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Elaine Mueller Tweedy
           (570) 575-1705

The Route 6 Project:  Meshoppen

3/3/2014

50 Comments

 
Picture1869 Landowner Map
Up until a few days ago, I have always thought of Meshoppen as the town you pass through going to the Wyoming County Fair.  Most noted for its speed trap (you had better be going 35 when the sign tells you to go 35), if you close your eyes and count to three, you will have missed Meshoppen.

The day I selected to travel further up Route 6 was supposed to be our sunny promise before a big snowfall.  It WAS sunny when I left my house, but quickly turned cloudy, with an odd yellow sky.  That coupled with the snowpack would have made Disney World look depressing, but in the end I thought that the conditions actually helped to show how Meshoppen may have looked in the early 1900's.

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Meshoppen Borough in Wyoming County had a population of 563 when the 2010 census was run.  In doing research for this blog post, I can tell you that the only thing harder than traversing iced snow pack to get photos, is finding historical documentation on Meshoppen.  It seems there are fragments of information spread out here and there, but no one has taken the time to expound on what seems to be rich history, if only someone would put the story all together in one place.

Meshoppen was originally named Sterlingsville, after Daniel Theodore Sterling, a merchant and large mill owner.  Daniel Sterling was a descendant of the early New England settlers, and a prominent member of the community.  I would have known none of this if it wasn't for Addison Alexander Sterling's obituary.  Addison was the son of Daniel, and thank goodness obituaries of bygone days had more information in them than some history books, because I feel this important piece of information is left out of a lot of materials I read through on Meshoppen.

In fact, Meshoppen seems like an afterthought.  Wikipedia would have you believe that the word stemmed from the
Unami-Len'api term Mel'ansch'pen'ing which, most unfortunately, means "Vomit-place."  But you know that Wikipedia isn't always reliable, and I'd like to think that this little "let's-name-Meshoppen-vomit-place" incident was merely a disgruntled Meshoppenite trying to get back at the little community for something.  I much prefer the countless OTHER interpretations of the name, which say it means GLASS BEADS, and was most likely chosen because of the barter that went on along the banks of Meshoppen Creek.

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Meshoppen Creek flows southwest into the North Branch Susquehanna River at Meshoppen, PA.  All of Meshoppen Creek Watershed is contained within southern Susquehanna and northern Wyoming Counties. 

To say that milling was the industry of Meshoppen would be an understatement.  The Old White Mill, also known as Sterling Mill and Pinnock Mill, is an historic grist mill located at Meshoppen.  It was built in 1852, and is a 5 1/2-story, banked frame structure.   The Mill sits on a stone foundation, and has a gable roof.  It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
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The only photos I've seen of this grist mill are taken from across the way in the better weather, and the mill is so covered by tree leaves and bushes it is hard to see.  I like to think that these trees are protecting the mill in some way.  I would love to see this building totally refurbished.  It would make a great milling museum, considering the history of the mill industry in this sector of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The other mill structure located in Meshoppen is the now vintage furniture store belonging to Kintner Milling Co.  My guess is this was a lumber mill, as the Kintner family owned a chop mill in Mehoopany (another stop to be made in days to come), and the structure of the building lends itself well to lumber with massive loading docks and pick up areas.  It could have also been a feed mill.  Again, it is hard to know, except to read anecdotal information and surmise, as there are few on-line historical resources on the area.*

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The small town framework of Meshoppen belies what you can find up side streets and back roads surrounding it.  The First National Bank, built in 1929 is the largest structure in town, lying directly across the bridge that spans Meshoppen Creek.  It is now the Frances E. Kennard Public Library.

Structures in town are brick, square, stark and mostly redone here and there with elements that shy away from their original intent.  Settlers at the time lean heavily on the German side.  In fact some of the architecture of Meshoppen reminds me of the buildings of
William Schickel, a German-American architect who was prominent on the New York landscape in the late 1800 to early 1900 period.
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Many photographers prefer to take pristine photos of buildings, void of wires.  This is not only clearly NOT possible in some of the Meshoppen landscape, but you actually take your life in your hands if you stand anywhere on the street instead of sticking to the sidewalks, especially at the four corners of town.  With an active rock quarry in the burg, heavy truck traffic is the norm, accounting for the "one truck only" sign that can be found before the bridge.  Again, instead of painstakingly removing the wires from some photos, I decided that they added the true picture of the town, and left them there.  I must admit that i did remove a bank of wires coming into the red brick structure on the right near the stop sign, because they were obnoxious and didn't lend themselves to the ambiance.

