Retailers & Wholesalers
Updated - 10/21/2023
Prior to the advent of on-line shopping, shopping malls, affordable cars and easily accessed public transportation, almost every small town had one or more stores where the local residents could purchase almost anything from absinthe to zucchini. These merchants knew everyone in town and frequently were willing to open their doors after hours or extend some much needed "credit", even bartering for other goods or services for their customers in need. The real definition of "good customer service" originated with these pillars of the community. Auburn had its fair share of retail and wholesale establishments over the years, many of which are still sorely missed.
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR THIS PAGE:
This webpage is divided into three basic sections. The first section is the basic introductory paragraph and sample picture posted above. The second section is titled "Alphabetical Listing of Merchants". The third section is titled "Retailers, Wholesalers and Other Merchants". The first section is self-explanatory. The second and third sections may require some clarification.
The second section is an alphabetical listing of merchants. For the purpose of this webpage, a merchant is an entity that sells tangible merchandise (compared to services) for a profit as a means of livelihood. Therefore, a merchant can be an individual, a small business or a small company. A merchant can be either a retailer or a wholesaler. Due to the over-abundance of material that might qualify for this webpage, some categories of merchants have been assigned their own webpage to limit the number of entries on this page. Any merchant who deals PRIMARILY in the following categories will be found under a separate webpage dedicated to that category: "Automotive"; "Bakeries"; "Butchers and Meat Markets" and "Dairies". For ease of research, the entries below are listed in alphabetical order. However, listing these entrepreneurs isn't without its complexities.
For example, Chester Alvin "Al" Geesaman operated a store in Auburn, PA. The store was a franchise of the "Keystone Stores". Geesaman's printed advertisement, for which he paid and would have presumably pre-approved, lists his store as "Auburn's Keystone Store". However, other amateur advertisements, such as yearbook sponsorships, list his business as "C. A. Geesaman's". Furthermore, people who patronized his store often would refer to it simply as "Geesaman's". Still others may simply recall that "Al" Geesaman, or Chester Geesaman, once operated a store. Therefore, should the business be listed as "Al" Geesaman's; "Auburn's Keystone Store"; C. A. Geesaman's; Chester Geesaman's, Geesaman's or the "Keystone Store"?
In order for individuals to easily research the business by whichever moniker they used, any known version of the business name needed to be added to the rather ponderous list. Yet, in order to reduce the number of redundant entries of information or pictures, only one group of entries should be included for any given business. As a result, the "Alphabetical Listing" section contains every known name variable while the "Retailers, Wholesalers and Other Merchants" section contains (usually) only one portion dedicated to that business. The means by which the multiple redundant entries were classified is as follows:
If a merchant was known by a single moniker only, that is the only name listed for them.
If a merchant was known by more than one possible moniker, the name chosen for them was either based on the fact that the chosen name was used in some form of professional advertisement by the merchant; or if none existed, the name was chosen as the one most likely used as a business name for the merchant. If the merchant has multiple potential names, the chosen one is listed in bold print in the alphabetical listing. Any subsequent names used to refer to the merchant is listed in standardized blue font. Additionally, for those less formal options, the entry will be listed with a notation directing them to the chosen name. For example: Geesaman's store - see: "Auburn's Keystone Store". The second section also contains a brief description of the merchant's business location (if known) and an estimated time span of the business operation if known. For example: "1883 - 1895" or "circa 1923". If a definitive date (year) can be affiliated with a particular business, then that date is included in the estimation of business operation; however, that does not mean that a business began or ended their operation by that date, only that the merchant has been tentatively identified as having operated during that particular year and possibly others.
The third and final section contains the more comprehensive listing for each merchant to include what (if any) relevant information is known about the merchant as well as pictures (if any) which pertain to the business.
If anyone knows of any incorrect, omitted or previously unknown information regarding these entries, please notify me using the "Visitor Input" button posted above so that the information can be updated. This section is for any retailer, wholesaler or other type of merchant within the immediate Auburn-area.
This webpage is divided into three basic sections. The first section is the basic introductory paragraph and sample picture posted above. The second section is titled "Alphabetical Listing of Merchants". The third section is titled "Retailers, Wholesalers and Other Merchants". The first section is self-explanatory. The second and third sections may require some clarification.
The second section is an alphabetical listing of merchants. For the purpose of this webpage, a merchant is an entity that sells tangible merchandise (compared to services) for a profit as a means of livelihood. Therefore, a merchant can be an individual, a small business or a small company. A merchant can be either a retailer or a wholesaler. Due to the over-abundance of material that might qualify for this webpage, some categories of merchants have been assigned their own webpage to limit the number of entries on this page. Any merchant who deals PRIMARILY in the following categories will be found under a separate webpage dedicated to that category: "Automotive"; "Bakeries"; "Butchers and Meat Markets" and "Dairies". For ease of research, the entries below are listed in alphabetical order. However, listing these entrepreneurs isn't without its complexities.
For example, Chester Alvin "Al" Geesaman operated a store in Auburn, PA. The store was a franchise of the "Keystone Stores". Geesaman's printed advertisement, for which he paid and would have presumably pre-approved, lists his store as "Auburn's Keystone Store". However, other amateur advertisements, such as yearbook sponsorships, list his business as "C. A. Geesaman's". Furthermore, people who patronized his store often would refer to it simply as "Geesaman's". Still others may simply recall that "Al" Geesaman, or Chester Geesaman, once operated a store. Therefore, should the business be listed as "Al" Geesaman's; "Auburn's Keystone Store"; C. A. Geesaman's; Chester Geesaman's, Geesaman's or the "Keystone Store"?
In order for individuals to easily research the business by whichever moniker they used, any known version of the business name needed to be added to the rather ponderous list. Yet, in order to reduce the number of redundant entries of information or pictures, only one group of entries should be included for any given business. As a result, the "Alphabetical Listing" section contains every known name variable while the "Retailers, Wholesalers and Other Merchants" section contains (usually) only one portion dedicated to that business. The means by which the multiple redundant entries were classified is as follows:
If a merchant was known by a single moniker only, that is the only name listed for them.
If a merchant was known by more than one possible moniker, the name chosen for them was either based on the fact that the chosen name was used in some form of professional advertisement by the merchant; or if none existed, the name was chosen as the one most likely used as a business name for the merchant. If the merchant has multiple potential names, the chosen one is listed in bold print in the alphabetical listing. Any subsequent names used to refer to the merchant is listed in standardized blue font. Additionally, for those less formal options, the entry will be listed with a notation directing them to the chosen name. For example: Geesaman's store - see: "Auburn's Keystone Store". The second section also contains a brief description of the merchant's business location (if known) and an estimated time span of the business operation if known. For example: "1883 - 1895" or "circa 1923". If a definitive date (year) can be affiliated with a particular business, then that date is included in the estimation of business operation; however, that does not mean that a business began or ended their operation by that date, only that the merchant has been tentatively identified as having operated during that particular year and possibly others.
The third and final section contains the more comprehensive listing for each merchant to include what (if any) relevant information is known about the merchant as well as pictures (if any) which pertain to the business.
If anyone knows of any incorrect, omitted or previously unknown information regarding these entries, please notify me using the "Visitor Input" button posted above so that the information can be updated. This section is for any retailer, wholesaler or other type of merchant within the immediate Auburn-area.
ALPHABETICAL LISTING
OF MERCHANTS
MERCHANT
Aaron K. Frederici's store
"A. B. Sausser" (merchant) A. F. Hoffmeister's store Al Geesaman's store A. K. Frederici's store A. L. Weiler flour and feed merchant "Anderson's Fountain" Anderson's ice cream parlor/shop Annanias F. Hoffmeister's store Annie Schultz's store "Auburn Equipment & Supply Co." Auburn's flower shop Auburn Feed Store "Auburn Food Mart" Auburn's ice house(s) "Auburn's Keystone Market/Store" Auburn's Self-Service Food Market Augustus Schulze's store "A. W. Berkheiser" (merchant) B. A. Fehr's store B. A. Kuhns' hardware store "B & S Potato Chips" (merchants) "B. A. Ramer General Merchandise" store Bassler's store Beck & Singleton Potato Chips Beggs, William (merchant) Berger's store Berkheiser (merchant) "Bessie Ceramics" Beulah Fehr's store Beulah Ramer's store Borda's store Borkey's bootery Borkey's store Brensinger (merchant) "Brown's Pharmacy" Burkey, Samuel P. (traveling salesman) "Bush" Collins' store C. A. Geesaman's store Calvin "Kelly" H. Reber's store Calvin Shollenberger and Uri Mengel (stone) quarry Catharine Rishel's store "C. D. Rishel" store Charles H. Fix grocer Charles Quail's pharmacy Chester Allen Geesaman's store "C. H. Fix & Co." C. H. Hawkins' store "C. H. Reber" store Christ's store Claude "Bush" Collins' store "Claude H. Hawkins" store "Clauser's Food Market" Clauser's Mini-Mart Clauser's paint shop Clifford Schultz's store Collin's market Daniel Brensinger (merchant) Daniel D. Deibert's store David W. Berger's store D. D. Deibert's store "Deibert and Young" store Deibert's general store D. L. Schultz's general store "Doc Quail's Drug Store" Earl A. Schutlz's store E. A. Schultz's store Ebert's bootery/shop E. Long (Mrs.) - merchant Enoch Raush's feed store "Evergreen Acres" Feger's Luncheonette Fehr's store "F. H. Schultz & Sons Co." Fidler's shop Fix's store "F. J. Heim Variety Store" Flail's Market F. N. Jones (merchant) Frank Brown's pharmacy/store Frank S. Young's tinsmith shop Frederici's store Frederick Ritzel's store Frederick Schultz's store Fred Schultz (milliner) "Geedy" Raush's store Geesaman's Food Market or store George J. Fidler (merchant) Harding's store "Harding and Heffner General Merchandise" Harman's Lunch and Ice Cream Parlor Harold Heffner's store Harvey William Fehr's store Hawkins (merchant/store) "H. B. Harding" store "Heffner's General Store" Heffner's Variety Store Heim's store Henry S. Borkey's bootery H. F. Heffner's store Hoffmeister's store Hokey-pokey man "Howard Borda" store Howard Lindermuth (merchant) H. S. Borkey's bootery H. W. Fehr's store Ida R. Frederici's store I. R. Frederici's store Isaac Hoffmeister's general store Jack's Building Supply Jackson Kramer (merchant) Jacob Borkey's bootery Jacob Clauser's shop "James H. Hawkins Grocers" "James Raush" feed store J. H. Hawkin' store J. K. Reber's general store J. M. Livengood (merchant) John Ramer's store "John S. Borkey" store Jonas Ebert's bootery Jonathan K. Reber's general store Jones (merchant) Joseph Frederici's store Joseph H. Hawkins (merchant) "Kelly" Reber's store Kershner's shop/store Keystone Biscuit Company Distributor Kissinger's shop "Koch's Hunting & Fishing Supplies" Koon's store Kramer's store Kuhns' store "Landis Pharmacy" Leon Kissinger's shop "Leon R. Spatz Electrical Contracting and Appliance Store" Leonard Santella's shoe shop Leroy Staller's ice cream parlor Leroy Staller's luncheonette Levi Shappell (merchant) Lindermuth's shop/store Livengood's store Long (merchant) "Long Trout Winery" Medicine shows Mengel and Shollenberger quarry Milton Deibert's store M. M. Deibert's store "Mooney" Kerschner (merchant) Morgan Moyer's general store "Mox" or "Moxie" Kissinger's shop Moyer - merchant/shop/store "Mrs. E. Long" (merchant) Nagle's store O. S. Heim Coal and Ice "Paulin's Market" "Pete" Santella's shop Quail's drug store Ramer's shop/store Raush's store Reber and Son Reber's store Reno Berger's store R. H. Kramer's store Rishel's store Ritzel's store R. W. Schnape (merchant) Samuel K. Moyer's store Samuel P. Burkey (traveling salesman) Sausser's store Schnape (R. W.) - merchant Schultz and Sons "Schultz's Store" Schulze's store "Scrappy's" "Scrappy" Staller's ice cream parlor "Scrappy" Staller's luncheonette Seaman's store Shappell's shop/store Shollenberger and Mengel quarry Shollenberger's ice cream parlor Sloan's shingle warehouse Spatz's shop/store "Staller and Shollenberger" Staller's ice cream parlor or shop "Staller's Luncheonette" Staller's soda fountain or store Steffy's Cafe or store Sue Kershner's millinery shop "Sweet" William Steffy's "Tippy" Berger's store "Tony's Market" Uri Mengel and Cal Shollenberger stone quarry Walmer's store Weiler flour and feed merchant Wenrich's store "Whitey" Berger's grocery store William Beggs (merchant) "William H. Christ" furniture store William Nagle's store William R. Schult'z store William Shollenberger's shop William Steffy's store William Wenrich's store W. Reber and Son confectioner W. R. Schultz's store Young's tinsmith shop |
LOCATION
140 Market Street, Auburn, PA
"Auburn, Pa." Canal/Railroad Street, Auburn, PA see: "Auburn's Keystone Market/Store" see: Aaron K. Frederici's store Auburn, PA Auburn, PA see: Anderson's Fountain see: A. F. Hoffmeister's store see: Schultz's store Northeast of Schuylkill River bridge Market Street, Auburn, PA see: William Nagle's store East of Schuylkill River bridge "on Stony Creek, Auburn, PA" 113 Market Street, Auburn, PA see: "Schultz's Store" see: "Schulze's store" "Auburn, PA" Uncertain S/E corner of Front & Market Sts., Auburn R. D. # 1, Auburn, PA S/E corner of Front & Market Sts., Auburn 140 Market Street, Auburn, PA see: "B & S Potato Chips" (merchants) see: William Beggs (merchant) see: "Tippy" or "Whitey" Berger's stores see: "A. W. Berkheister" (merchant) R.D. # 2, Auburn, PA see: B. A. Fehr's store see: "B. A. Ramer General Merchandise" see: "Howard Borda" store see: Henry S. or Jacob Borkey's booteries see: "John S. Borkey" store see: Daniel Brensinger - merchant 210 Market Street, Auburn, PA see: Samuel P. Burkey - traveling salesman see: Collins' market see: "Auburn's Keystone Store" see: "C. H. Reber" store see: Mengel and Shollenberger quarry see: "C. H. Rishel" store "Corner of Front & Market Sts., Auburn" see: "C. H. Fix & Co." see: "Doc Quail's Drug Store" see: "Auburn's Keystone Store" 4th and Market Sts., Auburn, PA see: "Claude H. Hawkins" store 237 Market Street, Auburn, PA see: "William H. Christ" furniture store see: Collins' Market 103 Market Street, Auburn, PA East of Auburn, PA along Route 895 see: "Clauser's Food Market" 304 Market Street, Auburn, PA see: Schultz's store 113 Market Street, Auburn, PA Auburn, PA see: Deibert's general store see: "Tippy" Berger's grocery store see: Deibert's general store Bear Creek Street, Auburn, PA Canal/Railroad Street, Auburn, PA (also see: "Deibert and Young" store; M. M. Deibert's store) Auburn, PA 115 Market Street, Auburn, PA see: E. A. Schultz's store Canal Street, Auburn, PA see: Jonas Ebert's bootery see: "Mrs. E. Long" - merchant see: James Raush feed store East of Auburn, PA along Route 895 Jefferson, PA see: B. A. or Harvey William Fehr's stores 247 Market Street, Auburn, PA (also see: Schultz's store) see: "George J. Fidler" electrical shop see: "C. H. Fix and Co." (merchant) R. F. D., Auburn, PA 113 Market Street, Auburn, PA Auburn, PA. see: "Brown's Pharmacy" Railroad Street, Auburn, PA see: Aaron K. or Joseph Frederici's stores (or) "I. R. Frederici's store" Auburn, PA see: "F. H. Schultz and Sons Co." Auburn, PA (also see: "F. H. Schultz and Sons Co.") see: James Raush's store see: "Auburn's Keystone Store" Auburn, PA see: "Harding and Heffner General Merchandise; "H. B. Harding" stores 140 Market Street, Auburn, PA Uncertain see: "Harding and Heffner General Merchandise"; "Heffner's General Store" S/E corner of Front & Market Sts., Auburn see: "Claude H. Hawkins"; "James H. Hawkins Grocers" or Joseph H. Hawkins (merchant) 140 Market Street, Auburn, PA (also see: "Harding and Heffner General Merchandise") 140 Market Street, Auburn, PA see: "Heffner's General Store" see: "F. J. Heim Variety Store"; or "O. S. Heim Coal and Ice" Market Street, Auburn, PA see: "Harding and Heffner" store or "Heffner's General Store" see: A. F. or Isaac Hoffmeister's stores Auburn, PA Corner of Front & Market Sts, Auburn, PA Auburn, PA see: "Henry Borkey's bootery" see: "Harvey William Fehr's store" see: "Aaron K. Frederici's store" (or) "I. R. Frederici's store" Market St., Auburn, PA Canal Street, Auburn, PA Front Street, Auburn, PA Auburn, PA 134 Market Street, Auburn, PA see: Clauser's paint shop 103 Market Street, Auburn, PA 132 Market Street, Auburn, PA see: "James H. Hawkins Grocers" 243 Market Street, Auburn, PA (also see: Schultz's store) Auburn, PA S/E corner of Front & Market Sts., Auburn Also see: "B. A. Ramer General Merchandise" store 134 Market Street, Auburn, PA Auburn, PA see: J. K. Reber's general store see: F. N. Jones (merchant) S/E corner of Front & Market Sts., Auburn Auburn, PA see: "C. H. Reber" store see: "Mooney" Kerschner (merchant); or Sue Kershner's millinery shop Auburn, PA see: Leon Kissinger's shop East of Auburn, PA along Route 895 see: B. A. Kuhns' hardware store see: Jackson Kramer (merchant) see: B. A. Kuhns' hardware store 210 Market Street, Auburn, PA 134 Market Street, Auburn, PA Auburn, PA see: Santella's shoe shop see: "Staller's Luncheonette" see: "Staller's Luncheonette" Canal Street; then Market St. "between Second and Third Sts.", Auburn, PA see: Howard Lindermuth (merchant) see: J. M. Livengood (merchant) see: "Mrs. E. Long" (merchant) (also see: "Long Trout Winery") Southeast of Auburn, PA Auburn, PA Auburn-area, PA see: M. M. Deibert's store 140 Market Street, Auburn, PA Auburn, PA Auburn, PA see: Leon Kissinger's shop see: Morgan Moyer's general store; or Samuel K. Moyer's store Market Street, Auburn, PA see: William Nagle's store Auburn, PA Market Street, Auburn, PA see: Santella's gas station and shop shop see: "Doc Quail's Drug Store" see: "B. A. Ramer General Merchandise"; or John Ramer's store see: "James Raush" store see: W. Reber and Son - confectioner see: "C. H. Reber" store; or J. K. Reber's store; or W. Reber and Son confectioner see: "Whitey" Berger's grocery store Uncertain see: "C. D. Rishel" store see: Frederick Ritzel's store Auburn Canal Street, Auburn, PA Auburn, PA see: "A. B. Sausser" (merchant) see: R. W. Schnape - merchant see: "F. H. Schultz and Sons Co." 243 Market Street, Auburn, PA (Also see: D. L. Schultz's general store; E. A. Schult'z store; "F. H. Schultz and Sons Co.; Fred Schultz - milliner; "J. K. Reber's store"; or W. R. Schultz's store) "Auburn" see: "Staller's Luncheonette" see: "Staller's Luncheonette" see: "Staller's Luncheonette" 140 Market Street, Auburn, PA see: Levi Shappell (merchant) see: Mengel and Shollenberger quarry 115 Market Street, Auburn, PA Northeast of Schuylkill River bridge see: "Leon R. Spatz Electrical Contracting and Appliance Store" Auburn, PA (probably "Auburn-area") see: "Staller's Luncheonette" 133 Market Street see: "Staller's Luncheonette" see: William Steffy's store Auburn, PA see: William Steffy's store Bear Creek Street, Auburn, PA Auburn, Pa. see: Mengel and Shollenberger" quarry 140 Market Street, Auburn, PA see: A. L. Weiler flour and feed merchant see: William Wenrich's store S/E corner of 4th and Market Sts., Auburn Market Street, Auburn, PA Front Street, Auburn, PA Front Street, Auburn, PA see: W. R. Schultz's store see: Shollenberger's ice cream parlor Bear Creek Street, Auburn, PA Bear Creek Street, Auburn, PA Auburn, PA Canal Street, Auburn, PA see: Frank S. Young's tinsmith shop |
