Summer 2012 - Tyrone Area Historical Society

Tyrone PastTimes
Newsletter of the
Tyrone Area Historical Society
P.O. Box 1850, Tyrone, Pennsylvania 16686
tyronehistory.org
Vol. XXII, No. 3 Summer 2012
President’s message:
Welcome new members! To all of our society members who renewed their memberships, thank you
for your continued support. We also thank the members who increased their level of membership.
The exterior of the Tyrone History Museum’s building has recently been repainted. Thanks to Bill
Abbott and Jim Butler who worked during July and early August carefully painting all of the detailed
trim on the building, it is once again the showpiece of the Railroad Park.
The members of the Tyrone Area High School class of 1962 visited the Tyrone History Museum
Saturday morning, August 18th, as part of their weekend-long 50th class reunion celebration. This was the
last senior class to attend the Lincoln School location. They started their senior year at the Lincoln
Avenue site and ended it at the new high school on Clay Avenue.
On Saturday, September 8th, the museum will be open from 10 AM to 2
PM during the first Tyrone Yard Sale event. Also on Sunday, October 21st,
the museum will be open for the passengers of the Fall Foliage Excursion,
sponsored by the Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society. That afternoon
Ken Springirth, author of several books on the history of trolley cars in
Pennsylvania and the railroads of western and northwestern Pennsylvania,
will be at the museum for a book signing.
The Pennsylvania 150 Civil War Roadshow will be at DelGrosso’s
Park September 28th & 29th. Please see details on page 14. This
presentation is a thorough overview of many aspects of the Civil War. If
you have the opportunity to visit this exhibit, it will be well worth your
while.
The Tyrone History Museum hours are Sundays and Wednesdays, 1-4 PM. The Tyrone Area
Historical Society’s office and research library is open on Wednesdays 1-4 PM or by appointment. Visit
our website at tyronehistory.org.
This issue of Tyrone PastTimes has a wide variety of articles. Enjoy!
Nancy A. Smith
President
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Tyrone PastTimes
Published quarterly as a benefit for members by the ...
TYRONE AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Trivia Quiz
By Lori Eckert
1. What was the name of the restaurant in
Bald Eagle before it was “Ann’s Place?”
Viola Dollar, Editor
tyronept@verizon.net
814-684-5784
Since its founding in 1990, the Tyrone Area Historical Society
has pledged itself to preserving, interpreting, and encouraging
community interest in the unique history of the Tyrone area to
ensure that present and future generations can share in and
understand their rich heritage.
2. Who first owned the Corner Store at 1366
Pennsylvania Avenue called “Rudy’s?”
3. What was the name of the restaurant at
the Tyrone Shopping Center in 1965?
The Historical Society has an active board of directors; a
museum; a research library; a growing list of supporting mem­
bers, contributions, and memorials; and continuing donations of
Tyrone-related artifacts and documents.
4. What year did the Dollar General store
open in Tyrone?
The Tyrone History Museum is located in the Railroad Station,
at the Tyrone Rail Park and is open Sundays and Wednesdays
from 1 to 4 p.m. (except during the winter). The Office/Research
Library is located in the Tyrone Shopping Center and is open
Wednesdays year-round from 1 to 4 p.m. The telephone number
is 814-684-5141.
6. What was Doodle Forcey’s given name?
The Society is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit, educational
organization as described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code. Gifts are deductible for income tax purposes (Tax
ID # 25-1630230).
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President ................................................ Nancy A. Smith 632-5369
nnsmith@atlanticbb.net
5. What business did Joseph Fresh own?
7. What was the name of the restaurant in
Tipton where Dr. Levinson now has his
office?
8. During what years was the Tyrone
Athletic Park the focal point of Tyrone?
9. On what date did the Altoona Speedway
at Tipton open?
10. What year was the Tyrone Chamber of
Commerce incorporated?