I couldn't leave town without focusing on one of the churches.  I chose St. Joachim's because (a) it reminded me of the Street we lived on in Germany, and (b) I could find a rich history about it on-line.  Plus it is an absolutely adorable church in a lovely setting, even in the Winter.
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St. Joachim's is directly across the street from the Kintner Milling Co. on Sterling Street in Meshoppen.  St. Joachim's was the first Catholic Church in Meshoppen.  Father P.J. Murphy was the first pastor. The church was begun in 1874 and completed in 1875.  The land on which the church stands was purchased from Daniel Sterling and his wife.

There is more rich architecture in Meshoppen, but I've left it for you to find.  I can't do everything for you.  My recommendation would be to come over the bridge and park near the grist mill, then walk up the streets on foot with your camera.  There is a great ice-cream shop that is open in the summer just outside of Meshoppen on Route 6, heading toward the fair grounds.  It is begging for someone to take a photo of it when it is packed with people on a hot summer day.

In the meantime, I found another piece of great historical significance on my way into Meshoppen.  Burr's Poultry Farm.  The Burr's is missing from the building, but the shadow of the letters still remain.  I had no idea when I stopped that there was a wonderful love story associated with the farm, last run by Gail and Ron Burr.  Gail and Ron were married on March 17, 1951.  Ron followed his family's footsteps by operating Burr's Poultry Farm on Burr Hill, selling eggs and poultry and running the hatchery.  He was a third-generation poultry farmer and retired in 1985.  He was also a Wyoming County Commissioner from 1984-1988.

Gail and Ron, high school sweet hearts, lovingly ran the farm until Ron passed away.  Gail followed him in the same year, a year in which they would have celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary.
  Love knows no boundaries.  Standing on the grounds of this poultry farm you can almost hear the chickens cackling again.  I would advise stopping here on your way into Meshoppen.

*Thanks to some great comments from people in the know, it appears that the Kintner Mill was indeed a feed mill.  I also returned to Meshoppen on my way to Laceyville for the next blog installment and took the following photo of the grist mill from across the way.  Enjoy!
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50 Comments
Jolene
3/14/2014 12:45:18 pm

Thank you for the feature on my Grandparents Ron and Gail Burr. nicely done!

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Jane Fitch
3/14/2014 01:23:37 pm

The Old Kintner Mill was a Feed Mill in it's day when there used to be a lot of farms in the area.

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Jim Black
3/23/2015 01:45:59 pm

Do you know if your Grandparents were related to the Vosburg Family in that area.

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Elaine Tweedy
3/23/2015 07:59:52 pm

Jim: I am not sure of geneology or family lineage, but in doing my research I did come across a Burr Baldwin Vosburg. Typically in that timeframe, last names were often used as first names or middle names. This could suggest that the Burr family and Vosburg family were indeed related by marriage.

Jolene
3/14/2014 01:13:55 pm

also Kintner Milling was a feed mill. I remember when I was little there was a stockyard there that my parents were invovlved in. I also remember going there to buy grain for my Grandfather's horses.

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Elaine Tweedy
3/14/2014 01:20:03 pm

You are welcome, Jolene. So glad to hear from you and from someone who is linked to the history of the area! Thank you!

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Kathy
3/14/2014 01:39:41 pm

Thank you for doing this. I have lived here most of my 55 years, and my parents for nearly 80 years. I've seen many, many changes through the years. And for the record, someone HAS put the story all in one place. In 1976 the Meshoppen Womens club put out a book called "A Bicentennial View of Meshoppen", and it's fascinating!

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Cindy Ferris
3/14/2014 02:31:30 pm

Thanks for the great tribute to my parents. I wish you could have seen the farm in its heyday. I worked on the farm for many years until it closed in 1985. So I was the fourth generation. I recently inherited it from my parents and still live there.

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Jim Black
3/23/2015 01:51:19 pm

Do you know if the Burr Family was related to the Vosburg family in that area?