TIME-SPAN
circa 1877 - 1905
c. 1890s circa 1905 - 1915 N/A N/A circa 1887 circa 1955 - 1956 N/A N/A N/A Pt-Tube Mill/Pre-Griffith uncertain N/A 2010s - present circa 1897 circa 1933 - 1964 N/A circa 1860s uncertain circa 1919 - 1924 circa 1875 uncertain 1927 - 1952/1955? uncertain N/A N/A N/A N/A circa 1986 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A circa 1905-1947/1949? N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A circa 1870-1903? N/A N/A N/A circa 1912 - 1933 N/A circa 1933 - 1948 N/A N/A circa 1908 - 1953 circa 1986 - 2010s N/A circa 1905 N/A late 1980s - mid 1990s uncertain N/A N/A N/A circa 1938?/1946-1964 circa 1905 - 1916/1938? circa 1888 circa 1893 N/A circa 1887 - 1892 N/A N/A N/A circa 1980s - present circa 1954 - 1955 N/A circa 1933 - 1937 N/A N/A circa 1933 - 1938 1970s - early 1980s uncertain N/A circa 1905 - 1910 N/A circa 1878 N/A circa 1886-1888 N/A N/A circa 1957 - 1986 N/A circa 1933 circa 1933 N/A circa 1918 N/A circa 1924 - 1931 post - 1931 - 1957 N/A N/A circa 1918-1919 N/A N/A uncertain circa 1897 - 1905 circa 1933 N/A N/A N/A circa 1905 - 1920 circa 1875 - 1890 circa 2010s uncertain circa 1868 - 1919 N/A circa 1903 - 1908 circa 1884 - 1924 N/A circa 1890s - 1911 uncertain circa 1934 - 1948 circa 1896 - 1924 circa 1865 - 1868 N/A N/A circa 1879 - 1905/1910s? uncertain N/A N/A circa 1939 N/A circa 1990s - 2000s N/A N/A N/A circa 1948?/1950 - 1954 post-1906?/1946 - 1963 1945 - 1961 N/A N/A N/A circa 1875 - 1889 N/A N/A N/A circa 2000s - present uncertain uncertain N/A circa 1905 - 1938 uncertain uncertain N/A N/A Uncertain N/A circa 1937 - 1938 circa 1986 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A circa 1924 N/A N/A circa 1880s circa 1840 - 1875 circa 1890 N/A N/A N/A circa 1911 - 1975 circa 1860s N/A N/A N/A uncertain N/A N/A circa 1924 uncertain N/A circa 1938 N/A circa 1937 - 1959 N/A N/A circa 1886 N/A circa 1920s - 1930s circa 1951 - 1952 N/A uncertain N/A N/A circa 1937 - 1938 circa 1905 circa 1896 circa 1885 - 1896 N/A N/A circa 1930s - 1946 circa 1930s circa 1887 circa 1875 - 1879 N/A |
Retailers, Wholesalers & Other Merchants
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Aaron K. Frederici's store (a.k.a. - A. K. Frederici's store; Frederici's store)
Aaron Krause "A. K." Frederici was born in Auburn, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania on April 16, 1850. He was the son of Jonas D. Frederici and Anna Kraus Frederici. He was a brother to Anna Catharin Frederici Teter, Daniel Knouse Frederici, Franklin Frederici and Uriah Henry Frederici. He married Ida Rosamund Trivitz Frederici and was a father to Clarence Jonas Frederici, Edna Aurora Frederici, Herbert Claude Frederici and Ina Alice Frederici. Aaron had a brief biography featured in a history book dedicated to the stained glass windows featured in St. John's Church of Auburn. The A. K. Frederici family donated a stained glass window to St. John's Church designated as "Praise Ye - Golden Trumpets". The book states that A. K. Frederici was "a merchant in Auburn, conducting his business at the corner of Market and Second Streets". The biography also states he died in 1932. Based on these clues, we are able to determine the identity of "A. K. Frederici". A. K. Frederici is believed to have opened and operated a general store at the location of 140 Market Street, Auburn, PA circa 1870s - 1880s. The building later became the site of the Harding store, the Harding and Heffner store, and subsequently the Heffner store. The structure is now a private residence. Business invoices dated 1901 and 1902 for the Auburn Flouring Mill indicate that as some point, A. K. Frederici took ownership of the mill previously best known as the "Auburn Mills" located approximately one mile west of Auburn adjacent to Bear Creek. A. K. could have taken possession of this business possibly as early as April, 1896, and presumably definitely has possession of it in the 1890s based on his printed business invoices date-lines. He promptly renamed the business the "Auburn Flouring Mill". He is believed to have retained possession of the mill until approximately 1910 when he sold the business to John Howard Fahl. Aaron Frederici also acted as President for the Auburn Shale Brick Company. He is perhaps best known for serving as a Justice of the Peace for an impressive fifty-three years, the longest term ever served in Pennsylvania. An 1896 unidentified news article source states that "Squire A. K. Frederici" arraigned someone from the Auburn-area. Aaron Krause "A. K." Frederici died in Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania on January 4, 1932. He was interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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"A. B. Sausser"(a.k.a. Sausser's store)
Very little information is confirmed about "A. B. Sausser" of Auburn, Pa. An 1890 census report for Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA has an entry for an Albert B. Saucer (Sausser phonetically spelled by census taker?) who was estimated to be 23 years of age at the time of the census. His occupation was listed as "tin smith". His listing also includes the names of "Gertrude, Alfred 39, tin smith, Effie R.". Based on information subsequently located, Gertrude may have been his wife and "Effie R." may have been a daughter with the middle name of Ruth. The website findagrave.com contains a possible listing for this unidentified merchant. An Albert Benjamin Sausser, who was born on January 11, 1865 in Pennsylvania, was the son of Albert R. Sausser and Lovina Stoudt Sausser of Berks County, PA. He married a Gertrude R. (maiden name unknown) Sausser and they had a child Ruth Sausser Rudy. He died on January 11, 1928 (his birthday) at age 63 in Mount Penn, Berks County, PA. Although this individual was born and died in the adjacent county to Schuylkill County, has the same initials as "A. B. Sausser", and appears to have been within the correct era as our Auburn merchant, it is uncertain if this is the same person. |
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A. F. Hoffmeister's store
(a.k.a. - Hoffmeister's store) An undated and unidentified source document contains a list of Auburn merchants, one of which is "A. F. Hoffmeister" who runs a "general store". A handwritten note in the AAHS archives state that Annanias Hoffmeister's store was the last house at the "locks". The note indicates the building was a "stone house" and added that (canal) boats stopped for "tob (tobacco) and coffee". This coincides with an entry in the booklet "Things I Remember of Auburn" by Verna Geesaman in which she writes that she had moved to Auburn in 1915 and that "The (canal) locks were still intact at that time and old Ananias Hoffmaster's (Annanias Hoffmeister's) store was there where the boat men would stop for coffee and tobacco." The website findagrave.com has a listing for Annanias F. Hoffmeister who was born December 16, 1854. He was the son of Isaac Hoffmeister and Rebecca Faust Hoffmeister. He was a brother of Anna Rebecca Hoffmeister Ludwig, David F. Hoffmeister and George F. Hoffmeister. Annanias took after his father, Isaac, who had been one of the first merchants in the Auburn-area. It's possible he took over his father's store at some point. Isaac's store is known to have been located between "Canal Street" and the actual Schuylkill Navigation Canal as pictured in the 1875 DeBeers Atlas map of the area included on this webpage. According to the website, Annanias never married nor did he sire any known children. Annanias died February 9, 1937 and was interred within the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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A. L. Weiler flour and feed
(a.k.a. Weiler's flour and feed) An 1887 tax listing of Auburn merchants includes an entry for an "A. L. Weiler" with the notation of "flour and feed". Whether A. L. Weiler operated a feed store which sold both products; or a merchant who merely dealt in these products; or even the operator of a mill which produced these products is unclear. The website findagrave.com has no listing for any Weiler having been interred in Schuylkill County and no "A. I. Weiler (or Weller) having been interred in Auburn, so no further information is available on this merchant at this time. |
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"Anderson's Fountain"
(a.k.a. Anderson's ice cream parlor and/or shop) A small advertisement featured in Auburn High School yearbooks for the years 1955 and 1956 both promote an "Anderson's Fountain" (presumably a "soda fountain" or "ice cream parlor") from the Auburn area but no further information is available about this business presently. The website findagrave.com indicates a single "Anderson" buried within the town of Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. Herbert Anderson was born on May 21, 1890 in Pennsylvania. He was the son of Alfred Anderson and Alice Berger Anderson. He was a brother of Rebecca Anderson Confehr. He married Emma Bace Anderson. He was the father of two children, a Richard Anderson who died in 1913 at the age of only six weeks; and an unnamed infant child "Anderson" who died in 1917 at less than three months of age. Herbert's wife Emma passed away relatively early the following year (1918) at the age of 27. Herbert died November 27, 1963 in Pottsville, PA and is interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. Whether Herbert Anderson was definitely the individual who operated "Anderson's Fountain" in Auburn is uncertain at this time. |
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"Auburn Equipment & Supply Co."
An unverified source stated they believed the Auburn Equipment and Supply Company may have operated out of the building located northeast of the Schuylkill River Bridge which later became site for the Griffith Ladder Company. A 1946 Auburn Scout souvenir program contained an advertisement for "Auburn Equipment & Supply Company - George F. Reichneder - Auburn, PA." which advertised "Power Shovels - Drag-line Buckets - Rented - Rebuilt and Sold". |
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Auburn's flower shop
An unverified source stated they believed the Auburn flower shop was once located on Market Street, Auburn, Pa. |
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Auburn's ice house(s)
In an article dated January 1897, under the column of "Ice Trade Notes - Natural Ice Notes - New Ice Houses" is the notation of "on Stony Creek, Auburn, Pa., house to hold 1,500 car loads". |
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"Auburn's Keystone Market
(a.k.a. - "Al" Geesaman's store; "Auburn's Keystone Store"; C. A. Geesaman's store; Chester Geesaman's store; Geesaman's; Geesaman's store) "Auburn's Keystone Store" was owned and operated by Chester Allen "Al" Geesaman Jr. circa 1930s - 1970s. The store's location was 113 Market Street in Auburn, PA. This location also once housed Luther Wenrich's pool hall and/or Collins' Market. The structure is currently vacant. Chester Allen "Al" Geesaman, Jr. was born March 23, 1907. He married Verna Fietta Shollenberger Geesaman who at one time managed a beauty salon in Auburn, PA. He died in July, 1977 in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA and was interred at the Schuylkill Memorial Park, Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill County, PA. ************************************** One source, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that you had to "be careful" when shopping at the Auburn Keystone Store because (he claimed) "Al" Geesaman used to remove moldy meat from the display cases, carry the meat into his back room, and then either trim the meat or simply wipe the mold from it before replacing the clean remnants back into the display case. ************************************** According to an advertisement in a 1938 Auburn High School playbook, Auburn's Keystone Store offered "Free Delivery" to its customers. ************************************** An advertisement in a 1947 Auburn Fersommling souvenir pamphlet states that C. A. Geesaman sold American Sewing Machines, Automatic Electric Washers, Electrical Appliances, Electromaster Ranges, Majestic Metal Cabinets and Sinks, Nesco Kerosene Ranges, Premier Cleaners and Sepco Water Heaters. ************************************** OBITUARY (UNIDENTIFIED SOURCE & DATE) CHESTER Allen GEESAMAN, 70 of Auburn, PA died in June in the Pottsville Hospital where he was admitted earlier that day. Born in Waynesboro, he was the son of the late Chester and Mary (CREAGER) GEESAMAN. He formerly resided in Reading. He operated a grocery store in Auburn for over 40 years. He was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church, Auburn, and its council and was a former church secretary. He was also a member of the Schuylkill Shrine, Rajah Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, AASR Valley of Reading and a Past Master of Schuylkill Lodge 138, F&AM, Orwigsburg. He was a member of the Auburn Fire Company. Surviving are his widow, Verna (SHOLLENBERGER) GEESAMAN; five sisters: Geneve, wife of Lester FELIX, Miami, Fl; Miriam, wife of Clarence WACHTER, Emmitsburg, MD; Lena, wife of Bert JONES, and Gertrude, wife of George SONON, both of Reading; and Charlotte, wife of Charles HAUCK, Stony Creek Mills. Two brothers also survive: David, Waynesboro and Hobart, Sinking Spring. Burial was made in Schuylkill Memorial Park, Schuylkill Haven. ************************************** |
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"A. W. Berkheiser" (merchant)
"A. W. Berkheiser" who sold "New Holland Gasoline Engines and New Holland Feed Mills" in the Auburn, PA area was possibly an Aaron William Berkheiser. Aaron was born in 1852. His parents were William J. Berkheiser and Esther Bressler Berkheiser. He was a brother to Caroline Berkheiser, Franklin B. Berkhesier, George Washington Berkheiser and Sarah Ann Berkheiser Brown. He married Isabella Rebecca Reed Berkheiser and was father to Arthur John Berkheiser, Dora A. Berkheiser Reber and Mabel I. Berkheiser Heinbach. Aaron died in 1923 and was interred at the St. Paul's Church cemetery, Summer Hill Road, South Manheim Township, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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B. A. Fehr general merchandise store
(a.k.a.-Beulah Fehr's store; Fehr's store) The following is speculation on the ownership of this store. Prior to 1919, there is circumstantial evidence to suggest that a Harvey William Fehr was established as a "merchant" in Auburn, Pennsylvania. Harvey married Beulah A. Heffner Fehr in 1907. Harvey died from complications of Influenza in 1918 at the early age of 34 years. However, business listings for a "B. A. Fehr" operating a store in Auburn appeared starting in 1919 (the year following Harvey's death) and continued until at least 1924...which could be indicative that Harvey's widow, Beulah A. Heffner Fehr, assumed operation of the store after his death. Furthermore, Beulah remarried in 1920 to a John Walter Ramer. John Ramer is known to have operated a general store in Auburn for many years. He retired from the store business and died in 1961. However, there are also references to a store in Auburn called "B. A. Ramer's store". Whether John married Beulah but initially kept the store in her name, or whether John retired and Beulah continued to manage the store under her name is unknown at this time. |
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B. A. Kuhns' hardware store
(a.k.a. - Koon's store; Kuhns' store) Based on the fact that B. A. Kuhn's "hardware store" is depicted on an 1875 DeBeers Atlas map of Auburn, PA, we know he operated his store at the southeast corner of Front and Market Streets, Auburn, PA during that era. An undated and unidentified source from the AAHS archives states that B. A. Kuhns was a "Dealer in Stoves, Tinware, Hardware, Cutlery, Oils, Paints and House Furnishings" and that his house and store were located at the "corner of Front and Market Streets". |
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"B & S Potato Chips"
(a.k.a. - Beck & Singleton Potato Chips) Other than an approximate location of "R. D. #1, Auburn, PA", not much is currently known about the site of the B & S Potato Chips business. The owners of the business appear to have had the surnames of "Beck" and "Singleton", ergo the "B & S" in their company name. |
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"B. A. Ramer General
