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California Grange #941 hosted their 4th Community History Day in late September.
According to a news release, 40 local neighbors and interested history buffs came out to hear historians, John Marr, Tyler Dombroski, and Carol Shetler. John Marr gave a talk on the Ghost Town of Strawberry Ridge, located in the shadow of the Talen Energy Plant near Washingtonville in Northern Montour County. John recounted how Strawberry Ridge was a thriving small community largely due to the Strawberry Ridge train station located on the Susquehanna, Bloomsburg, and Berwick (SB&B) railroad. This community once had a feed mill, creamery, several hotels, elementary and high school, Grange hall, Church, general store, and various equipment dealers. Today, all that remains at this site is the Strawberry Ridge United Church of Christ (UCC) and parsonage. Plus, Marr believes the original one-room Strawberry Ridge schoolhouse, may still exist near the old Cloverleaf Village at the Danville Exit on I-80 (it was relocated there in the 1980's and 90's). The decline in this community is largely attributed to the introduction of the industrialized coal fired powerplant in the 1960's and associated drinking water problems that came later.
Tyler Dombroski's topic was the 18th century beginnings of Washingtonville, a small borough surrounded by Derry Township, Montour County of which, he serves as the Mayor. Tyler discussed the influence of early land speculators from Maryland, that included James Tilghman who purchased 5,000 acres from John Penn (son of William Penn) in 1767. Tyler has visited the Maryland history archives several times to read original documents from the Tilghman family and shared several images of these documents in his talk. After the Revolution, James Tilghman fell out of favor with the Revolutionaries, yet his son, became a close aide to General George Washington as illustrated in a painting of Washington with Lafayette and the Tilghman son in Dombroski's presentation.
Carol Shetler, local historian, writer, and quilter gave a talk about the local flour and feed mills that once were common in Montour, Columbia and Northumberland counties. She shared several original framed paper flour bag graphics plus the Gary DeWald, Tom Benfer, and Kit Kelley also brought examples from their own collections to display.
"In addition, she displayed a beautifully crafted and award-winning quilt that included flour bag graphics transferred to quilting fabrics," the news release said. "Carol also invited Richard Holdren and Kit Kelley to share some of their experiences growing up in families that ran flour and feed mills in Jerseytown and Washingtonville, respectively. Richard described the Jerseytown Mill that still stands and is in nearly complete condition. He related how he helped his father and mother run the mill and would unload rail cars moving 100 lb. burlap grain bags using a wheeled 'bag truck' into the mill. Kit Kelley remembered how his Grandfather ran the Washingtonville Mill, describing in detail each of the three floors and the function of each. This mill no longer stands and was taken down after the Agnes flood in the early 1970's. The Kelley Bros. Washingtonville Mills 'White Frost' baking flour and the 'Buck Wheat' flour bags were some of the most desired and favorite bags featured in the framed collections and on Carol Shetler's quilt."
In addition, the news release said, several crafts people displayed and/or demonstrated their work. Rebecca Cotner, Granger and resident of Turbotville displayed festive, fall pumpkins that were crocheted along with many useful kitchen items for each holiday of the year. Iva Kressler, was dressed in 18th Century attire to demonstrate lace making. Iva provides these demonstrations along with her products at the Bloomsburg Fair and the Warrior Run Fort Freeland Heritage Days. In addition, craftsman and Grange member, Robert Fry shared his hand-turned wooden bowls made from a variety of local tree species.
Food sales were provided by Concerned Citizens of Montour County. For more information about becoming a California Grange member, please contact Sharon W. Waltman, President at skwwaltman@gmail.com or 570-316-3538 (phone or text). For more information about PA State Grange see https://www.pagrange.org/ .