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Lori Wentzel
3/14/2014 02:58:50 pm

Thank you for sharing these beautiful photos. Passing through towns you only see the surface and the surface tells very little of the story.

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Amy
3/14/2014 03:42:51 pm

Born and raised in Meshoppen! My parents still live there! My aunt was born in the old Ken Mar building which used to be Tyler Hospital! Our sweet family friend was Pauline Kintner!

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Ruth (Faux) Snedeker link
3/15/2014 04:46:02 pm

My first two children were born at Tyler Memorial in 1961 and 1962 It is now a furniture store.. For the most part I grew up in or near Meshoppen. I went to school there after 6th grade graduation at Auburn Center. We lived in 2 houses on the same street at some time. Saturday evening was a busy time in town then.We ate at a restaurant at the end of the bridge and shopped at Brietwizers clothing store. All the main street stores were in use and the town was clean and pretty. We had a library, a dentist, a Dr, , grocery store, and my Uncle Bob Faux had a repair garage business outside of town. I loved living in that town. so many more memories. Whenever I think of my childhood I think about living with my Grandparents on A.B.Coles farm outside of town and picking strawberries in the fields, apples from the orchard, and blackberries on the hill Wonderful days gone a long time ago.What a wonderful community to grow up in.
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Alberta Tryesdale
11/22/2014 02:38:08 am

I agree...I loved Meshoppen . My heart still remains there

Shane Szarek
1/16/2015 08:42:54 pm

Where was the old Auburn Center school? I thought I read somewhere it was on Dougherty Rd where Bennett and Riley intersect.

Patti
3/14/2014 04:23:19 pm

Thumbs up I enjoyed not only reading this but the photos took me on my own journey. Thank you

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SANDY
3/14/2014 06:44:05 pm

THE OLD KINTNER FURNITURE STORE ON RT 6, I BELIEVE WAS THE HOSPITAL LONG AGO. ALSO, POTTS FALLS, IS A BEAUTIFUL WATERFALL THAT FLOWS INTO THE CREEK. KINTNER AND TYLER TRUCKING WERE VERY GOOD FOR AREA JOBS.

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Sandy
3/15/2014 01:17:14 am

Wonderful story of history as in for Mehoopany I did history report on it in 5th grade 2 sides north and south Mehoopany. Can wait to see urs on that on

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Tammy Conrad
3/15/2014 01:43:17 am

GREAT information! I've always been fascinated by the old buildings in town and often thought "if those buildings could talk". You have brought their story alive in my mind. Thank you so much for sharing. I look forward to more!

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Mary
3/15/2014 03:00:25 am

I love this, helps that I've lived in Meshoppen a couple times in the past 6 years, but sadly I must add that the icecream shop isn't going to open, It hasn't opened once in the past six years. I was very excited, then bummed out the year I moved there and the town kids said they never open it. I was told they were turning it into something else and they even painted it up nice too but it's been 2 years since then so you never know. /: on average you just see water trucks or semis resting there while their driver naps a bit.

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Joan Hoffman
3/15/2014 03:34:10 am

I thoroughly enjoyed the photography and the expose. !

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Esther Clarke
3/15/2014 03:48:45 am

I have never seen the ice cream shop in Meshoppen open, much less packed with people. Bad timing on my part I guess. This is a great series. I'm a fan of Route 6. Having traveled it, a couple of years ago, from Edinboro in western Pennsylvania, east to Tunkhannock, I can vouch for its scenic beauty. We keep intending to do the drive again sometime, in reverse.

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Ann
3/15/2014 03:52:32 am

Went to high school with Cynthia Burr.

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Dennis
3/15/2014 04:19:41 am

The old furniture store on the corner use to be Tyler Memorial hospital. (from what I am told). That is where I was born.

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Gail
3/15/2014 09:00:18 am

Enjoyed the article and pictures and just wanted to say the orginal bank was across the road as the vault is still in the building. which was later Pete LaFrance's barber shop . at first there was 4 mills in Meshoppen . years ago Meshoppen was a thiving little town in its heyday .

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Jan McClintock link
3/15/2014 11:48:46 am

Another great story, Elaine. Can't wait to see the one on Mehoopany, my home town. My dream is to photograph the lovely old homes in NE PA and publish them, but I'm not a good photographer. LOL. I did add a few of these shots to the "Architecture" board of the Wyoming County Historical Society. Thank you again for this blog.