Merchandise" store (a.k.a. - Beulah Ramer's store; Ramer's store. Also see: John Ramer's store; "Ramer General Merchandise" store.) The structure which once housed B. A. Ramer's store and John Ramer's store was located on the southeast corner of the intersection of Front (or "First") and Market Streets, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. The building is believed to have been built circa 1874. The structure is definitely present on the 1875 DeBeers Atlas map of Auburn, PA. The building was eventually demolished in 1956 to clear the lot in order to construct the Pennsylvania National Bank Building. The following is speculation on the ownership of this store which is believed to have been in operation circa 1927-1940. Prior to 1919, there is circumstantial evidence to suggest that a Harvey William Fehr was established as a "merchant" in Auburn, Pennsylvania. Harvey married Beulah A. Heffner Fehr in 1907. Harvey died from complications of Influenza in 1918 at the early age of 34 years. However, business listings for a "B. A. Fehr" operating a store in Auburn appeared starting in 1919 (the year following Harvey's death) and continued until at least 1924...which could be indicative that Harvey's widow, Beulah A. Heffner Fehr, assumed operation of the store after his death. Furthermore, Beulah remarried in 1920 to a John Walter Ramer. John Ramer is known to have operated a general store in Auburn for many years. He retired from the store business and died in 1961. However, there are also references to a store in Auburn called "B. A. Ramer's store". Whether John married Beulah but initially kept the store in her name, or whether John retired and Beulah continued to manage the store under her name is unknown at this time. A local amateur historian, Kermit Mengel (deceased), stated that "Beulah" used to "run" John Ramer's store at one point. The B. A. Ramer store also advertised sales of the same basic products that had been offered for sale in John Ramer's store to include "Boys' Furnishings", Dry Goods, General Merchandise, Groceries, Hunting Supplies, Ithica (Ithaca) Shotguns, Men's Furnishings, Savage Shotguns and Shoes. |
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Bassler's store
An unverified source places Bassler's store as having been located at 140 Market Street, Auburn, PA. |
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"Bessie Ceramics"
The only information we currently have about "Bessie Ceramics" is that they were located in the approximate geographical area of "R.D. 2 Auburn, PA" and that their primary, if not only, employee's first name was "Bessie" (possibly a nickname for Beatrice or Elizabeth). |
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"Brown's Pharmacy"
(a.k.a. - Frank Brown's Pharmacy) Frank Luther Brown was born on January 5, 1870 in Lebanon, Lebanon County, PA. He was the son of Henry "Harry" A. Brown and Regina M. Kemmerer Brown. He was a brother to J. Harry Brown. Frank began working in drug stores and/or pharmacies as early as 1885 at the age of fifteen. Frank L. Brown attended the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. In a periodical titled "First Century of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, 1821 -1921, the records state that Frank L. Brown's college thesis was titled "Suppositories". Frank married Emma Marie Naegele/Nagel/Nagele Brown on June 14, 1893. They had the following children: Frank Melanchthon Brown, Luther Adolphus Brown and Miriam Brown (who died in infancy). Remaining married to his wife for over fifty years, Frank was devoted to both his family and his community. Frank was a one-time roommate of the son of Senator Charles Edward Quail, Sr., of Auburn. During the coal strike of 1902, Frank entered into a correspondence with the Senator inquiring about obtaining a supply of river coal that had washed up from the river bed (Senator Quail is believed to have also owned at least one coal washery near Auburn). During this correspondence, Senator Quail tasked Frank with finding a purchaser for the pharmacy business at Auburn, which resulted in Frank purchasing the business himself. Frank established a thriving pharmacy at what is now identified as 213 Market Street, Auburn. Apparently at some point in the past, his business location was identified as 210 Market Street, Auburn, even though he was always in the same structure (see advertisement pictured below). When or why the street addresses changed is uncertain at this time. Frank was one of Auburn’s most gifted citizens. He established “Brown’s Pharmacy” at this location, where as a registered pharmacist he created (sometimes using a mortar and pestle) and/or sold such delightful remedies as “Brown’s Cuticream; Brown's Mixture; Dr. Kilmer's Swamp-Root Kidney, Liver and Bladder Remedy; Fine Tooth Powders; Florida Water; Knoxa Tablets; Korn Kure; Neutro – A guaranteed headache cure; Norwegian Cod Liver Oil; Pabst's Okay Specific - Cures Positively and Without Fail Gonorrhea and Gleet; 666 - A Laxative and a Tonic; and Tri-Dee Corn Solvent". Frank's motto was “Purity, Accuracy and Reliability”. The pharmacy also sold such products as boric acid, camphorated oil, candy, cigars, distilled extract of witch hazel, glycerin, ice cream, Kodak and other brand camera and photographic supplies, magazines, newspapers, perfumes, periodicals, quick-action gas and dyspepsia tablets, school supplies, sodas, stationary, sulphur, tincture of iodine and toilet articles. Frank carried that same sense of perfection and attention to detail into his hobby of photography. He was an avid amateur photographer who recorded many of the historical sites of Auburn on film. Frank also used many of these pictures to produce scenic Post Cards of Auburn and its people. Most of his Post Cards are still in existence today and are considered collectors' items. Thanks in part to Frank’s prodigious efforts, over 250 different Post Cards exist in which the topic of the card is dedicated to either the residents, or the town, of Auburn, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. He also served as a notary public. An undated and non-sourced news snippet states "Frank L. Brown, the druggist, has purchased a four horse power water motor and will hereafter make ice cream with that power." A second undated and non-sourced news snippet states "Frank L. Brown, the pharmacist and newsdealer, opened his ice cream parlors and soda fountain for the season last Saturday". A third undated and non-sourced item stated that "Doc" Brown compounded medicines with a mortar and pestle and served delicious sodas at marble-topped tables. An advertisement in a 1939 Auburn High School playbook contains the following script "Everything that is ugly is made nice - Everything that is bitter is made sweet - All your aches and pains disappear - When you visit Brown's Pharmacy - Auburn". (Editor's note: Frank L. Brown either had an exaggerated belief in the curative properties of his products or he chose to use hyperbole in his advertising). Frank L. "Brownie" Brown died in the Lemos B. Warne Hospital, Pottsville, Schuylkill County, PA on August 12, 1948. His residence was in Auburn at that time. His immediate cause of death was listed as "apoplexy" due to arteriosclerosis and hypertensive heart disease. Other conditions listed on his death certificate (#72895) included chronic fibroid prostate and stricture of urethra. He was interred within the Riverside Cemetery, Norristown, Montgomery County, PA. |
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"C. D. Rishel" store
(a.k.a. - Catharine Rishel's store; Rishel's store) While "C. D. Rishel"s identity has not been indisputably confirmed within this website, a likely candidate has been identified. The website findagrave.com has a listing for Catharine Deibert Rishel who was born on January 20, 1825. Catharine was married to Elias Rishel who was born December 11, 1816 and who died June 7, 1870. Elias was interred within the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. Catharine and Elias had the following children: Alice Rishel Kuhns, Elias D. Rishel, John D. Rishel, Katie D. Rishel, Morris D. Rishel, Susanna Elizabeth Rishel and William D. Rishel. Due to Elias's early demise in 1870 at the age of 45 years, we know the Rishels had ties to the Auburn area by this time based on his interment. The 1875 DeBeers Atlas map of Auburn, Schuylkill County, Penna. depicts a structure located at the north-west corner of Front and Market Streets with the owner's name listed as "Mrs. Rishel" accompanied by the notation "store". This would be approx. 5 years after Elias's death. The advertisement for "C. D. Rishel"s store posted on this webpage is undated but could easily have been from this era. Additionally, many of the items listed on this advertisement seem to be aimed toward a female audience, which could be indicative of a female proprietor. If Catherine operated a retail business, it would be reasonable for her to use her initials of "C" for Catherine and "D" either for her maiden name Deibert or perhaps a middle name beginning with the letter "D". A final indicator which might suggest Catharine's strong ties to Auburn is the fact that when she died December 24, 1904, she was interred in the Auburn Church of God Cemetery adjacent to her husband Elias. Furthermore, four of their seven children were also buried within this same cemetery, and a fifth offspring, Susanna Elizabeth Rishel, who died in childhood at the tender age of eight years old, was buried in the Auburn Cemetery, Mill Street, Auburn, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, having predeceased all other members of her family and having died prior to the establishment of the "new" Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA, in 1868. As a result, C. D. Rishel could quite probably have been Catherine Deibert Rishel. A Pottsville Republican newspaper article from 1886 tells of the unfortunate death of one of Catherine's children, John D. Rishel, at the age of twenty-six. John died that year from consumption. The article goes on to state that "This is the fifth child...that Mrs. Rishel buried, all dying from consumption". An undated and unidentified source states that "C. D. Rishel" sold "Dry Goods" and groceries at the corner of Front and Market Streets of Auburn, PA. An unidentified news article circa April 1896 stated that "Levi Shappell, merchant tailer, has vacated the old Rishel stand and occupied his (Levi's) new store and dwelling on Market..." (Editor's note: Whether or not this "Rishel stand" was in fact C. D. Rishel's store is unconfirmed at this time.) |
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"C. H. Fix & Co." (a.k.a. - Fix's store)
C. H. Fix & Company were wholesale commission merchants possibly located at the corner of Fourth and Market Streets, Auburn, PA and run by Charles H. Fix. Some of their inventory included Fish, Fruits, Oysters and Vegetables. Charles H. Fix was born July 22, 1861. He married Kathryn Roth Fix and they had a child, Elizabeth M. Fix Berger. Charles died on August 20, 1937 and is buried in St. Paul's Church cemetery, Summer Hill Road, South Manheim Township, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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"C. H. Reber" store
(a.k.a. - Calvin Reber's store; "Kelly" Reber's store; Reber's store) The website findagrave.com has a listing for only three "C. H. Reber"s of that era as having been interred anywhere in Schuylkill County, PA...and they all died prior to 1940 with none of them having any obvious ties to Auburn. Thanks to AAHS Lifetime Member Brian Bohr, the presumably correct "Calvin H. Reber" was located as having been interred in Oklahoma. A "Calvin Henry Reber" was born 03/21/1899 in Auburn (R.D.?), Schuylkill County, PA. He was a son of Carrie Moyer Burkey Reber and John Grant Reber (whose obituary states that he, John, owned and operated a farm in South Manheim Township, Schuylkill County, PA). Calvin was a brother of Anna Irene Reber; Hilda Estelle Reber Berger; John Samuel Reber (who died at the age of only three years, eighteen days); Martha Jean Reber Hunsinger; Sara Rebecca Reber Clauser; and Wayne Albert Reber. Calvin married Miriam May Fehr Reber. They had the following children: Nelson Jay Reber and Richard Fehr Reber. In addition to presumably having owned and operated a dairy farm, Calvin was confirmed to have owned and success-fully operated "C. H. Reber's Store" in Auburn for many years from at least 1933 until 1948 and possibly longer (see the "Retailers and Wholesalers" webpage for additional information on that business). Calvin died on 09/09/1976 in Pawhuska, Osage County, OK, and was interred within the Pawhuska City Cemetery, Pawhuska, Osage County, OK. Whether or not this is the same "Calvin H. Reber" who owned and operated a store in Auburn, and the same "C. H. Reber" who owned and operated a dairy in the Auburn-area, is uncertain but probable unless other information is presented to contradict this theory. ************************************** An advertisement in a 1937 Auburn High School playbook mentions that C. H. Reber sells "fine chocolates". ************************************** An advertisement in a 1938 Auburn High School playbook reads "C. H. Reber - Bendix Home Laundry - R. C. A. Radios - Auburn." ************************************** An advertisement in a 1947 program for theAuburn Fersommling states C. H. Reber sold "Frigidaires, Sinks, Stoves, Corey-Silex Coffee Makers and Victor Quick-Freeze Refrigerators" among other items. ************************************** An advertisement in a 1948 Auburn Fersommling program states C. H. Reber sold heavy A.B.C. washers and ironers, Parker "51" pens, Stromberg-Carlson FM radios and phonographs and Sunbeam electrical appliances. ************************************** |
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"Claude H. Hawkins" store
(Also known as: C. H. Hawkins' store; "Claude H. Hawkins General Merchandise" store; Hawkins' store) Located at 103 Market Street of Auburn, the structure which housed Hawkin's general merchandise store was built in 1856 by Johannes (John) Haszler (Hossler) and his wife Angelina Ebling Hossler (see photograph of upper corner of building). The general store was housed in the bottom of the left half of the building, with the residence located in the top half. The right half of the building was the warehouse section for extra inventory and large items. Claude had a small gas station/garage at the rear of the store from which he sold automobiles, and for a period of time he also sold gasoline from a pump adjacent to the building. The store's telephone number at various times was "5-11", "5-R-11" or "36-R-11". CLAUDE HENRY HAWKINS, general merchant of Auburn, Schuylkill Co., Pa., and president of the Auburn Light, Heat & Power Company, was born in York Co., Pa., October 1, 1882. He was the son of James H. Hawkins and Eliza "Elsie" A. Henry Hawkins. He was the grandson of John K. Hawkins and Lydia G. Heffner Hawkins; a great-grandson of William Hawkins and Elizabeth Kauffman Hawkins; and a great-great grandson of Samuel Hawkins and Rachel Hawkins. Claude is also a half-brother to May Hawkins Reichert and Roy James Hawkins. Claude Henry Hawkins was educated in the schools of York County, Molltown, Berks County plus Auburn, Schuylkill County, and the Pottsville Business College, taking a commercial course, stenography and typewriting, at the latter place. His first position was with the Charles F. Felin Company, lumber dealers, of Philadelphia, where he remained for a brief period, returning to Auburn to work for his father in the latter's general store. In 1908 he bought out his father, James Hawkins, and conducted the store with great success. Besides carrying a large selection of general merchandise, Claude also sold fishing and hunting supplies, clothing, "Wear-U-Well" brand shoes, Reading Standard bicycles with wooden rims and Excelsior brand bicycles, Indian brand motorcycles, and automobiles to include Buicks, Dodges and Fords. Claude used imprinted stationary letterhead which should intricate engravings of the Ford automobile plant at the top and two models of vintage Ford automobiles at the bottom corners. Claude use to show his appreciation toward valued customers by issuing them promotional kitchen utensils embossed with his store information, such as the ladel, meat fork and tongs pictured on this webpage. Amateur historian Kermit Mengel (now deceased) recalled that Claude once drew attention to his storefront by displaying a group of baby deer in the store window. Kermit stated that a train had struck the deer and when Claude learned of the accident he collected the carcasses and had them mounted/stuffed in order that he might display them. Mr. Hawkins was president of the Auburn Light, Heat & Power Company, which was incorporated with a capital of $10,000 in 1909, and supplied electricity to Auburn and Port Clinton. He was a member of the Board of Trade of Auburn. Mr. Hawkins was married to Elsie Lindermuth Hawkins, daughter of Benjamin Alfred and Sarah (Ribkee) Lindermuth, and they had one child, Ernest Allen, born Nov. 9, 1907. Mr. Hawkins was a Republican in politics, and a member of Auburn Castle, Knights of the Golden Eagle, he belonged to the Church of God, in which he was a deacon, and a teacher in the Sunday school. Claude died October 9, 1958. He is interred within the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. ************************************** An unidentified new article dated circa 1943 states "Claude W. Hawkins, who conducted a grocery store for the past 40 years, has retired and closed the store." (Editor's note: The middle initial should have been "H.", not "W."). |
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"Clauser's Food Market"
(a.k.a. "Clauser's Mini Mart"; "Clauser's Service Center") |
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Clauser's paint shop
(a.k.a. Jacob Clauser's paint shop) Jacob William Clauser was born in Berks County, PA on October 5, 1867. He was the son of Simon Clauser and Elizabeth Kauffman Clauser. He married Carrie Virginia Krammes Clauser and had a son Arthur Jacob Clauser. According to amaetuer historian Kermit Mengel (deceased), Jacob Clauser operated a "paint shop" on the property of 304 Market Street, Auburn, PA. Kermit stated Jacob worked as a painter but occasionally would also sell paint out of his shop. Jacob died June 23, 1954 in Auburn and was interred within the "new" St. John's Church Cemetery located adjacent to Route 895, West Brunswick Township, Schuykill County, PA. |
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Collins' market
(a.k.a. "Bush" Collins' store; Claude Collins' store) Collins' market was located at 113 Market Street, Auburn, in the building once occupied by Chester Alvin "Al" Geesaman who operated "Auburn's Keystone Store" from this location. Collins' market was operated by Claude "Bush" Collins and Hazel Collins. The business is believed to have been operation in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They sold furniture, antiques and collectibles and some grocery-type products. |
