BERWICK PA LAND SURVEY MAP - FARMS OF M.W. JACKSON EST. November 1911

 

BERWICK LAND SURVEY MAP - 

FARMS OF M.W. JACKSON EST.

November 1911

This land survey is 35” wide and shows many land owners on the eastern edge of Berwick, Columbia County, along the Luzerne County line. The Berwick Water Company lands are shown as is the edge of Berwick at Walnut Street.  The left side starts on Walnut Street in Berwick and the right side extends to the Summerhill area.

Names include: Duval Dickson; C.R. Woodin; Wallace; Victor and Calab Seybert; Reuben Williams; Hugh Thompson; Theodore and Walter Fowler; Clemuel Bower; W.H. Moore; Smethers Farm; Andrew Berger; Richards; Headley Farm; Warren Michael; Jacob Sult; Edward Benscoder; Frank Bower; Alex Sult; Joseph Dice; Hirsch.

 Springtime Outing circa 1900

     This lovely picture appears to be taken in the spring.  The ladies are holding ferns and what appear to be lilacs and many of the men are sporting boutonnieres.  It may be of a church or school group or perhaps a wedding.  It was taken in the area of Berwick, Sugarloaf Township, or Salem Township.

     Behind the man in the center of the front row are my Great Grandparents.  William Moore is wearing a black hat and has a walking stick leaning on his shoulder.  Next to him is Fannie Kile, she has a white blouse that covers her neck and large hat that is tinted blue in the photo.  They were married in 1904, and I believe this photo was taken no later than then.

     Please let me know if you recognize anyone in this photo and I will share it.  William lived in Salem Township, Luzerne county, mostly in the Moore's Hill area.  When they married they lived near Foundryville.  Fannie was born and grew up in Guava, a small village in Sugarloaf Township, Columbia County (Guava later became Laubach and is near Camp Lavigne).  Her family then moved to an area known as Town Hill, between New Columbus and Huntington Mills.  So the photo is likely to be a group of young people from these areas.

     Note:  this photo was enhanced and colorized via MyHeritage.com.  

Moore's School

Salem Township, Luzerne County Pennsylvania

     Moore's School was in Salem Township, lower Luzerne County and was a one-room schoolhouse.   Water Dam Road starts in Foundryville and it turns into Moore's Hill Road, which is the area where this school was located.  It is interesting today to see that their school year went from October 18, 1898 to April 10, 1899.   This Souvenir Card, presented by the teacher Millie Seely, also lists School Board members.  

     Moore's Church was also in this area and was burned by arson.

1957 - James D. Green, Civil Engineer at AC&F

This photo shows James D. Green, a Civil Engineer at AC&F in Berwick.  He worked with Bob Loughlin & Walt Kastner.  Not sure which man is James or who the other men are. 

Claudia Guay provided this photo or her step-father, Jim Green.  Her family moved to Berwick in 1957 and James Green worked as a Civil Engineer at AC&F.  She recalls "Several of the wives of the engineers who worked at AC&F (including my mom, Paula Green) got together & formed a Ladies Club (might have been called the Berwick Ladies Club) who took flying lessons at the local airport; back then flying lessons were cheap!  I also remember the men (including my dad) took flying lessons, too."  The family moved from Berwick in 1963.

If anyone has any photos or other information on the Berwick Ladies Club and their flying lessons, please share them.  Thank you Claudia for your photos & remembrances of Berwick!
 

1955-1956 Proposed Teacher Salaries for Berwick Borough School Distict

This document is the proposed salary recommendations for teachers and staff for the Berwick Borough School District for 1955-1956.  The document is from the Educational Committee.  Staff are listed by name showing their 1954-1955 wages and proposed increase.

Tax Bills for 1956 & 1958 - Read 'Em and Weep!

Here are two tax bills showing the county tax, borough tax and school tax amounts due in 1956 and 1958.  One is for Berwick Borough and the other for Briarcreek Township, adjacent to Berwick. 

Click on the image to enlarge.

 



1956 Briarcreek Township Tax Bill

1958 Berwick Boro Tax Bill

 

CIVIL WAR - 150 Year Anniversary

The Civil War began 150 years ago and  Pennsylvania sent many sons and fathers to fight.

This is about one of them, volunteer soldier William Nugent.  When the war began William lived in Salem Township, Luzerne County.  He had been

separated from his family as a small child in Philadelphia and essentially orphaned.  Daniel Seybert of Salem Twp. selected William to come work on his farm as a "bond boy" and William was brought to Salem Township from Philadelphia. 

William met his wife, Nancy

Boyles, when she worked for Seybert, they married, and lived in the Beach Haven area after William was released by Seybert. 

William's enlistment record shows he was a 28 year old farmer on September 28, 1864 when he enlisted at Scranton.  He served as a Private in Company E, 2nd PA, 112th Regiment Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery.  Salem Twp., Luzerne County's 12th District was credited with his service.

William is described in his records as being 6' 1" + tall with grey eyes, black hair and a dark complexion.  The photo below is reported to be him and was taken in 1892. 

Pennsylvania State Archives records show that William enlisted on July 31, 1875 as a Private with Company D, 9th Infantry, Pennsylvania National Guard.  He transferred to Company D, 12th Infantry in 1878.

William farmed and worked as a laborer.  In 1871 he sold his land in Beach Haven and moved to Berwick where his wife operated a small grocery store. 

Census records list that he was born in Ireland in 1834, immigrated in 1839, was a naturalized citizen, could read but not write English. 

William died on March 20, 1903 and is buried in Pine Grove Cemetery, Market Street, Berwick.  His wife Nancy died in 1902.  Their children were Clement, Eudora (married John Ashton), Jennie (married George Bason then Ernest Eckstrand), Harriet (married Daniel Boyle), Kate (married James Bason), and Willie.