflin Township. In 1909, preliminary work was done to secure station sites. By the spring of 1910 there was every indication of success. The contract for actual construction was let early in the summer to the Pinkerton Construction Company of Philadelphia. O. H. Bundy was the field engineer put in charge. He had a crew of seventeen and they pushed to survey the road.
Ground for the new railroad was broken at Killinger in the field of F. W. Lenker in September 1910. Construction equipment began coming in rapidly and a large force of men was put to the task of grading early in October. By 1 February 1911 a section between Curtin and Berrysburg was being graded.
Trains Will Run By Early Fall. New Line From Millersburg to Ashland is being Rushed.
The Midland Railroad was open to many new industries in the area. The following paragraphs were taken from an article in the Harrisburg Telegraph, 16 March 1911:
Every town will be given an industry of some kind and each of these will be housed in some fitting building. As soon as all the plans for the manufacturing concerns are completed work on the erection of the buildings will be started and rushed to a finish.
Berrysburg will be given a large planing mill. The country about that ton is full of good lumber and no better site for a mill 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 and agricultural college or a forestry school in the town. For this 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 $1000 toward the support of the school.
The following are some of the enterprising businesses in Berrysburg at the time the Midland Railroad was started:
St. Lawrence Hotel — Lewis Reed, proprietor — Established 1820
Berrysburg Roller Mills – Hartman Brothers, proprietors — Established 1892
Hoover Brothers Manafactures of Bar and Store Fixtures – Established 1899
Romberger’s Store – Established 1853
Just before New Year’s Day a steam shovel was brought to Millersburg to be used on the deep cuts. In April 1911 this steam shovel began working its way through the hills north of Oak Hill Cemetery. By 1 June 1911, the first ties were laid, and grading was being done as far as Gratz.
The cuts at Millersburg proved more difficult and costly than expected. Much blasting had to be done. This handicapped the work farther up the line because they could not run a supply train over the graded portion to move materials up the right of way. These ties stored at Millersburg had to be transported by teams to the graded portion of the railroad.
During the summer of 1911 work was going along fine. The girders for the bridge east of Berrysburg were put into place on 19 September 1911. However, in September the payroll for the construction company could not be met. The workers were furious [and] about 75% of the work crew quit. After this the officials of the company visited the valley and fired the Pinkerton Construction Company claiming that they had not worked vigorously enough.
At this time it was reported that the Midland Company was working with a New York bond house for new financing and seeking a new contractor. The management confidently announced that regular trains would be running between Millersburg and Berrysburg by February 1912. Late in November a combination passenger and express car, gasoline operated, was received at Millersburg.
On 12 February 1913, Finley Acker, one of the vice presidents of the railroad company, died in Philadelphia. The Midland had been largely his dream, and without exception the people of the valley felt that in his death they had lost a friend and benefactor.
In 1914 and 1915 no new developments were made. And in March 1916 Joseph F. Romberger, of Berrysburg, one of the other vice presidents, died. Prior to Mr. Romberger’s death, the president, Walter E. Harrington of Pottsville, had resigned, so that the organization was without a directing head.
In the summer of 1916 the management was reorganized and work was resumed [on] 14 August; however, the equipment was in poor repair after not being used for five years.
In October 1916 the track was competed beyond Killinger and on 24 October the Midland ran two excursions from Millersburg to Killinger carrying 324 passengers round trip and 14 one way. The track laying proceeded and on Sunday, 5 November 1916, an excursion was run to a point above Curtin and again a week later. The price of these trips were 25 cents a round trip from Berrysburg, 20 cents from Curtin and 15 cents from Killinger. The train stopped at every crossroad, lane and fence strip to take on or leave off passengers. Everybody enjoyed the unusual ride. It was especially thrilling for the youngsters as many were never on a train before.
The ties for the Midland were laid within three-quarter miles of Berrysburg. On this railroad several cars of feed were shipped to George Dockey who was the owner of the feed mill. Then Mr. Dockey shipped flour on the cars to dealers in several cities.
On 18 November 1916 the Berrysburg Band had to postpone an ox-roast because they had become over-optimistic about the abilities of the track-laying crew.
Boyer and Weaver had established a coal yard at Killinger which was served by the Midland. This service continued during most of the winter.
For the second time the Midland and their contractor clashed. The contractor filed suit against the company for failure to release certain bonds to him, which caused him to suspend payments to his employees, whereupon the men quit work at the end of the year.
In April 1917 work was supposed to resume, all the necessary equipment kept arriving at Millersburg, but it did not resume. That same month the United States became involved in World War I and no doubt this had something to do with the suspension of further construction.
For eighteen months there were no developments and then a group of New York financiers acquired the franchise and holdings of the Midland. All the equipment of the Midland was salvaged; some had resale value but others were burned for the scrap iron.
In 1919 the task of dismantling the track was undertaken; this was sold to firms in Lebanon and Baltimore. All the railroad stock, locomotive, combination passenger and express car, three flat cars and five box cars became the property of Leo Stern of New York.
The railroad bridge east of Berrysburg was purchased by a Texas millionaire for use on the private railroad of his huge ranch. Guy L. Heckert moved the span in one section to Millersburg and placed it on flat cars for shipment to Texas.
Only the disposition of the right of way remained. Mr. Benjamin F. Moore, the agent for the bondholders in the salvaging of the assets, engaged James B. Bowman of Millersburg as his agent for selling the right of way back to the original owners.
It has been reported that as late as 1932 you could still find some stock swindler trying to sell stock in the Midland Railroad.
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Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.