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Daniel Brensinger (merchant)
Daniel Brensinger was one of the more memorable residents of Auburn, Pennsylvania. Born in the late 1800’s, he married Sarah Stoudt and they had three daughters, Grace, Helen and Mabel. Daniel was a hard working employee of the railroad, but he suffered misfortune when he lost a leg due to a mishap at work. A relatively crude prosthetic “leg” was provided to Daniel after the accident. Since Daniel was no longer able to continue his employment in the same capacity, he was given a job as a crossing guard for the railroads. |
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"Deibert and Young" store
Deibert and Young operated a "health-food" store offering "fresh meats and groceries" in the 1950s and 1960s located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Bear Creek Street and South Street in Auburn, PA. ************************************** An advertisement in a 1951 Auburn High School playbook reads "Deibert & Young - Natural Health Foods - Gayelord Hauser Products - Phone 61R4 - Auburn, Pa.". |
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Deibert's general store
(a.k.a. Daniel Deibert's store; D. D. Deibert's store; Deibert's store. Also see: "Deibert and Young"; M. M. Deibert's store.) DANIEL D. "D. D" DEIBERT, for more than forty-three years engaged in the mercantile business at various locations and was "one of the leading merchants" at Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. He sold "meats and groceries" at his Auburn store location among other products, offering "free delivery". Deibert's store, or Deibert's General Store, was believed to have been located adjacent to Railroad Street (previously known as Canal Street). He was born in Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill County, PA on Feb. 21, 1840, son of Joseph Deibert and Elizabeth Drumheller Deibert. He was a brother of Elizabeth Deibert, Joseph Deibert, Mary A. Deibert Hoffman and Susannah E. Deibert Albright. Daniel D. Deibert began working at the trade of boat-builder with his father when he was fourteen years of age, and followed that occupation for a period of thirteen years. Daniel is believed to have served as a Private in Company H of the 186th PA Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. After his military service, he then opened a store at Landingville, which he conducted for about twenty years, at the end of that time selling out to his son Samuel. For a short time he was in partnership with his son, Milton, in the shoe business, and then he moved to Auburn in 1893 to engage in the general store business. Mr. Deibert was married to Catharine (Mertz) Deibert, daughter of Samuel Mertz. She died at the age of thirty-eight years, and is buried at the Red Church. The following children were born to this union: Elizabeth Abegail Deibert; Franklin A. Deibert, who died young; Milton M. Deibert, who lived in Philadelphia; and Samuel Deibert, a well known merchant of Orwigsburg, Pa. In 1887, Mr. Deibert married his second wife Catherine "Kate" Ann Kepner Deibert, daughter of Bernard Kepner and Mary A. Richard Kepner. They had a child, May D. Deibert Runkle, wife of Harry Andres Runkle. Mr. Runkle was a shoe manufacturer of Schuylkill Haven. Mr. Deibert was a member of the Methodist denomination, while his family attended the Lutheran Church. He took an active part in the work of the Sunday school while he resided at Landingville, and for many years was its superintendent. He was one of the organizers of the borough of Landingville during the time he served as postmaster there. He also assisted in the organization of the camp of the P. O. S. of A. at that place. Mr. Deibert has held the office of tax collector. As of the 1910 U.S. Census for Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA, a D. D. Deibert was listed as a "Retail Merchant" at the age of 70. He was listed as having lived on Railroad Street, Auburn, PA with his wife Kate (Catherine) and his daughter May (May D. Deibert Runkle). A rather cryptic note found within the AAHS archives simply states "Lou Herring - Dan Deibert's store in back". What exactly this means is uncertain. Daniel D. "D. D." Deibert died on May 18, 1921 at the age of 81 in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. He is interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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D. L. Schultz's general store
An 1888 listing of Auburn merchants in the Pottsville Republican newspaper includes an entry for "D. L. Schultz" with the notation "general store". The website findagrave.com contains a single listing for a "D. L. Schultz" who is interred within the Auburn area. David L. Schultz was born in Hamburg, Berks County, Pennsylvania on either 03/12/1850 or 05/12/1850 (conflicting records, but his grave marker is engraved with the May date). He was the son of Dr. Augustus Schulze (Schultz), who also would eventually have a medical practice in Auburn, and Catherine Haas Schulze (Schultz). He was the brother of twelve siblings to include Amelia Schulze (Schultz), Anna Catharine Schulze (Schultz or Schulze) Schwenk, Catharine Schulce (Schultz or Schulze) Ladner, Charles A. Schultz, Ella Solly Schultz, Frederick Schultz, Henry Augustus Schultz, Mary J. Schulze (Schultz), Rosamunda Schulze (Schultz), Sarah Anne Schultz Fleisher, William R. Schultz and an unidentified male child "who died young". David L. Schultz also became a medical doctor, graduating from the Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA in 1876. Upon graduation, he immediately relocated to Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. He was a member of the Auburn Castle No. 168, Knights of the Golden Eagle. David married Mary A. Drumheller Schultz on 10/27/1890. He is listed in the 1890 Census Records with the occupation of "physician". There is no record of David and Mary having children on the website findagrave.com, nor any that could be found using Internet search engines. Unfortunately, David died in Auburn at the early age of only 44 years on 01/13/1895, and is interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. Whether this David L. Schultz was the same individual identified as "D. L. Schultz" who operated a general store in Auburn is uncertain at this time but highly probable. |
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"Doc Quail's Drug Store"
(a.k.a. Charles Quail's drug store or pharmacy; Quail's Drug store or pharmacy) Doctor Charles Edward Quail, Senior, opened a drug store at 115 Market Street of Auburn, PA. Dr. Quail's accomplish-ments are so numerous he has since been named "Auburn's Most Prolific Resident" by the Auburn Area Historical Society. An entire section of the webpage titled "Noteworthy Individuals" has been dedicated to his achievements. Use the green button included below to access further information on Dr. Quail. |
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E. A. Schultz's store
(a.k.a. Earl Schultz's store; Schultz's store) A newspaper snippet circa 1885 from the Pottsville Republican states "AUBURN - E. A. Schultz has fixed up the old stand lately occupied by his father and has filled it with a fine stock, comprising everything needed in a first-class country store. We wish him success." Additionally, an 1887 tax record for Auburn merchants lists E. A. Schultz as operating a "general store". An 1890 U. S. Census record of Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA contains the following entry "SCHULTZ, Earl, 28, conductor. Minnie (Annie?), Deborah R., Helen ?." Earl A. Schultz was born on January 12, 1862, the son of William R. Schultz and Sybilla "Mame" Spears Schultz of Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. His father, William, operated a store located along Canal Street of Auburn. William died on July 30, 1885 - the same year the newspaper snippet states Earl assumed control of his late father's store. Earl was the brother of Frederick Hunter Schultz, John Augustus Schultz, Kate I. Schulze (Schultz), Mary V. Schulze (Schultz) and Sarah Catherine Schultz Young. Earl married Annie Kaufman Schultz and was father to Deborah Schultz Kantner. Earl died March 26, 1930 and is interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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"Evergreen Acres"
In 1936, shortly after the Great Depression, Harry and Mary Jane Seiler Shealer Williams and their son, Paul Alexander Shealer, purchased approximately 45 acres of land one mile east of Auburn, PA. Today this parcel of land is known as “the home farm”. The purchase was made with inheritance money received from Mary Jane’s father.Shortly after the farm was purchased, Paul and his step-father planted some Norway spruce they had received from the state to be used for conservation planting/reforestation. For the next four years Christmas trees were the farthest thought from the family. Income was received not from the land, but from off-the-farm employment. When Paul was discharged from the United States Navy in 1945, he and Harry were looking for a way to get enough money to purchase a turkey for Christmas dinner. As you can guess, things were tough back then, to say the least. They came up with the idea to cut some of the Norway spruce they had planted years earlier. These trees were virtually wild; they had had no pest control and had never been sheared. But the idea went over big with the residents in the Auburn area. Trees were cut from the hillside south of the house and barn, across the Pine Creek. They were dragged to the banks of the creek. With Harry on one side and Paul on the other side, they would throw a rope back and forth across the creek and drag the trees through the icy waters. They then took the trees to the barn to thaw out and dry. A sign was placed at the top of the lane: “Christmas Trees 25 cents”. That first season they earned enough money for not just a Christmas turkey but a few small gifts as well. Evergreen Acres was born! Having seen the interest the community had in purchasing cut Christmas trees, the following spring Harry and Paul started planting more Norway spruce and a “new” tree – Scotch pine. This was how it went for the next several years, cutting conservation plantings on the farm (some were purchased from other farmers for 15 cents and sold for 25 cents to 30 cents each) to sell at Christmas and then each spring planting more Norway spruce and Scotch pine on their own farm. The business started to grow. By 1952 Paul and Harry were beginning to look for more land to plant. In 1957 a 45 acre tract of land in South Manheim Township, known as Summer Hill, was purchased. They began planting that farm as interest in other species, besides Norway spruce and Scotch pine, was growing. Colorado blue spruce and Austrian pine were added to the planting mix. About this time other people began growing Christmas trees. New growers started shearing their trees and seeing the results of the shearing and the consumer preference, Paul and Harry took up the shearing practice. The ‘fuller’, ‘bushier’, Christmas tree emerged. From approximately 1952 through 1963 Evergreen Acres continued to grow. As the number of trees increased to a point that more were being produced than could be sold locally, Paul and Harry began seeking wholesale markets in the Philadelphia area. Again, sales continued to grow and again sales exceeded production. To meet the increased demand, they were buying as many trees locally as they could find, and going as far as Indiana County, Pennsylvania to purchase their trees. In 1955 the next generation of tree grower arrived on the scene, Paul Alan Shealer, son of Paul and Patricia Shealer. Almost as soon as he could walk Paul Alan began tagging along with his father and grandfather as they managed the farm. From a very early age Paul Alan took a big interest in Christmas tree farming. In the mid to late 1950’s another “new” tree variety showed a lot of potential as a popular Christmas tree. Douglas fir were planted on Evergreen Acres land in 1957 and is still popular today. From the early 1960’s through 1976 there was an increase in Douglas fir production and a declining number of Scotch pine, Austrian pine and Norway spruce being planted. There were management changes, as well, including improvement in weed and insect control. When Mary Jane Williams died in 1977, a void was left in the operation; however, Harry, Paul Alexander and Paul Alan continued to manage the farm, caring for approximately 30 acres of Scotch pine and Douglas fir trees. In 1977 Paul Alan graduated from The Pennsylvania State University. Having been around the business all his life and having a passion for the industry, he began playing a larger role in the business. He started by introducing improved weed, insect and disease control practices, updating farm equipment, expanding into the balled & burlapped (B&B/dug tree) markets, improved seedling quality, and the introduction of more new species: Engleman spruce, Concolor fir and Fraser fir. After Paul Alan married Sharon Brobst in 1979, there was one more worker for the farm. Sharon helped with the planting and harvesting. But then when Harry Williams passed away in September 1984, another void was left in the operation. Paul and Paul, father and son, worked well together for several years expanding the operation and greatly improving tree quality. Gradually Scotch pine and Norway spruce were being phased out in favor of the fir tree. Both the wholesale and retail trade were expanded and sales increased in both areas. Kim Shealer, daughter of Paul and Patricia, continued helping on the farm throughout her high school and college years by working on the retail lot and planting trees. After she married in 1986 she moved out of the area, but continued helping out for a few more years. In 1987 Paul Alexander retired from his job to work the farm full-time. We were almost there making the farm full-time employment when the unthinkable happened. Paul Alexander passed away very suddenly in 1989. With the founders of Evergreen Acres gone, the future lay in the hands of the next generation. Patricia and son, Paul Alan, became partners and despite slow business growth at first, due to a surplus of trees on the market, Evergreen Acres continued to thrive. Paul Alan, Sharon, and their two children, Briana and Paul Anthony, moved home to the homestead to work the farm. After the passing of Paul Alexander it was difficult to find enough quality labor to work the farm. Sharon’s role in the operation of the farm increased. She started to help more with the mowing, harvesting, digging of balled and burlapped trees, and working in retail sales. From 1990 to 1997 Evergreen Acres was run as a partnership between Paul, Sharon, and Paul’s mother, Patricia. In this period of time all parties worked at jobs outside of the farm; thus, much of the farm income was not needed to operate any household. Most of the profit from Evergreen Acres was re-invested into the business. Existing buildings were remodeled and 3 new buildings added; most farm machinery was upgraded and many new pieces purchased. Late in 1998 Paul and Sharon bought out the partnership from Patricia. Patricia continued to be a sounding board for business decisions and continued to help with retail sales until her death in 2005. Looking for “new” varieties of trees to introduce to our customers, “exotic firs” from the Mediterranean region and Asia were introduced in 2007. Today, Nordmann, Turkish and Korean firs are gaining in popularity. Since he was a little boy, Paul Alan had been interested in the Christmas tree industry. In fact, all his professional career moves had Christmas tree farming in the forefront. In high school Paul Alan was enrolled in the vocational agriculture program. From there he went on to receive his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Agriculture Education with a minor in Horticulture from The Pennsylvania State University. For the next 32 years Paul worked for Penn State as a Cooperative Extension Agent/County Director where his expertise for the northeast region area was Christmas tree production. He also continued to grow Christmas trees. In 2010 Paul retired from Penn State and has been working the tree farm, with assistance from Sharon and his son, Paul Anthony. Sharon received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from East Stroudsburg State College and a Master’s degree in Secondary Guidance Counseling from Kutztown University. She worked as a guidance counselor for many years and retired in 2012. Since their retirement from off-the-farm jobs, Paul and Sharon continue to operate Evergreen Acres as a family-run business. Their son, Paul Anthony, is a dairy nutritionist who also plays an integral part in the operation. He has been planting his own trees on land he leases. He and his wife, Pam, will be the next generation to own and operate Evergreen Acres. Paul and Sharon’s daughter, Briana, who works as a 4-H Educator, continues to help out with planting and retail sales (as time allows). Evergreen Acres Tree Farm has a long tradition of producing high-quality, award-winning Christmas trees. We hope this tradition continues for generations to come. Copyright © 2023 Evergreen Acres Tree Farm 135 Fort Lebanon Road, Auburn, PA 17922 Phone: 570-366-2809 Email: [email protected] https://www.facebook.com [email protected] Rating · 4.9 (out of 5.0) (33 Reviews) Weekdays 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Saturday & Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m "By tradition, the Blue Room is the place of honor for the official White House Christmas tree. This year an eighteen-and-one-half-foot Douglas fir was presented to The President (Bill Clinton) and Mrs. (Hillary) Clinton by Paul and Sharon Shealer, and their children Briana and Paul, of Evergreen Acres Tree Farm in Auburn, Pennsylvania. The Shealers won the honor after being named the National 2000 Grand Champion Grower by the National Christmas Tree Association." - Undated and unidentified news excerpt. |
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Feger's Luncheonette
An advertisement in the Auburn High School yearbooks for years 1954 and 1955 promote a "Feger's Luncheonette" as having operated in Jefferson, Schuylkill County, PA. Although technically not an "Auburn" business, the Auburn Area Historical Society's charter defines the "Auburn Area" as a three-mile radius from the approximate center of the town of Auburn (using the intersection of Market Streets and Third Streets as the focal point). Therefore, "Feger's Luncheonette" would fall within the "Auburn Area" and is covered as an Auburn-area business. According to the advertisement, Feger's sold cakes, coffee, hamburgers, milk shakes, pies and sandwiches among its products. No further information is available about this business at this time. |
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"F. H. Schultz & Sons Co."