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Rick Hiduk link
3/15/2014 08:46:21 pm

Very well done. I learned a LOT.
Though I had read years ago that Meshoppen was a native american reference to a trading place of beads.

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caoline jean Dilmore Mellon link
3/15/2014 11:10:56 pm

my oldest daughter, Kathy was born in the old Tyler hospital in 1965...I believe my sister son and daughter were also born there earlier.

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Bob
3/16/2014 12:34:53 am

My girlfriend at the time used to work at the ice team shop 15 years ago. It was always packed!

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Elaine Tweedy
3/17/2014 04:49:48 am

Thanks to all for the great comments! I'm enjoying reading the additional bits and pieces of good information you are providing. Keep it up! I am so glad you are enjoying this Project!

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Kay McClain
3/18/2014 10:34:11 am

I graduated Meshoppen High School 1955. I remember a live, small town but when they took the school out, of the town, the demise of Meshoppen began. My parents bought a farm on Bryd Hill in 1946 when there was a Geyhound Bus stop at the pharmacy, an A&P, and many other establishments already mentioned. I remember the Swisher/Burr lovers, too. How about the math teacher, Miss Snell who pulled Ron Burr's hair?

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Dave
4/4/2014 01:37:28 am

As I recall, there was a highway marker just out of town toward Laceyville that said Meshoppen was an old Indian term meaning "stone council house".

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Richard Lake link
9/6/2014 12:30:24 am

This was a delightful trip down memory lane. Dr. Kraft was my doctor and a hero in my eyes.

I was born in Meshoppen in 1941, either in the hospital, or in my grand uncle's house on rattlesnake hill just outside of town. His name was Charles Lake, brother of Henry Orlando Lake, (H.O.), who lived just outside of Meshoppen for many years. Both of my parents, John Lake and Rachel Pierson graduated from Meshoppen High School in 1927 and 1930, respectively. Does anyone remember them? Does anyone have yearbooks of those years or pictures? My email address is : lakeeerie@yahoo.com

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ashley
11/21/2014 09:09:51 am

Love this sincerely. My grandparents were Smith's and Vaow's of Meshoppen. Beyond my love of history, I love the place my grandparent's called home. My grandmother told me many stories of bustling Meshoppen. Any pictures of Meshoppen or my Grandparents would be amazingly and genuinely appreciated. RIP Robert and Holly Vaow.

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Barb Sherwood McCabe
10/23/2015 05:45:55 pm

Please email me. Holly and I were friends since 1st grade.

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Lynn Montalbano
11/21/2014 11:23:00 pm

No mention of the old hospital where Ken Mar stores their furniture,

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john
11/23/2014 07:51:03 am

Great photos. I grew up just outside of town and was an alter boy at St. Joachim's. Man, it sure seemed bigger back then. Great times. This part of PA was just magical. The freedom of growing up there and being able to explore and live with out boundaries. I wish my three kids could get a taste of that. Thanks for posting these photos.

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Charles Richard Donahue
11/25/2014 01:44:35 pm

A nice story of a post WWII town which was so alive on US HWY 6 . Especially in the 1950's. Bob Faux had the garage/service station on the long hill out of Meshoppen. Dad , C. Donahue , ran it for a few years as well before the large plant over the hill came into being. What precious memories!!

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Shane Szarek
1/16/2015 08:44:38 pm

I just found your blog.

Having grown up in Auburn Center and now living in Texas, it's great to "visit" home thru your posts. Looking forward to more.

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Nicole
3/25/2015 10:32:25 am

As a newcomer to the town of Meshoppen (we've only lived here for 7 years), I can only imagine the history of this town. Thanks

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John
3/25/2015 11:56:45 am

If you travel roughly 3-4 miles up Rattlesnake Hill Rd. In Meshoppen you'll find yourself traversing up a windy mountain road where when you reach the peak there is nothing but mountains for miles but if you can keep from getting distracted by the breathtaking landscape a small structure will catch your attention. Near my home is a small single room school house, now decaying and crumbling is history I never heard. On the chalkboard is an American flag, now mostly faded and gone, was what I remember to be a stunning piece of art. Grab your cameras, go exploring.