(a.k.a. - Fred or Frederick Schultz's store; Schultz and Sons; Schultz's store) Frederick Hunter Schultz was born on September 19, 1877 in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. He was the son of William R. Schultz and Sybilla Spears Schutlz. He was a brother to John Augustus Schultz, Kate I. Schulze (Schultz), Mary V. Schulze (Schultz) and Sarah Catherine Schultz Young. Frederick married Annie Templin Reber Schultz and they had the following children: Clifford F. Schultz, Guy Hunter Schultz and Jean Reber Schultz. Annie was the child of Jonathan Reber and Sarah Seigfried Reber. As a young girl, she worked for her father in his grocery store located at the southeast corner of Market and Third Streets in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. After Annie's parents died, Annie and her husband Frederick took over the business. The business expanded into both a retail and wholesale enterprise which eventually grew into a chain of local markets. In 1949, their son Clifford purchased the store in Auburn from his parents. Frederick died on December 14, 1951 in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA and was interred in the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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"F. J. Heim Variety Store"
An F. J. Heim apparently operated a "variety store" in the Auburn-area during at least the mid-1930s based on a "Farmer's Pocket Ledger" distributed by F. J. Heim's store which contained calendars for 1934 & 1935 imprinted on the back of the booklet. An advertisement in a 1938 Auburn High School playbook lists "F. J. Heim - Jefferson Garage" and includes the information "General Merchandise, Farming Implements, etc." with an address of "R. F. D. #1" (Auburn) and a telephone number of "Bell Phone Auburn - 7 - 5". The website findagrave.com contains a listing for a single entry for an "F. J. Heim" interred within the immediate Auburn area. Francis John Heim was born in Schuylkill County, PA on June 17, 1874. He was the son of John S. Heim and Sarah Dewald Heim. He married Carrie Louisa Luckenbill Heim and was a father of Ellen Sarah Heim Reichert and Hattie A. Heim Kauffman. Francis died in Schuylkill County on March 16, 1945 and is interred within the St. Paul's Church cemetery, Summer Hill Road, South Manheim Township, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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Flail's Market
An undated and unsourced document mentions that the "Flail family" operated a grocery store out of the building located at 113 Market Street, Auburn, PA during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The store supposedly had a delicatessan included. No further information is known about this store at this time. |
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F. N. Jones (merchant)
An undated and unsourced document lists various merchants of the Auburn area to include an entry for "F. N. Jones" with the notation "Cigars" after it. The website findagrave.com contains a listing for a Fulton Nicholas Jones who was born on July 8, 1866. He was the son of Wellington Jones and Mary A. Moyer Jones. He was a brother of Cara Augusta Jones, Lillie R. Jones Immel and Mary Belle Jones Keller. Fulton died on January 2, 1943 and was interred within the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. Whether Fulton Nicholas Jones is the same individual as the "F. N. Jones" who operated a store in Auburn is uncertain at this time. |
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Frank S. Young's tinsmith shop
According to the 1890 U. S. Census records for Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA, a Frank S. Young, 24 years of age, is listed as a "tin smith". Frank is listed as having lived with a "Sallie C." (Sallie being a common nickname for Sarah) and another individual named "Rosa". According to the 1910 U. S. Census for Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA, Frank S. Young operated a tinsmith shop located on Railroad Street, Auburn. The census further indicates that Frank was married to Sallie Young and had at least three children living with him at the time, Laura Emma Young, Rose S. Young and Ruth S. Young. The website findagrave.com contains an entry for Frank S. Young. According to the site, Frank S. Young was born in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA on May 2, 1866. He was the son of Frederick Young and Sarah Schaffer Young. Frank was a brother of Charles Young, James Young and William S. Young. Frank married Sarah (nicknamed Sallie?) Catherine Schultz Young on October 24, 1888 in Auburn, PA. Frank died at Auburn on July 12, 1951 and was interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. Frank shares a joint family grave marker with his wife Sarah and Ruth, presumably his daughter. If the engraving on the grave marker is accurate, Ruth was born in 1895 and died in 1997, making Ruth at least 101 years of age and possibly 102 years of age when she died. |
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Frederick Ritzel's store
An 1880 edition of the Schuylkill County Herald newspaper of Pine Grove, PA contains an lengthy article about a James Donahue of Mt. Carbon (Schuylkill County), PA who was charged with various crimes to include "robbing Frederick Ritzel's store at Auburn". The article itself contains an unusual twist related to "Frederick Ritzel". The article reads: "An Innocent Man. Tuesday's Journal says: At the June term of the criminal court in 1878, James Donahue, a young man of Mt. Carbon, was tried for receiving stolen goods, stealing chickens, robbing Frederick Ritzel's store at Auburn, and stealing a quantity of eatables from the cellar of a farm house near Auburn. Donahue was found guilty of the four charges, and sentenced on June 28, 1878, to serve one year for robbing the store, one year for stealing the eatables and three months for each of the other cases, making in all two years and six months. Donahue admitted that he had, with three companions, stolen something to eat from the house; but denied his guilt in the other cases. His companions testified that he was innocent; but on the testimony of a half-witted fellow, named George Rice, he was convicted and sentenced as stated above. Donahue has been in jail ever since and has never lost an opportunity to protest his innocence. For several months no attention was paid to his story, but finally some persons, who were struck by his pertinacity, investigated the matter and it was discovered that he is really suffering imprisonment for crimes he never committed. George Rice, the man on whose testimony Donahue was convicted, now states that he mistook Donahue for another man who was the guilty person. Rice has made an affidavit before Justice Fernsler to the effect that Donahue is innocent. Rice stated that he heard Ritzel (the Auburn store proprietor) say he would give $100 if Donahue was convicted, and desiring to earn that amount he had testified without adhering to the facts in the case and Donahue was convicted. Ritzel, however did not give Rice the $100, so he made a clean breast of the matter and declared Donahue was not guilty of the crimes he was charged with. Donahue's case is now in the hands of J. F. Grady, who will carry it before the board of pardons. It is expected that Donahue's application for pardon will be supported by recommendations from the judges and district attorney." Sadly for James Donahue, Ritzel's unethical behavior which resulted in Donahue being wrongfully convicted for the crime, resulted in a further miscarriage of justice. A subsequent newsarticle covered this cruel twist of fate: "914 Days in Jail - James Donohue was discharged from jail Wednesday after spending two years and six months in that institution. He was convicted of stealing goods from a store in Auburn and sentenced to one year and six months, and one year in jail on two indictments. After he had been in jail for some time a man named Geo. Rice called at the prison and stated that he had been promised $100 if he would testify to Donohue's guilt in one of the cases. He so testified and not receiving the promised reward concluded to tell the authorities he had perjured himself. As Donnohue, who had been a canal boatman, had no money and seemed to have no friends, the matter was worked up and he served his term. Rice is now in jail himself." - News excerpt from an undated and unidentified source believed to have been published circa 1880. (EDITOR'S NOTE: While Donohue himself admitted to having stolen food from a house, he was wrongfully convicted of the other crimes; yet in a gross miscarriage of justice in Schuylkill County, even though the sole witness to the crime recanted his testimony, admitted to perjuring himself and was himself imprisoned for that perjury, Donohue was kept in jail to serve the remaining term of his wrongful imprisonment based on such "deciding factors" as he was a "canal boatman", "had no money" and "seemed to have no friends". Basically, Donahue was guilty of nothing more than stealing food to eat and should have received no more than six months prison time, but as a result of Ritzel's misguided quest for justice, he lost an additional two years of his life in jail for crimes he didn't commit and was further discriminated against by the judge who should have granted him a pardon.) ************************************** Other than this news excerpt, very little information is known about Frederick Ritzel who operated a store in Auburn circa 1878. His business does not appear to be featured on the 1875 DeBeer's Atlas map of Auburn, PA, nor does it appear in an 1896 map of businesses along Front Street in Auburn, PA. The exact location of Ritzel's store is unknown. Additionally, a check of the website "findagrave.com" has no listings for any Frederick Ritzel having ever been interred within Schuylkill County. The same website does contain a single entry for a Frederick Ritzel interred within Pennsylvania but the information within that entry is sparse. According to the website findagrave.com, a Frederick Ritzel is interred within the West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery County, PA according to records for that cemetery. However, no dates of birth or death, no genealogical information or family ties, not even a picture of the grave marker is provided. Whether this "Frederick Ritzel" is the same individual who once operated a store in Auburn is unknown. (Editor's note: Speculation could infer that perhaps Auburn's Frederick Ritzel received damaging negative reaction to his actions in offering a bounty which resulted in the conviction of an innocent man, and furthermore reneging on his offer in an apparent attempt to cheat a local "half-witted" fellow. If so, he may have felt his business prospects might improve by moving to a different county where his tarnished reputation wasn't known.) |
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Fred Schultz - milliner
An 1887 list of taxes on Auburn merchants includes an entry for a "Fred Schultz" with the notation of "milliner". A milliner is someone who manufactures or sells women's hats. This merchant (Fred Schultz) should not be confused with another merchant (F. H. or Frederick Hunter Schultz) of Auburn, PA. Frederick Hunter Schultz was born in 1877. Fred Schultz, milliner, was being taxed for his business in 1887 when Frederick Hunter Schultz would have only been ten years old. The website findagrave.com contains a listing for a Frederick Schultz who was born in Pennsylvania on June 24, 1849. (He would have been approx. thirty-eight years of age at the time of the 1887 tax listing.) He is believed to be the son of Augustus Schulze and Catharine Haas Schulze. Frederick died on March 8, 1908, in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA and was interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. While this individual is not confirmed to be the same "Fred Schultz - milliner" listed in the 1887 tax roles, the probability of them being the same person is reasonable. |
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"George J. Fidler" (merchant)
(a.k.a. Fidler's shop) A 1986 Auburn Scouts Souvenir Program contains an advertisement for "George J. Fidler - Electrical Contractor" but lists that he also sold "Appliances & Light Fixtures" and carried appliances by Amana, Kitchenaid and Maytag. |
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Harding & Heffner's Store
Auburn resident Brian Moyer recalls the quality of the Harding and Heffner store, stating it was a "good store" and that the basement once contained a large hardware section where customers could purchase nails by the pound. |
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Harman's Lunch and
Ice Cream Parlor A 1933 Auburn High School Yearbook titled "The Anchor" contains an advertisement for "Harman's Lunch and Ice Cream Parlor" offering "Refreshing Drinks or Delicious Ice Cream and Sundaes". An advertising card which may have served a dual purpose as an ink blotter promotes Harman's Lunch and Ice Cream Parlor of Auburn, PA, indicating that some of their products include Candies, Refreshing Drinks, Sundaes and Tobaccos. An exact location of this business is uncertain at this time. |
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Harvey William Fehr's store
(a.k.a. Fehr's store; H. W. Fehr's store) Currently this store's existence in Auburn is based on speculation. A death certificate for a Harvey William Fehr, born in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania on September 28, 1884, indicates he died on October 15, 1918 in Auburn, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. The death certificate (109206) was sworn out by Dr. Robinhold of Auburn, PA. Harvey died from complications of Influenza at the age of only 34 years. He is buried in the St. John's Reformed Church Cemetery, Friedensburg, Schuylkill County, PA. Harvey's occupation at time of death is listed as "merchant". Harvey's parents were William Fehr (born in Rock, Schuylkill County, PA and Emma S. Matz Fehr of Summit (Station, Schuylkill County, PA?). Harvey's wife was Beulah A. Heffner Fehr. However, a possible indicator that Harvey had established his mercantile business in Auburn, PA is the fact that from 1919 (the year after his death) - 1924, a "B. A. Fehr" was listed as having a store in Auburn...which could have been his wife Beulah A. Heffner Fehr assuming the business upon her husband's death. |
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"H. B. Harding" store
(a.k.a. Harding's store. Also see: "Harding and Heffner" store) |
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"Heffner's General Store"
(a.k.a. Harold Heffner's store; Heffner's Variety Store; H. F. Heffner's store. Also see: "Harding and Heffner" store) Harold Freeman Heffner Sr. was born in 1908. He married Esther M. Harding Heffner, the daughter of H. B. Harding (who owned a general merchandise store located on the northeast corner of Market and Second Streets in Auburn). Eventually Harold co-managed the store with H. B. Harding (at which point the store was then called "Harding and Heffner"); and when H. B. Harding no longer was involved in the store, Harold assumed ownership of the store and its name was changed to "Heffner's". Harold and his wife Esther had a daughter. Her name was Elaine Esther Heffner Miller. Harold apparently also had a son whose name would have been Harold Freeman Heffner, Jr. Harold Sr. died in 1983 and is buried in the "new" St. John's Church Cemetery adjacent to Route 895, West Brunswick Township, Schuykill County, PA. ************************************** An advertisement in a 1937 Auburn High School playbook states that Heffner's store sold cement, groceries, hardware and "notions". (Editor's note: "notions" is a term used for items that are used in sewing). ************************************** An advertisement in a 1938 Auburn High School playbook promotes "Heffner's Variety Store" and proclaims "We offer you MERCHANDISE - finest quality SERVICE - with a smile PRICES - reasonable MEASURE - always honest." |
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Henry Borkey's bootery
(a.k.a. Borkey's bootery or shoe shop; Henry Borkey's shoe shop; H. S. Borkey's bootery or shoe shop) Henry S. Borkey was born on May 6, 1866, the son of Jacob Borkey and Mary Schroeder Borkey. He was a brother to Edward Borkey, Frederick S. Borkey, Jacob Borkey (Jr.?), John S. Borkey and Maggie S. Borkey Fahl. Henry married Ida Elizabeth Schoener Borkey and they had the following children: Clarence M. Borkey, Edwin Charles Borkey, Fred Foster Borkey and Howard H. Borkey. Henry's father, Jacob Borkey, purchased a bootery from its prior owner, Jonas Ebert, in 1868. An undated and unidentified source from the AAHS archives indicate the bootery was located on Market Street of Auburn. Eventually, Henry assumed ownership of the bootery from his father. The bootery was operated by Henry Borkey until his death on October 4, 1914. He was buried in the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. The bootery was abandoned in 1919. |
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Hokey pokey man
An excerpt from a booklet titled "My Life in Auburn" by Marie Ebling Straley reads "Other treats were when a "hokey pokey" man came from out of town and sold regualr ice cream cones for 5 cents and smaller ones for one cent." (Editor's note: "Hokey pokey man" was a common slang term for an ice cream vendor.) The identity and origin of the "hokey pokey" man is unknown and no further information exists about this merchant currently. |
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Howard Borda's store
(a.k.a. Borda's store) In an unidentified news article dated circa April 1896, the following excerpt is found: "Levi Shappell, merchant tailor, has vacated the old Rishel stand and occupied his new store and dwelling on Market between 2nd and 3rd Streets. M. W. Fehr, of Landingville, has purchased the Rishel property and is renovating it. Howard Borda will open a general store in it." A 1905 Auburn Business directory lists Howard Borda as operating a grocery store on Market Street, Auburn. An unidentified document from an unknown source lists one of the Auburn merchants as "Howard S. Borda". An 1880 U. S. Census states that Joseph Borda, married to Elizabeth Seltzer Borda circa 1870, had three children...one of which was named "Howard". |
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Howard Lindermuth (merchant)
Howard Berger Lindermuth was born on October 2, 1890 in Auburn, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Nathaniel R. Lindermuth and Susanna Berger Lindermuth. He married May Florence Moyer Lindermuth. A 1933 Auburn High School Yearbook titled "The Anchor" contains an advertisement for "Howard Lindermuth" of Auburn, PA, stating he offers "High Test" & "Knockless Action" "Blue Sunoco Motor Fuel" at "Regular Gas Price". Whether Lindermuth operated a general store with a gas pump or whether he operated a service station is unknown at this time. Howard died on March 8, 1960 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and was interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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I. R. Frederici's Store
(a.k.a. - Frederici's store; Ida Frederici's store) Ida Rosamund Trivitz Frederici was born on December 27, 1856, the daughter of one Amelia Schultz and an unidentified father assumed to have the surname of Trivitz. Ida married Aaron Krause Frederici circa 1878. Aaron operated a store in Auburn, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania at the corners of Market and Second Streets. The couple had at least five children to include Clarence Jonas Frederici, Edna Aurora Frederici, Herbert Claude Frederici, Ina Alice Frederici and Wendell Frederici. Aaron was several years Ida's senior and may have been in poor health, because even though he survived Ida by approx. 5 years (died approx. 82 years old), Ida seems like the likely candidate for having this business card printed in her initials. Additionally, at least one prior reference mentions "Ida Frederici's store", so it's possible that Ida continued operating the store after Aaron stepped down from the responsibility. This is only conjecture and if anyone has any other knowledge which confirms or refutes this hypothesis they are asked to contact the website using the "Visitor Input" option. Ida died on September 30, 1927 at age 70 in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA and is interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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Isaac Hoffmeister's general store
(a.k.a. - Hoffmeister's general store) A Pottsville Republican newspaper snippet dated January 28, 1886 reads "Isaac Hoffmeister, Esq., the veteran store keeper at Auburn, was in town this morning and paid his respects to the REPUBLICAN office". An 1887 tax listing of merchants in Auburn, PA contains an entry for "I. Hoffmister" with the notation "general store". An early listing of merchants on a separte document states he was a dealer of Dry Goods, Groceries, Stationery, etc. An 1890 U. S. Census for Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA contains an entry for "HOFFMASTER (Hoffmeister misspelled), Isaac, 70, merchant. Mary, Annanias F., clerk, George 39." Based on these clues, the identity of the Auburn merchant has been confirmed via a genealogical website. Isaac's store is known to have been located between "Canal Street" and the actual Schuylkill Navigation Canal as pictured in the 1875 DeBeers Atlas map of the area included on this webpage. The website findagrave.com contains an entry for an Isaac Hoffmeister who was born June 1, 1820. He married a Rebecca Faust Hoffmeister and was father of Anna Rebecca Hoffmeister Ludwig, Annanias F. Hoffmeister, David F. Hoffmeister and George F. Hoffmeister. It is believed that another confirmed merchant within Auburn, A. F. Hoffmeister, was perhaps his son Annanias F. Hoffmeister and the possibility exists that Annanias assumed control of his father's store at some point. Isaac died September 18, 1899 in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA and was interred within the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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Jack's Building Supply
Jack's Building Supply was a warehouse-style retailer who sold building and landscaping products. The business was located adjacent to Front Street in Auburn during the 2010s. The owner was remonstrated by Auburn Borough Council for not properly securing his property during hours that it was closed and for the genereal disheveled exterior appearance of the property. The business eventually transferred the majority of its inventory and its retail operations to a location in Orwigsburg, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. |
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Jackson Kramer (merchant)
An undated and unidentified source document lists the names of merchants from the Auburn area. This list contains the entry for a "Jackson Kramer" and the notation "Cigars" after his name. A second undated and unidentified source lists Jackson Kramer with the sub-heading of "confectionary". An 1890 U. S. Census of Auburn, PA contains a listing of "KRAMER, Jackson, 40, Engineer. Joanna, Albertha 13, Charles E. 6. This Jackson Kramer matches the information available below, but may or may not be the Auburn merchant who is listed for "Cigars" or confectionary. The website findagrave.com contains a listing for a Jackson Kramer who was born January 26, 1850 in Pennsylvania. Jackson was the son of Frank Kramer and Lavina Neidlinger Kramer. He married Joanna Fegley Kramer and they had a daughter Bertha Kramer Crichton. Jackson died December 4, 1940 in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA and was interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. Whether this individual is the same "Jackson Kramer" who was a merchant in Auburn is uncertain. |
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Jacob Borkey's bootery
(a.k.a. Borkey's bootery or shoe shop; Jacob Borkey's shoe shop) Jacob Borkey was born January 19, 1842. He married Mary Schroeder Borkey and had the following children: Edward Borkey; Henry S. Borkey; Jacob Borkey (Jr.?); John S. Borkey and Maggie S. Borkey Fahl. Jacob Borkey purchased a bootery located in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA from its prior owner, Jonas Ebert, in 1868. According to an undated and unidentified source from the AAHS archives, Borkey's bootery was located in his residence on Market Street. A handwritten note in the AAHS archives states that "Borkey's shoe store" was "later used as a library" and was located at "Art Clouser's house". He was listed as a "shoemaker" and advertised "Boots and shoes made to order". The bootery was later operated by Jacob's son, Henry S. Borkey, who died in 1914. The bootery was abandoned in 1919. Jacob Borkey, owner of the bootery, died October 27, 1896 in Auburn and was interred within the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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"James H. Hawkins Grocers"
(a.k.a. Hawkins' store; J. H. Hawkins' store) The structure which housed Hawkins' general merchandise store was built in 1856 by Johannes (John) Hossler and his wife Angelina (see photograph of upper corner of building). The general store was housed in the bottom of the left half of the building, with the residence located in the top half. The right half of the building was the warehouse section for extra inventory and large items. James H. Hawkins was born at Molltown, Berks Co., Pa., June 22, 1860, and attended the schools at Leesport, Berks County, and Smith's Station, York County. He then entered the store of Edward P. Kuhn, at Hanover, Pa., where he clerked for a time, from there going to work on the farm of the Leesport Iron Company, where his father was a tenant. Remaining with his father a few years, he next accepted a position as manager in the iron mines, where he remained for thirteen and a half years. Mr. Hawkins was then employed by the Hamburg Electric Light Company for a short time, but soon moved onto his father's farm near Auburn, for the first two years being engaged in farm work. Then he was engaged by the Pottsville branch of the Grand Union Tea Company as county salesman, having full charge of the territory between Pottsville and Fleetwood. After four years on the road he entered the E. & G. Brooke Diamond Drill Works, at Birdsboro, remained there a short time, and then returned to Auburn, to enter the general store business. After conducting the store about nine years he sold out to his son Claude and retired. James H. Hawkins married Eliza Henry, who was born in Adams County, Pa., a daughter of Nicholas Henry, and to this union were born children as follows: Cora, who died in infancy; and Claude H., mentioned below. Mrs. Hawkins died in 1887, aged thirty-seven years, and is buried at Molltown, Pa. Subsequently Mr. Hawkins married Hannah Mengel, who was born in October, 1874, in South Manheim Township, a daughter of Bernhard and Rebecca (Schaeffer) Mengel, and they had four children: Roy James, who married Lottie Tobias; John K., deceased; and Florence and May. Mr. Hawkins was a Republican in politics and served for eight years as councilman of Auburn. He was a member of Wassagahanna Tribe, No. 250, Improved Order of Red Men, of which he was a Past Sachem, was a member of the Reformed Church at Auburn and secretary of the Sunday school connected with that church. |
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James Raush's store
(a.k.a. "Geedy" Raush's store; Raush's store) James "Geedy" Raush was born in Maiden Creek Township, Berks County, PA on September 12, 1837. James was the son of Abraham Raush and Mary Long Raush. He was a brother of seven siblings, three brothers and four sisters. James was twelve years old when his family moved to Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA circa 1850. In 1860, James married Catharine S. Rhine Raush. The couple had twelve children to include: Annie Raush; Caroline "Carrie" Raush; Catherine (or Katherine) "Kate" Raush; Charlotte Raush; David Fitzgivens Rausch (Raush); Enoch A. Raush; Ida Raush Jungling; Laura Raush; Lillian "Lillie" M. Raush Mengel, Munroe Raush and Peter A. Rausch (Raush). In 1862, James became a brakeman on the Schuylkill and Susquehanna (S&S) railroad. He was eventually promoted to the position of engineer which he continued as such until 1877. In 1877, James became owner and proprietor of the St. Elmo Hotel in Auburn, in which position he served until 1888. In connection with the hotel, James also kept a feed store, coal yard and grocery store. After selling the hotel, he continued with his feed store, coal yard and grocery store. James owned and operated a "feed store" located at 132 Market Street, Auburn. He promoted himself as a dealer in coal, feed, flour, grain, lime and other products. The feed store had a large porch roof which extended well over the sidewalk in front of his establishment. Amateur local historian Kermit Mengel (deceased) stated James was given the nickname "Geedy" because whenever he drove his wagon about town, he would urge the horse or horses by yelling "Geedy up!". Male residents of the town enjoyed loitering at "Geedy's" store, either lounging beneath the porch roof in the summer months or seated around the pot-belly stove, which was stoked so hot it glowed cherry-red, in the winter months, spitting the juices of their chewing tobacco at either the stove, the spittoons or sometimes simply on the floor of the establishment according to amateur historian Kermit Mengle (now deceased). In 1897, James was appointed as post master, a position he held until his death. James died January 13, 1904 and was interred in the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. After James died, his son Enoch became acting post master and took charge of all of his father's former businesses. |
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J. K. Reber's general store
(a.k.a. Reber's store) An undated and unsourced document contains a list of merchants from the Auburn area which includes an entry for "J. K. Reber" having a general store. A brief biographical section in a history book of St. John's Church's stained glass windows indicates that "J. K. Reber and wife" donated one of the stained glass windows in the church titled the "Revelation Lamb". The biography states that conducted a "mercantile business at the corner of Third and Market Streets in Auburn". The same biography also states that Mr. Reber died in 1911 at the age of 73. Based on these clues, we are able to positively identify the individual who operated "J. K. Reber's general store". The website findagrave.com has a listing for a Jonathan K. Reber who was born on December 14, 1838 in Pennsylvania. He was the son of Andrew Reber and Kathryn Kramer Reber. Jonathan served in Company G, 173rd Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry in 1862 & 1863 during the Civil War. He married Sarah Siegfried Reber and they had the following children: Amanda Reber; Annie Templin Reber Schultz; Clara S. Reber Saul; Herbert C. Reber; Joseph Reber and Lewis Reber. An 1890 U. S. Census has an entry for a "Jonathan R. Raber (Reber?), 33, merchant, Sarah, Annie V., Lewis 17, Amanda, Herbert C. 2, Joseph 7." This census entry is presumably the same person who is listed as the Auburn merchant above, but there would have been several errors contained in the 1890 census entry. The census lists the last name as "Raber" rather than "Reber". The census age for Jonathan states "33" but the findagrave.com listing, if correct, would have made the correct age as "53". The middle initial is shown as "R" on the census, rather than the correct initial of "K"...which could have simply been misread or sloppy printing. Both list a "Sarah"; the 1890 census as an occupant of the residence, the website as his wife. The "Annie V." listed in the census would have been the renowned "Annie Templin Reber Schultz" (the middle initial "V." may have been another census error), who worked for her father, J. K. Reber, in his store before eventually marrying Frederick Schultz. Frederick and Annie took over the retail establishment when Annie's parents died and built upon it, expanding the business into both a retail and a wholesale operation with stores in several locations. Jonathan died on his birthday, December 14, 1911 in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA and was interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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J. M. Livengood - merchant
An undated and unidentified source document lists various merchants of Auburn, PA to include an entry for "J. M. Livengood" with the notation "Cigars" following his name. A search of the website findagrave.com did not locate any J. M. Livengood (or Livingood) as having been interred in Schuylkill County. A broader search indicated five J. M. Livengood interments throughout Pennsylvania, any of whom may or may not have been the merchant who sold cigars in the Auburn area. Without further information regarding the Auburn merchant, identifying which if any of these interments is the correct individual is uncertain. |
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John Ramer's store
(a.k.a. Ramer's store. Also see: "B. A. Ramer General Merchandise" store.) The structure which once housed B. A. Ramer's store and John Ramer's store was located on the southeast corner of the intersection of Front (or "First") and Market Streets, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. The building is believed to have been built circa 1874. The structure is definitely present on the 1875 DeBeers Atlas map of Auburn, PA. The building was eventually demolished in 1956 to clear the lot in order to construct the Pennsylvania National Bank Building. The following is speculation on the ownership of this store. Prior to 1919, there is circumstantial evidence to suggest that a Harvey William Fehr was established as a "merchant" in Auburn, Pennsylvania. Harvey married Beulah A. Heffner Fehr in 1907. Harvey died from complications of Influenza in 1918 at the early age of 34 years. However, business listings for a "B. A. Fehr" operating a store in Auburn appeared starting in 1919 (the year following Harvey's death) and continued until at least 1924...which could be indicative that Harvey's widow, Beulah A. Heffner Fehr, assumed operation of the store after his death. Furthermore, Beulah remarried to a John Walter Ramer. John Walter Ramer was born August 22, 1891 in Pine Grove, Schuylkill County, PA. He married Beulah A. Heffner Ramer in 1920. John Ramer is known to have operated a general store in Auburn for many years. He retired from the store business and died in 1961. He is interred in the Reedsville Evangelical Congregational Cemetery of Summit Station, Schuylkill County, PA. However, there are also references to a store in Auburn called "B. A. Ramer's store". Whether John married Beulah but initially kept the store in her name, or whether John retired and Beulah continued to manage the store under her name is unknown at this time. A local amateur historian, Kermit Mengel (deceased), stated that "Beulah" used to "run" John Ramer's store at one point. |
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"John S. Borkey" store
(a.k.a. - Borkey's shop/store) John S. Borkey was born April 19, 1868. He was the son of Jacob Borkey (Sr.?) and Mary Schroeder Borkey. He was a brother of Edward Borkey, Frederick S. Borkey, Henry S. Borkey, Jacob Borkey (Jr.?) and Maggie S. Borkey Fahl. John married Hannah Susan Dreibelbes Borkey and was father to J. Edward Borkey who died in early childhood. An 1890 U. S. Census has a listing for a "BORKEY, John L. 22, tinker. Hannah L., Jacob H. 1". Presumably, this is the same individual with simply erroenous information as we know John's middle initial was definitely S. rather than L.; we know that his wife Hannah's middle name was Susan rather than the middle initial "L" as listed in the census; and "J. Edward Borkey" is most likely the "Jacob H." listed in the census with the wrong middle initial. Other than those discrepancies, John Borkey was a "tinker" or tinsmith in the town of Auburn who was born circa 1868...which matches both accounts. John's father, Jacob Borkey, had established a bootery in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA in 1868 and had operated it for many years before Jacob's son, Henry S. Borkey, took over the operation of the bootery. Jacob decided to remain in Auburn as a merchant like his father and brother. A handwritten note in the AAHS archives states that "Borkey's shoe store" was "later used as a library" and was located at "Art Clouser's house". Currently a private residence, 134 Market Street was the previous site of John S. Borkey’s tinsmith store during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s (the available documents indicate he conducted business from at least May, 1896 until September, 1906 and possibly longer). John S. Borkey sold Caloric “Pipeless” Furnaces, House-Furnishing Goods, Kitchen Utensils, Plumbing, Ranges, Roofing, Spouting, Sunshine Stoves and “Tinware”. According to an invoice dated May 7, 1896, some of the items he sold included coffee mills, coffe pots, dish pans, dust pans, pie plates, pudding dishes, roast pans, skillets, soup ladels, tea kettles, wash basins and wash boilers. He also offered general repairs and sheet metal work services. John died on December 15, 1925 at the age of 57. He was interred in the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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Jonas Ebert's bootery
(a.k.a. Ebert's bootery/shop) Jonas Ebert opened bootery in 1865. Jacob Borkey purchased bootery from Jonas Ebert in 1868. The bootery was eventually operated by Henry Borkey until the business was abandoned in 1919. The website findagrave.com has a listing for a Jonas Ebert who was born in Pennsylvania on September 29, 1831. He married Mary Deisher Ebert Krick and had a child Emma L. Ebert Butz. This Jonas died in Fleetwood, Berks County, PA on October 3, 1870. Whether this is the same Jonas Ebert who operated a bootery in Auburn is uncertain; however, Jonas sold his bootery in 1868. Two years later, a Jonas Ebert died in the adjacent county at the premature age of only 39 years old. One could speculate that either this Jonas sold his business due to failing health and moved to Berks County for medical care; or he had sold his business two years earlier to begin a new venture in the neighboring county and then died unexpectedly. Currently it is unknown if this is the same Jonas Ebert. |
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Joseph Frederici's store
(a.k.a. Frederici's store) Joseph Frederici operated a general store located at the southeast corner of Front and Market Streets, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. The span of operation was estimated to have been at least from 1879 - 1910s and possibly longer. A news snippet from the Reading Eagle newspaper dated Monday, February 24, 1879 reads "Joseph Frederici & Bro., who were keeping a store at Auburn, Schuylkill county, have dissolved partnership." (The brother to which this referes was most likely Aaron Krause Frederici who opened his own store in Auburn). An news snippet from the Pottsville Republican dated January 11, 1886 reads "Joseph Frederici, the well-known Auburn merchant, was in town today, on business. He is proprietor of one of the finest general stores in the county, and always serves his customers with the freshest groceries and latest styles of dry goods." Joseph Frederici was born February 1, 1841. He was the son of Jonas D. Frederici and Anna (Kraus or Krause) Frederici. He was a brother to Aaron Krause Frederici, Anna Catharin Frederici Teter, Daniel Krouse (Krause) Frederici, Franklin Frederici and Uriah Henry Frederici. Joseph married at least two times. His first wife, Abigael Frederici, gave birth to Anna Elisabeth Frederici in 1862. The child, Anna, died February 11, 1863, less than three months old. His wife, Abigael, died June 11, 1863 at the age of 20 years, just four months after the child passed. Neither cause of death is known at this time. His second wife, Amanda Koch Frederici, gave birth to Ida I. Frederici in 1867. Ida passed in 1892 at the age of 24. Her cause of death is unknown. Joseph died on March 3, 1922 and is interred in the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. He is interred within the same cemetery lot as his second wife, Amanda, and his second daughter, Ida. Both his first wife, Abigael, and his first daughter, Anna, are also buried in St. John's Church Cemetery, six rows distance from Joseph's final resting place. ************************************** An unindentified and undated news article circa 1880 contained the snippet "Last week thieves entered the store of Joseph Frederici at Auburn and carried off $50 worth of clothing and jewelry". |
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Joseph H. Hawkins - merchant
An undated and unidentified source document lists Auburn area merchants. This document contains an entry for "Joseph H. Hawkins" and a notation afterward of "Confectionary". Two other merchants named Hawkins operated general stores in the Auburn area. One was Claude H. Hawkins and one was James H. Hawkins. Whether the "Joseph H. Hawkins" is an erroneous entry of the first name of one of these two merchants; a relative of one of these two merchants; or someone totally separate from these two merchants is unknown at this time. A search of the website findagrave.com does not list any Joseph Hawkins having been interred within the Auburn area but it does contain a single Joseph Hawkins entry for Schuylkill County. The single findagrave.com entry is for a Joseph Hawkins who was born in 1831 in Warwickshire, England. He married Mary Windsor Clarke Hawkins on December 26, 1866. He died December 28, 1892 and is interred within the Odd Fellows Cemetery, St. Clair, Schuylkill County, PA. Whether this is the same individual who sold confectionary in Auburn is uncertain. |
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Keystone Biscuit Company Dist.