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Gail Bender
10/24/2015 06:32:20 pm

I enjoyed the blog . Meshoppen did have a paper The Meshoppen Enterprise . there a copy of every paper from there is in the upstairs in library . It is to bad that it is allowed to waste away like that and not on micro film for generations to enjoy . if anyone wants the history of Meshoppen will find it there . I read a lot about Meshoppen when I was going to get in DAR to get info thats how I know about it . It is such a shame for history to waste away like that .there is a copy of every paper they printed is there.Gail

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CAL
11/5/2015 12:06:15 am

Well - before it became the warehouse for the furniture store, it WAS the furniture store. Before it was the furniture store, it was the first Tyler Hospital. Before it was Tyler Hospital, it was the Meshoppen Hotel. Across from this building was a glass factory. Take a right on Church Street and you'll find a beautiful United Methodist Church that is full of wonderful people and wonderful stories! There was the Bridge Restaurant where my mom would buy coke syrup to cure our tummy aches, and Titman's Grocery store where you could "put it on my tab." Guy Stevens and Pete Williams kept everything running. Whitie Craig and Robert Roberts kept Kintner Mill running. If you were a man you went to Nate or Paul Iffert to cut your hair, and women went to Shirley Marcy or Jeanie Jane to perm their hair. The ballpark had big wooden grandstands, and if you were really good, you could hit the ball into Lancer McMicken's garage across the street. Paul Lyne delivered your RD#2 mail - through rain, snow, sleet or hail! I could go on and on! At one time is was a wonderfully fun little town!

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Link (Chuck) Cornell
11/28/2016 05:52:27 pm

Cal, you have to go back farther, the barbers were Pete La France and Bert Sholes.
The mail carries in my time were Hewitt Kintner, Clarence Bunnel, & Paul Donlin.
Before Shirley Marcy or Jean (Prevost) Jayne was my mother, Dorthy Donlin.

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CONNIE OBERHOLSER
12/28/2020 09:47:34 pm

While making some connections with Chase and Sholes trees today I found one generation or two in Meshoppen of Chase, Knowing great Uncle Bert was a barber there I thought I would explore some web sites to see if any thing shows up. Found where you mention Bert Sholes was the Barber. Cool! Anyone have a photo of his shop or know of any of the Chase family who lived there. Like Stories to share with that family.
I have one Sholes one; My father claims he put his toothbrush in his pocket and hiked toward NY where he was heading for college.
on his way from Nescopeck to NY he stopped by his Uncle Bert's barber shop and sought funds for his schooling and Bert gave him so for books. Great!!! Uncle.That was 1935.
Connie

Judy
4/19/2016 11:17:33 am

There is another facebook page called you know you are from meshoppen if. There are tons of old pictures there

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douglas walton
11/23/2016 02:00:31 pm

I am looking for info on the old pizza shop by the old bank on the corner of bridge st. and canal st. I am working for the Boro. and need old photos, history of building use over the years, who built it, who designed it, whether it is the same structure or was it rebuilt at sometime. This info is needed for future boro grant funds. thanks in advance for any info 5708691798 Doug Walton

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Bruce overfield
3/14/2018 09:20:45 pm

Why did they change the name to meshoppen

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Edward J. Sterling
3/22/2018 11:27:04 pm

Looking for anything about the Merton Sterling family.

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Scott Fox
11/14/2018 06:36:45 pm

Does anyone have any information on a restaurant or cafe on Canal Street in the 30’s and 40’s called “Fox’s” ? That belonged to my Grandfather named John Fox, who passed away when my father was 12. I would really appreciate any and all information that would help.

Thank you, Scott Fox

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Genevieve Van Volkinburg Purcell link
6/14/2021 06:17:09 pm

I was born in Meshoppen in1930. We moved from there to Binghamton NY in 1943. I started school (first grade, no Kindergarten ) at 5 yrs up at the Brier Ridge school. A 1 room schoolhouse with outside toilet and a wood stove in the middle of the room. Mr Burk drove a sleigh in the winter to take us to school. kThat school was abandoned and a new all grades school was built in town just up the hill from the bridge. My father , Dana kVanVkolkinburg worked on the ridge with the WPA during the depression.Love reading all the remembrances of my old town.

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