The exact nature of this business is unclear so it was added to this webpage in an effort to be all-inclusive if needed. According to the invoices pictured, a Howard Lindermuth (of Auburn) was the distributor for the Keystone Biscuit Company. The website findagrave.com has a listing for a Howard Berger Lindermuth who was born in Auburn, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania on October 2, 1890. He was the son of Nathaniel R. Lindermuth and Susanna Berger Lindermuth. He married May Florence Moyer Lindermuth. Howard died on March 8, 1960 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and is interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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"Landis Pharmacy"
Henry W. Landis' briefly operated a pharmacy located in the same site previously occupied as Frank Brown's Pharmacy located at what was, back then, identified as 210 Market Street in Auburn. At some point in Auburn's past, the street numbers changed and this structure can now be found at 213 Market Street in Auburn. When and why these street numbers changed is uncertain at this time. Not a great deal is known about Henry W. Landis. He passed his exam to become a pharmacist on September, 1949 according to the newspaper clipping featured below. |
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Leon Kissinger's shop
(a.k.a. Kissinger''s shop; Leon Kissinger's shop; "Mox" or "Moxie" Kissinger's shop) Leon Alvin "Mox" or "Moxie" Kissinger was born on March 25, 1897 in Cherryville, Northampton County, PA. He was the son of William H. Kissinger and Ellan Jane Duffert Kissinger. He was a brother of Milton H. Kissinger. He married Meta J. (Crichton or Hasenhauer) Kissinger. He had a child Margorie A. Kissinger who was born in 1927 and died in 1931. Leon died in Pottsville, Schuykill County, PA on June 3, 1966 and was interred within the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA, in the same lot as his wife and daughter. |
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Leon R. Spatz Electrical
Contracting and Appliance Store (a.k.a. - Spatz's shop/store) An advertisment in a 1959 Auburn High School yearbook promotes "Leon R. Spatz - Philco Appliances - Bendix Home Laundry - Ironrite Ironers - Wiring - Auburn, PA." According to on-line obituaries for Leon R. Spatz and his wife Eleanor, Leon owned and operated "Leon R. Spatz Electrical Contracting and Appliance Store" from 1945 to 1961. According to the website finda-grave.com, Leon R. Spatz was born in Temple, Berks County, PA on August 15, 1920. He was the son of Paul J. Spatz and Stella Luella Mengel Sptaz. He was a sibling of five brothers to includeCarl J. Spatz, Lester Paul Spatz and Merlon Ivrin Spatz. Leon was a World War II Air Force Veteran. He was a 50-year member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3975, Auburn, PA. He married Eleanor M. Hafer Spatz on December 22, 1945. He was a father to a son and a daughter, Linda M. Spatz Heffner. Leon died in Leesport, Berks County, PA on March 1, 1996. He is interred within the St. Michael's Union Cemetery, Tilden Township, Berks County, PA. An online obituary reads: "Leon R. Spatz, 75, died Friday at 11:20 p.m. in his residence at 321 N. Centre Ave, Leesport. He was the husband of Eleanor M. (Hafer) Spatz. Born in Temple, he was a son of the late Paul J. and Stella L. (Mengel) Spatz. For 10 years, he was employed as a school bus driver for the Schuylkill Valley School District by Van Lear Equipment, Inc, retiring in 1993. From 1945 to 1961, he was a self-employed electrician in Auburn, Schuylkill County. From 1961 to 1980, he was employed as a truck driver by the former Reading Transportation Co. Spatz was a member of Trinity United Church of Christ, Leesport. He was an Air Force veteran of World War II. He was a 50-year member of Veterans of Foreign Wars post 3975, Auburn. Spatz is also survived by a son, and a daughter. Other survivors include five brothers. There is also a grandson and three step-grandchildren. Services will be Wednesday at 1 p.m. in Leibensperger Funeral Homes, Inc, Hamburg. Burial will be in St Michael's Cemetery, Tilden Township." (Reading Eagle, Sunday, March 3, 1996) |
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Levi Shappell - merchant
Levi Shappell was born on June 3, 1826. He was the son of Solomon Shappell and Anna Mengel Schappell (Shappell). He married Elizabeth Eppler Shappell. An 1890 U. S. Census for Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA contains a listing of "SCHAPPELL (Shappell), Levi, 64, tailor. Elizabeth." In an unidentified news article dated circa April 1896, the following excerpt is found: "Levi Shappell, merchant tailor, has vacated the old Rishel stand and occupied his new store and dwelling on Market between 2nd and 3rd Streets. M. W. Fehr, of Landingville, has purchased the Rishel property and is renovating it. Howard Borda will open a general store in it." Levi died in Auburn on December 16, 1905. He is interred within the Auburn Church of God Cemetery, Auburn, PA. |
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Medicine shows
In the booklet titled "My Life in Auburn" by Marie Ebling Straley she writes "Also 'medicine shows' came to town and sold 'Magic Elixirs' to cure many ills and also 'pure' cakes of soap...to prove the 'purity' of the soap one demonstrator shook up a cake in a jar of water and drank some. One little girl bought a cake of soap to take to a picnic the next day as a beverage". Unfortunately, some of the "medicines" peddled at traveling shows were more harmful than the ailment they were supposed to treat. Take for example the bottle featured on this webpage. The "Porter's Pain King" bottle was found within the walls of a house at 208 Forest Street in Auburn. The purpose of the medicine was self-explanatory...a "pain king" would be used to manage or "conquer" pain. However, the reason this "medicine" managed pain so well was because it contained "ether" (an anesthetic normally used in gaseous form but rarely used in developed nations any longer due to its explosive flammability). A definition of ether is "a pleasant-smelling colorless volatile liquid that is highly flammable. It is used as an anesthetic and as a solvent or intermediate in industrial processes." In liquid form, like that found in Porter's Pain King, it's actually not only highly flammable but also so caustic that it is used as an industrial solvent. The other reason somebody who ingests Porter's Pain King may not be feeling any pain is that it also contains 63% alcohol - basically equivalent to 126 "proof" alcohol. Most "hard" alcohols can be found in 120 proof strengths. So, in addition to the patient being "sedated" with ether, they were also becoming intoxicated with alcohol. Many "patients" ended up addicted to their early medicines which could also contain such "beneficial" ingredients as opium, cocaine or even arsenic. Some of the traveling "medicine shows" are believed to have been conducted in the "Commons", a large open area adjacent to the intersection of Second and Washington Streets in Auburn, PA. |
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Mengel and Shollenberger quarry
A handwritten note found within the AAHS archives from an undated and unidentified source simply states that a "Uri Mengel" and "Cal Shollenberger" had a "stone quarry" in the Auburn area. Another like venture, "Staller and Shollenberger", is confirmed as having operated a quarry in this area. An undated and unidentified source handwritten note found within the AAHS archives states that the "location of the sand quarry was on the left side across from Buck Brossman's". Whether this "sand quarry" is the same quarry as either the Mengel and Shollenberger or the Staller and Shollenberger quarries is unclear. We do know that "Cal(vin) Shollenberger" is believed to have been involved in this second venture. Whether the Mengel and Shollenberger was a predecessor, a parallel venture, or a successor of the Staller and Shollenberger quarry is unknown at this time. According to the genealogical website findagrave.com, Uriah "Uri" Mengel was born on October 28, 1880. He was the son of Franklin Washington Mengel and Elizabeth Fahl Mengel. He was a brother of Gertrude Mengel Moyer, Herbert Mengel and Lottie Mengel Wildermuth. He died on February 25, 1959 and is interred within the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. Calvin Shollenberger was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania on April 12, 1878. He was a son of John Shollenberger and Fayetta Moyer Shollenberger. He was a brother of Alfred M. Shollenberger, Annetta Shollenberger Berger, Clara M. Shollenberger Fink, David M. Shollenberger, Henry M. Shollenberger, Jacob M. Shollenberger, John M. Shollenberger and Louisa M. Shollenberger Reichert. Calvin married Victoria Mengel Shollenberger, daughter of Reuben Francis Mengel and Ellen Mengel Mengel. Calvin died on January 20, 1951 in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA and was interred in the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. The Reading Eagle newspaper contained an obituary in their Monday, January 22, 1951 edition which stated: "Auburn, Jan. 22 - Calvin Shollenberger, 72, died at his home on Market Street, this borough. He was a native of Upper Bern Township, Berks County, and resided here 30 years. He operated a sand and stone quarry for some years, and was a member of borough council. He was a member of the Church of God, and was sexton of the Church of God Cemetery. He was a son of the late John and Fietta (Moyer) Shollenberger." |
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M. M. Deibert's store
(a.k.a. Deibert's store; Milton Deibert's store) An undated and unidentifed source document lists Auburn area merchants and contains an entry for "M. M. Deibert" with a notation of "Furniture store" after the name. A local history booklet states that a "Milton Deibert" was the son of Daniel D. Deibert and Catherine Metz Deibert. The booklet further states that Daniel "was in partnership with his son Milton in the shoe business, and then he (Daniel) moved to Auburn in 1893...". The book further states that at one point, Milton was living in Philadelphia. Whether this "Milton Deibert" was the same one who operated a store in Auburn is uncertain but probable. The website findagrave.com has an entry for a Milton M. Deibert who was born on May 3, 1870 in Pennsylvania. His father was Daniel D. ("D. D.") Deibert. His mother was Catharine Mertz Deibert. He was a brother of Elizabeth Abegail Deibert and Franklin A. Deibert and a half-brother of May D. Deibert Runkle. In 1889, Milton married Rose Florence Moyer Deibert. They had a son, Robert Morgan Deibert. Milton M. Deibert died in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA on February 8, 1941. He is believed to be interred within the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA; however, the grave marker within this cemetery lists only dates of birth for Milton M. Deibert, Rose Florence Moyer Deibert and Robert Morgan Deibert but has blank spaces for all three individuals' date of death. No burial or church records are known to exist to support or refute the belief that these individuals are, in fact, interred within this cemetery. |
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"Mooney" Kerschner (merchant)
An undated and unidentified source from the AAHS archives which consists of simple hand-written notes states that a "Mooney" Kerschner sold "penny candy" in Auburn. A prior compilation of Auburn-area nicknames confirms that there was an individual named Kerschner whose nickname was "Moon". That individual's first name was unconfirmed but thought to possibly have been "Dave". No further information is available about this merchant at this time. |
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Morgan Moyer's general store
(a.k.a. Moyer's general store) A list on an undated and unsourced document indicates that a "Morgan Moyer" operated a "general store" in Auburn at one time. The genealogical website findagrave.com lists two entries for "Morgan Moyer"s who might possibly be the individual who operated a general store in Auburn. The first Morgan Moyer was born in 1832. He married his wife Anna (MNU) Moyer and had a daughter Lillie Moyer. The relationship between "Morgan" and the "Elizbeth" included on his grave marker is unknown but is would appear Elizbeth couldn't have been a daughter from his marriage to Anna if their dates of birth are correct. However, an 1890 U. S. Census of Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA may provide some insight into the identity of "Elizabeth". According to the 1890 census, the entry reads "MOYER, Morgan, 38, engineer. Elizabeth, Rose F., Lillie M., Annie M." Since normally the head of household (Morgan) is directly followed by the female head of household (or spouse/wife), then Elizabeth may have been an important adult member of the household. We know his wife Anna died in 1890. Whether this is the "Annie M." mentioned in the census, or whether his wife Anna had already passed and Annie M. is a daughter is unclear. However, if Anna did pass (since she isn't listed immediately after Morgan, then Elizabeth may have either been Morgan's new wife (which would be rather abrupt considering his first wife just died that year), a live-in mate (again, somewhat abrupt) or perhaps an adult sister of Morgan's who was living with the family and perhaps helping to care for the children since the wife had passed away. This first Morgan died in 1912 and is interred within the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. The second listing is for Morgan W. Moyer. This Morgan was born on April 22, 1859 in Schuylkill County, PA. He was the son of Jackson Benneville Moyer and Mary Christ Moyer. He was a brother to Elizabeth Moyer Shollenberger. He married Ella A. Beard Moyer and had a daughter May Florence Moyer Lindermuth. An 1890 U. S. Census for Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA contains additional information about the second Morgan Moyer. The census entry reads "MOYER, Morgan W., 38 (this doesn't match his grave stone date of birth), barber. Ella, May F.". The second Morgan Moyer died November 2, 1907 in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. A brief notation within the website indicates that Morgan was "instantly killed while trying to oil a shafting on a hoist". He was interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. Out of the two "Morgan Moyer"s who are possible candidates, the second one, Morgan W. Moyer, was certainly a business man of financial means in the Auburn area. The following two news paper articles pay tribute to his success: "AUBURN SHALE - The massive river coal washery, the largest in the county, located in the river at the farm of Senator Quail and owned by Messrs. C. W. Grimes and Morgan W. Moyer, of this place, will be ready for operation by Friday or Saturday and all appearances promise a large out-put of coal." - Undated and unidentified news source. "AUBURN SHALE - Moyer and Grimes are shipping large quantities of river washery coal to various points." - Undated and unidentified source |
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"Mrs. E. Long" (merchant)
A vintage tin containing a medicinal salve called "HEAL-E-NA" alleges the product was used for minor cuts, bruises, chapped lips, etc. and was "prepared by Mrs. E. Long" of Market Street, Auburn, PA. No known stores on Market Street had an affiliation with the surname of "Long". The tin is undated and therefore does not provide a time span during which Mrs. E. Long plied her product. No further information is available about this merchant. A search of the genealogical website findagrave.com provided four possible candidates interred within Auburn, PA. Those individuals are: (1) Mary A. Dewald Long, wife of Elias Long, which could technically make her a "Mrs. E. Long" (1871 - 1926); (2) Elizabeth Geisler Long (1824-1908); (3) Elizabeth Betz Long (1817-1906); and (4) Ellen Nora Clauer Long (1875-1954). A "Google" search string of "Heal-E-Na"+"Auburn"+"Long" returned two possible hits from 1893 and 1903. When the search was narrowed further by changing "Long" to "Mrs. E. Long", the results were a single 1903 entry. Assuming this search return was our Auburn-based Mrs. E. Long selling Heal-E-Na, she was active in at least 1903 (if not also 1893). However, all four women were adults living during that ten year span. The middle two (Elizabeth Geisler Long and Elizabeth Betz Long) would have been rather old to still be actively peddling merchandise (79 & 86 respectively), so they are less likely to have been the vendors, but they cannot be totally dismissed since they may have kept active even at that age. Whether any of these four women were the correct "Mrs. E. Long" who sold "Heal-E-Na" is uncertain at this time. |
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O. S. Heim Coal and Ice
An advertisement in a 1938 Auburn High School playbook simply reads "O. S. HEIM - Coal and Ice - Phone 11-R-4 Auburn". The website findagrave.com contains a single listing for an interment within Schuylkill County, PA of an "O. S. Heim". Oliver S. Heim was born in 1904. He presumably married Eva I. Heim. He died in 1964. |
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"Paulin's Market"
An advertisement within a 1986 Auburn Scouts souvenir program lists a "Paulin's Market" selling baked goods, groceries, meat and produce. The business is stated as being located on Market Street of Auburn, but its exact location is currently uncertain. |
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R. H. Kramer's store
(a.k.a. Kramer's store) The website findagrave.com has a listing for a Raymond H. Kramer who was born on January 27, 1902. He was the son of Harry A. Kramer and Emma Kramer. He married Ruth I. Walton Kramer. Raymond died on August 13, 1956 and was interred within the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. Whether Raymond H. Kramer is the same individual who had R. H. Kramer's store is uncertain. |
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R. W. Schnape (merchant)
A juror's listing in an unsourced newspaper tentatively dated from the early 1880s list a juror selection of one "R. W. Schnape, merchant, Auburn". No other information is known about this merchant at this time. |
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Samuel K. Moyer's store
(a.k.a. - Moyer's store) Samuel K. Moyer is documented as possibly having been the first person to build a house in the area which later became known as Auburn. According to one version of an Auburn Borough History, it reads "About eighteen years after the opening of the Schuylkill Canal, a boatman named Samuel K. Moyer built a house at this locality then known as "the Scotchman's Lock", now within the limits of Auburn. This was the first domicile there. Soon he opened a store, where he sold dry goods and groceries to the near residents of the territory known as South Manheim and West Brunswick." The account in the Auburn Borough History is questionable in accuracy. To begin, we know for a fact that the first "domicile" (a place of dwelling; home; house; or residence) was most likely that of William Hay's lock tender house from which "Scotchman's Lock" obtained its moniker. As soon as the canal was being constructed, they would have required some form of domicile for the local lock tender to live adjacent to the lock which he tended. Based on this 1875 map, the lock would have been the narrow or "bottle-neck" portion of the waterway featured at the top of the map. Logically, the lock tender's house would have been adjacent to, or near, the lock and such a structure is located at the very top with the name "D. Hay" beside it...quite possibly a relative or descendent of the original lock tender, William Hay. Two structures down from the house is the Schuylkill Navigation company's office. It is also a historically established fact that canal travelers to include boatmen, tow path travelers, tourists and others would have been immediately utilizing the canal and would have to automatically stop progress at the canal lock. Therefore, it is inconceivable that the first house wouldn't be built until eighteen years after the canal opened, or that the first store servicing this traffic wouldn't open until even later. Due to the layout of the canal structures, it seems far more likely that the store at the lower end of the lock, run by I. Hoffmeister, would have been the earliest store in the immediate area and that the structures proceeding south (downward) on the map would have been subsequent developments. That being said, Samuel K. Moyer's was one of the earleist stores in the Auburn-area, just not the first as implied in the Auburn Borough History account. According to the genealogical website findagrave.com, Samuel K. Moyer was born in Pennsylvania on September 13, 1813. He was the son of Abraham Moyer and Elisabeth Kimmel Moyer. He was a brother to Abraham Moyer, Benjamin K. Moyer, Charles K. Moyer, Daniel K. Moyer, George K. Moyer, Heinrich K. Moyer, Jacob K. Moyer, Joseph K. Moyer, Mary K. Moyer Berntheisel and William K. Moyer. Samuel K. Moyer married Mary Moyer Moyer (possibly the daughter of Isaac Moyer and Magdalena Moyer) and they had a daughter Susana Moyer. Samuel died in Schuylkill County on July 25, 1887 and is interred within the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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Samuel P. Burkey
(traveling salesman) An 1890 U. S. Census for Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA contains an entry of "BURKEY, Samuel P., 45, traveling salesman. Sarah Annie." This entry is too vague to positively identify whether Samuel was a traveling "merchant" or "huckster" who sold his own assortment of merchandise to support his life, or a specialized traveling salesman who sold a specific selection of specialized merchandise (such as a "meat vendor" or an "ice wagon" merchant, or whether he was simply a representative of a company traveling to promote and sell their own product to either individuals or small businesses. However, in any event, he would still be classified as either a "merchant", a "retailer" or a "wholesaler" so he is included in this webpage. The website findagrave.com contains the following information about Samuel P. Burkey. Samuel P. Burkey was born on September 19, 1844. He was the son of Peter Burkey and Margarite Petry Burkey. He married Sarah R. Moyer Burkey. He was father of Carrie Moyer Burkey Reber, Sadie M. Borkey (Burkey) and Wesley M. Borkey (Burkey). Samuel P. Burkey died on March 10, 1917 and is interred within the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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Santella's shoe shop
(a.k.a. Leonard Santella's shoe shop; "Pete" Santella's shoe shop) Auburn-area historian Kermit Mengel stated that Leonard "Pete" Santella used to operate a "shoe shop" at 112 Market Street, Auburn, where he would sell and repair shoes. It is believed that "Pete" actually had dedicated a portion of his service station at that location for this purpose and that it may not have been a separate enterprise, but it is listed here since it did specialize in the sales of shoes. The website findagrave.com has a listing for a Leonard Santella who was born on July 18, 1885 in Italy. Leonard was married to an Elsie Viola Schach Santella who was fourteen years younger than Leonard. Leonard was Elsie's second husband; her first husband was George A. Lehman. Leonard died on December 4, 1964 and is interred within the Schuylkill Haven Memorial Park, Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill County, PA. Leonard "Pete" Santella operated the shoe shop in Auburn, PA. |
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"Schultz's Store"
(a.k.a. Annie Schultz's store; Auburn's Self-Service Food Market; Cliff or Clifford Schultz's store; "F. H. Schultz and Sons Co."; Fred or Frederick Schultz's store. Also see: "F. H. Schultz and Sons Co."; Fred Schultz - milliner; and W. R. Schultz's store. Prior location of Jonathan K. "J. K." Reber's retail store.) Frederick Hunter Schultz was born on September 19, 1877 in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. He was the son of William R. Schultz and Sybilla Spears Schutlz. He was a brother to John Augustus Schultz, Kate I. Schulze (Schultz), Mary V. Schulze (Schultz) and Sarah Catherine Schultz Young. Frederick married Annie Templin Reber Schultz and they had the following children: Clifford F. Schultz, Guy Hunter Schultz and Jean Reber Schultz. Annie was the child of Jonathan K. Reber and Sarah Seigfried Reber. As a young girl, she worked for her father in his grocery store located at 247 Market Street, the southeast corner of Market and Third Streets in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. After Annie's father died, Annie and her husband Frederick took over the business. By 1935 and possibly even years earlier, their business expanded into both a retail and wholesale enterprise which eventually grew into a chain of local markets. The presumption is that once the Schultz's decided to expand into both a retail and a wholesale operation, they relocated the smaller retail portion of the business to the adjacent 243 Market Street location where they operated a retail store for many subsequent decades, while basing their wholesale warehouse in the much larger brick structure at 247 Market Street, Auburn, PA. An 1946 Auburn Scouts souvenir program contained an advertisement for "Schultz's Self-Service Food Markets" which boasted locations in Auburn, Orwigsburg, Pine Grove, Pottsville and Schuylkill Haven. In 1949, their son Clifford purchased the store in Auburn from his parents. Frederick died on December 14, 1951 in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA and was interred in the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. In 1952, one of the sons, Guy Hunter Schultz, died. In 1959, Clifford decided to leave the grocery business. Rather than close the store, his mother Annie took over the business again at the "tender" age of 75 years old. Annie basically ran the store herself until she finally suffered a stroke and subsequently died three weeks later...at ninety-eight years of age! Annie died in 1976 and was interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. Not only was Annie's fortitude at operating a retail establishment well into her 90s impressive, but she regularly drove herself to Florida well in her advanced age. Furthermore, those who had personal knowledge of Annie stated she was something of a mathmatical prodigy....she could just glance at a column of figures and tell you the correct total before anyone else could accurately calculate the column. Clifford F. Schultz, the son of Frederick Hunter Schultz and Annie Templin Reber Schultz who purchased the store from his parents, died in 1979 and was interred into the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. Clifford was married to Ruth E. Runkle Schultz. Ruth inherited a rather substantial sum of money from the passing of her husband and his parents. Ruth later endowed a large sum (approx. 1.4 million dollars) to the St. John's Church's Lutheran congregation with the stipulation that money was to be used for the purposes of maintaining and improving the church as well as developing the church congregation. Ruth died in 2002 and is interred in the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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Schulze's store
Augustus Schultz was born in the province of Prussia, Germany, on 08/14/1799. He received his medical education in Berlin, Germany, then proceeded to Brazil, South America, where he practiced medicine for one year. He then relocated to New York City, New York where he accepted employment as a clerk in a drug store. Augustus married Catharine/ Catherine Haas Schulze in 1829. They had the following thirteen children: Amelia Schulze (Schultz), Anna Catharine Schulze (Schultz or Schulze) Schwenk, Catharine Schulce (Schultz or Schulze) Ladner, Charles A. Schultz, David L. Schultz (who also would serve as a doctor for Auburn), Ella Solly Schultz, Frederick Schultz, Henry Augustus Schultz, Mary J. Schulze (Schultz), Rosamunda Schulze (Schultz), Sarah Anne Schultz Fleisher, William R. Schultz and an unidentified male child "who died young". The website findagrave.com has no listing for this child as having been interred anywhere in Berks or Schuylkill County. Augustus at some point moved to Hamburg, Berks County, Pennsylvania, where he practiced medicine until 1853. In that year, he finally relocated to Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA, where he began a medical practice. In 1857, Augustus became the chief burgess of the newly established town of Auburn, a position he held until his death thirteen years later. He also served as Auburn's Justice of the Peace for a number of years. In 1860, he embarked in the mercantile business in Auburn, and for a number of years carried on a successful enterprise. In 1866 he was elected Director of the Poor of Schuylkill County. Augustus is believed to have died in Auburn on 09/03/1870 at the age of seventy-one; however, the burial records of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania, indicate he died in 1871. He was interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. |
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Seaman's store
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Shollenberger's ice cream parlor
(a.k.a. William Shollenberger's ice cream parlor) A combination small store and ice cream parlor was once located at 115 Market Street in Auburn, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. The store was run circa the 1920s by a married couple named Shollenberger. William Shollenberger was born on October 2, 1880 in Pennsylvania. He was the son of John Shollenberger and Fietta Moyer Shollenberger. Ida Louise Wenrich Shollenberger was born on March 19, 1883 in Auburn. She was the daughter of Alfred W. Wenrich and Mary Ann Sowers Wenrich. She was a sister of Annie M. Wenrich Warner, Charles O. Wenrich, Emma Elmira Wenrich Bensinger, Fred A. Wenrich and William F. Wenrich. William relocated to Auburn circa 1900 and subsequently wed Ida. They were the parents of Earnest C. Shollenberger, Helen J. Shollenberger Fritz, Mable Shollenberger Freeman and Verna Shollenberger Geesaman. Ida died on November 26, 1922 in Auburn and was interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. William died on December 15, 1967 in Auburn, PA and was interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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Sloan's shingle warehouse
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"Staller and Shollenberger" - merchants
An undated and unidentified source in the AAHS archives, consisting of a hand-written note, simply states that "Uri Mengel" and "Cal Shollenberger" operated a "stone quarry" in the Auburn area. Whether this quarry was a predecessor, a contemporary parallel operation, or a subsequent business venture of the "Staller and Shollenberger" quarry is unclear at this time. An undated and unidentified source handwritten note found within the AAHS archives states that the "location of the sand quarry was on the left side across from Buck Brossman's". Whether this "sand quarry" is the same quarry as either the Mengel and Shollenberger or the Staller and Shollenberger quarries is unclear. Calvin Shollenberger was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania on April 12, 1878. He was a son of John Shollenberger and Fayetta Moyer Shollenberger. He was a brother of Alfred M. Shollenberger, Annetta Shollenberger Berger, Clara M. Shollenberger Fink, David M. Shollenberger, Henry M. Shollenberger, Jacob M. Shollenberger, John M. Shollenberger and Louisa M. Shollenberger Reichert. Calvin married Victoria Mengel Shollenberger, daughter of Reuben Francis Mengel and Ellen Mengel Mengel. Calvin died on January 20, 1951 in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA and was interred in the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. The Reading Eagle newspaper contained an obituary in their Monday, January 22, 1951 edition which stated: "Auburn, Jan. 22 - Calvin Shollenberger, 72, died at his home on Market Street, this borough. He was a native of Upper Bern Township, Berks County, and resided here 30 years. He operated a sand and stone quarry for some years, and was a member of borough council. He was a member of the Church of God, and was sexton of the Church of God Cemetery. He was a son of the late John and Fietta (Moyer) Shollenberger." |
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Sue Kershner's millinery shop
(a.k.a. - Kershner's millinery shop) A news snippet from the Pottsville Republican newspaper dated April 13, 1886 states "Mrs. Sue Kershner will open a millinery shop at Auburn". (Editor's note: a milllinery shop is one which produced and/or sells women's hats) |
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"Tippy" Berger's grocery store
(a.k.a. Berger's grocery/store) A local resident stated that David "Tippy" W. Berger had an early start in retail. As a young boy, he "hawked" (sold) newspapers on passenger trains. Local speculation on the origin of his nickname "Tippy" ranged from his habit of "tipping" his hat to the ladies to a proclivity for "tipping" a bottle of alcohol. However, neither of these hypothesis have been awarded any serious consideration. His grocery store was located on the west side of Bear Creek Street during the 1920s & 1930s as depicted on the vintage map displayed on the right. The website findagrave.com contains a listing for David W. Berger. David was born in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA on September 11, 1866. He was the son of William Berger and Mary Fahl Berger. David married Anna L. Sowers Berger. He died on August 13, 1942 in Auburn, PA and was interred within the "new" St. John's Church cemetery located east of Auburn adjacent to Rt. 895, West Brunswick Township, Schuykill County, PA. |
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Tony's Market
An advertisement in a 1951 Auburn High School playbook promotes "TONY'S MARKET - Fruits - Vegetables - Groceries - 31R12 - Auburn, Pa.". Advertisments in both the 1951 and the 1952 Auburn High School yearbooks also promote "Tony's Market" and indicate it may have been located on Market Street in Auburn, PA. No other information about this business is available at this time. |
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Walmer's store
The "History of Auburn" published in 1934 states that a "Mr. Walmer" operated a store at the prior site of Milton M. Deibert's store located at the northeast corner of Market and Second Streets. No further information is available about Mr. Walmer or his store at this time. |
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"Whitey" Berger's grocery
(a.k.a. Berger's grocery/store; Reno Berger's grocery/store) Reno "Whitey" L. Berger operated a grocery store in Auburn, PA. He allegedly was given his knickname due to his unusually pale complexion. He was born on July 18, 1906 in Auburn, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Charles Berger and Elizabeth Fix. He married Edna M. Reedy Berger. Reno died on March 6, 1960 in Auburn. He was interred in the Schuylkill Memorial Park, Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill County, PA. ************************************** An advertisement in a 1937 Auburn High School playbook reads "Buy Where Your Dollar Has More Cents - R. L. BERGER - Green Grocer - Auburn, Pa. - Special Oysters, Clams and Fish". |
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William Beggs (merchant)
A 1905 Auburn Residence Directory contains a listing for "Beggs, Wm., merchant, Market" implying that an individual named William Beggs was a merchant who lived on Market Street of Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. Presently, no further information is available as to the identity of this William Beggs or details regarding his profession as merchant. |
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"William H. Christ"
furniture store (a.k.a. Christ's shop/store) William H. Christ was born on March 7, 1863. He was the son of Thomas Christ and Hannah Hiester Christ. William's wife was Mary Ann Degler Christ. He had at least three children: Edna Christ Ney, Lillian Christ Bolton and Pearl Christ (who died at approx. 14 years of age). William died on April 2, 1947 and was interred in the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. Although William H. Christ's primary occupation was that of an undertaker, in addition to the caskets or coffins he built he also built furniture which he sold. |
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William Nagle's store
(a.k.a. "Auburn feed Store"; Nagle's feed and flour store) A handwritten receipt dated March 30, 1885 issued by Benja. Dewald to Wm. Nagle is addressed with the heading "Auburn feed Store". A Willaim Nagle is known to have operated a store in Auburn which specialized in "Flour and Feed" but it is currently uncertain what that store's business name was...possibly "Auburn Feed Store". An 1896 railroad map depicts a store owned by "Wm. Nagle" located near the intersection of Front and Market Streets of Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. An undated and unsourced document of Auburn merchants lists William Nagle with the notation "Flour and Feed". An 1890 U. S. Census for Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA contains an entry of "NAGEL (Nagle misspelled), William, 63, flour and feed. Alice C., Catharine." Based on these clues, the identity of William Nagle, merchant of feed and flour, has been positively established from an online genealogical website. The website findagrave.com has the following information regarding William Nagle. William Nagle was born in 1827. His spouse was Catharine Matz Nagle. He was the father of Alice C. Nagle, Clara Nagle Kitzmiller, John Nagle and Phoebe Nagle Manwiller. William died in 1901 and was interred within the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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William Steffy's store
(a.k.a. - Steffy's Cafe; "Sweet" William Steffy's place) A vintage map circa 1930s depicting a portion of Bear Creek Street in Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA shows a structure with the legend "William Steffey" and "Store and Dwl." (dwelling). William Steffey is definitely known to have operated a bar on the west side of Bear Creek Street just a short distance north of the Mill Street junction. However, very little information currently exists about any form of mercantile-type store he may have operated there. A 1946 Auburn Scout's souvenir program contains an advertisement for "Steffy's Cafe" featuring "Cigars and Soft Drinks". The website findagrave.com contains a listing for three separate William H. Steffy's interred within the immediate Auburn area, but based on dates of birth and death, the following entry seems to be the most likely match for this merchant. William H. Steffy was born in Auburn, PA on February 1, 1877. He was the son of Samuel Steffey and Louise Miller Steffey. He was a brother of Anna Steffey Killian and Catherine Steffey Killian. In 1898, he married Carrie B. Swoyer Steffy. He was a father of Alverna Steffy, an unnamed infant son (1903), Irene May Steffey, Leona Josephine Steffey, Roscoe Steffy, Samuel Kenneth Steffy, and William H. Steffy (1901-1955). The earlier William H. Steffy died on December 27, 1958 in Pottsville, Schuylkill County, PA and was interred within the Auburn Public Cemetery, Mill Street, Auburn, PA. Two undated and unsourced news articles found within the Auburn Area Historical Society pertain to a William Steffe or a William Steffy of Auburn, PA. Whether these articles pertain to the earlier William H. Steffy (born 1877), the latter William H. Steffy (born 1901) or even a third previously unidentified William is uncertain at this time. If they do pertain to the same individual known as "Sweet William" Steffy, then a possible explanation for his nickname might have been the moniker was a sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek label for someone with an obviously violent temper. ************************************** Steffe, William* - "CRIMINAL CASE SETTLED. - The case in which Wm. Steffe, of Auburn, was charged with assault and battery by his wife, was settled yesterday upon payment of the costs." - Excerpt from an undated and unidentified news article source. **************************************Steffy, William* - AUBURN SHALE: "Mrs. Wm. Steffy, living on Bear Creek street, has entered suit against her husband, who last Tuesday beat her most brutally, so that at one time it was feared that the one eye was destroyed. Steffy was waited upon by Capt. Reppard (Reppert) and in default of bail, he was given transportation to the castle on the hill (Pottsville's jailhouse), in Pottsville. Mrs. Steffy is under the doctor's care." - Excerpt from an undated and unidentified news article source. ------------------------------------------------ *NOTE: While it is uncertain whether William Steffe & William Steffy are the same individual, the events detailed in the articles suggest the likelihood of this offender being the same person is likely. |
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William Wenrich's store
A vintage map (circa 1930s) depicting a portion of Bear Creek Street, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA shows a structure whose owner is "William Wenrich" and the structure is identified on the map as "Store and Dwl." (dwelling). No further information is available about the store at this time. The website findagrave.com contains a listing for a William F. Wenrich who is interred within the immediate Auburn area. William F. Wenrich was born on June 3, 1885, presumably in the Auburn area. He was the son of Alfred W. Wenrich and Mary Ann Sowers Wenrich. He was a brother of Annie M. Wenrich Warner, Charles O. Wenrich, Emma Elmira Wenrich Bensinger, Fred A. Wenrich and Ida Louise Wenrich Shollenberger. The website states William was the single son of Alfred and Mary Ann, indicative that William never married. He died on February 19, 1946 and is interred within the Auburn Public Cemetery, Mill Street, Auburn, PA. Whether this is the same William Wenrich who operated a store in Auburn is uncertain at this time. |
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W. Reber and Son - confectioner
(a.k.a. Reber and Son) An 1887 tax list of Auburn merchants contains the entry of "W. Reber and Son" with the notation of "confectioner". The website findagrave.com contains two entries of individuals who were interred within the immediate Auburn area, who were born prior to 1887, and who would have met the standards of having the nomeclature of "W. Reber". Whether either of these two individuals were, in fact, the W. Reber mentioned in the 1887 tax records is unknown. The first individual is that of a Wesley Reber. Wesley was born June 4, 1858, which would have made him approx. 29 years of age when the 1887 tax list was created. His parents were Charles Carl Reber and Lovina Overbeck Reber. He was a brother of Daniel Reber, George Washington Reber, Hannah R. Reber, Jacob E. Reber, Mary Ann Reber Stout and William Francis Reber. He married Ellen Reichert Reber and was a father of Ida F. Reber Kerschner and John Milton Reber. Wesley died May 3, 1942 and was interred within the St. Paul's Church cemetery, Summer Hill Road, South Manheim Township, Schuylkill County, PA. The second individual was that of a William M. Reber born on July 12, 1822. William married Lea Schaeffer Reber and was a father of Benjamin Reber. William died on October 29, 1900 and was interred within the St. Paul's Church cemetery, Summer Hill Road, South Manheim Township, Schuylkill County, PA. |
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W. R. Schultz's store
(a.k.a. Schultz's store; William Schultz's store) The 1875 DeBeer's Atlas map of Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA shows a "W. R. Schultz" as operating a store and post office on Canal Street. A William R. Schultz served as both a merchant of "general merchandise", post master and Justice of the Peace in Auburn during his lifetime. William R. Schultz was born on May 17, 1837. He was the son of Augustus Schultz and Catharine Schultz. William married Sybilla "Mame" Spears Schultz and was father of Earl A. Schultz, Frederick Hunter Schultz, John Augustus Schultz, Kate I. Schulze (Schultz), Mary V. Schulze (Schultz) and Sarah Catherine Schultz Young. William served during the Civil War in Company F of the 166th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He died on July 30, 1885 and was interred in the St. John's Church Cemetery, Pearson Street, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA. |