Vice President ..................................... Richard H. Searer 684-1654
searer217@aol.com
Answers on page 15
Secretary .................................................. Suzie Johnson 684-0601
Treasurer/Collections Committee Chair …..... Lori Eckert 684-4264
Membership Committee Chair................... Marge Hoyer 684-7376
charma77@verizon.net
Publicity Committee Chair ......................... Susie O’Brien 684-1873
skobrien1@comcast.net
Director-at-Large ...................................... Andrew Smith 684-2973
Director-at-Large .......................................... Leslie Estep 686-4899
lime458@verizon.net
Director-at-Large….……………….…………...Phillip Pellegrine 684-1308
In Memoriam
Dr. William O. Crain
1927-2012
Deborah Dover Hiller
1954-2012
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3
Tyrone’s Civil War Hospital
The two-story frame building at 1112 Washing­
ton Avenue in Tyrone is the oldest building in the
borough and has served over the years in a variety
of capacities, including church, soldier’s barracks,
warehouse, wood shop, antique store, and muralpainting shop. But perhaps its most interesting use,
considering its location, was as a Union hospital
during the Civil War.
This building at the corner of 12th Street was
built with peaceful intentions, to serve as a church
for the United Brethren denomination. It was built
in 1855 and formally dedicated in 1856. The first
floor of the building was unfinished dirt. Worship
services were held in the finished room on the se­
cond floor. The congregation struggled to make
payments on the building, finally getting a financial
footing in 1863. Early in the following year, due to
the building’s close proximity to the Pennsylvania
Railroad, the U.S. government took possession of
the building from the United Brethren congregation
and converted it into barracks for cavalry troops.
The soldiers were housed in the second floor
meeting room and their horses were stabled on the
first floor.
Fresh soldiers housed in the Tyrone barracks
were soon called to the front and, at that stage of
the war, beds were needed for the wounded more
than for the able bodied. For nearly a year, the
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building officially served as a Union hospital.
The need for hospitals was great. There were
more Americans killed and wounded in the Civil
War than in any other war we have fought. Accord­
ing to Soldiers of Blair County by Floyd G. Hoen­
stine, “In April, 1865 more than a million men were
in the military service of the United States. A still
larger number had been previously enrolled and
discharged. To these must be added a roll of names
which, at that time, numbered over three hundred
and fifty thousand—The Grand Army of the Dead.
The Union Army alone suffered the following
casualties:
Killed in battle
67,058
Died of wounds and other injuries
43,032
Died of disease
224,586
Died from causes not classified
24,852 “
It is almost impossible to conceive of the trau­
ma, physical and psychological, that the Civil War
inflicted on Americans both individually and collec­
tively.
The typical Civil War hospital was located in a
house or barn close to the battlefield. There was
also a need for convalescent hospitals for those sol­
diers whose condition allowed them to be moved
away from the front, but were not yet ready to be
sent home.
As early as 1859, it had become apparent that
there might be an armed conflict. Militias had been
starting up all over the country. In 1859, Blair Coun­
ty had 11 recognized military units or militias within
the county lines. At the start of the Civil War, sever­
al of these militias were organized into the 14th regi­
ment of the Pennsylvania Infantry. These units in­
cluded Company D, formerly the Tyrone Cavalry,
with 85 members from Tyrone and Smith’s Mills;
Company H, formerly the Scott Rifles of Duncans­
ville, with 77 members from the Hollidaysburg and
Claysburg areas; and Company I, formerly the Mar­
Summer 2012
The exterior of the building has not changed much over the years.
tinsburg Infantry, with 90 men from the Morrison’s
Cove area.
It appears that most of the soldiers treated in
Tyrone were originally from these surrounding are­
as. The hospital brought them one step closer to
home and possibly allowed for family visitation dur­
ing their stay.
In spite of the failings of Civil War medicine, the
deficiencies of planning and supply, and the derelic­
tions of a distant army bureaucracy, these hospitals
far away from the battlefields enabled the doctors
and nurses to create a place of recovery and recu­
peration for those men maimed and sickened by
the war.
Tyrone’s Civil War hospital is mentioned by
Frank L. Grzyb in his book Rhode Island’s Civil War
Hospital, Life and Death at Portsmouth Grove, 18621865. This story of the doctors, nurses, patients and
guards gives a new perspective on the individuals
and society of that time. Because the Portsmouth
Grove Hospital was on the periphery of the war, as
was the one in Tyrone, it gives us a unique look at
the interaction between the army and civil society
in those years. It depicts not only the barbarities of
Civil War medicine, but also the yearnings for
peace, freedom, and family. Knowing more fully
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what happened to a soldier after he was wounded
in battle or took sick on campaign, we can read the
famous histories of the Civil War with fresh eyes.
At the end of the war, the hospital in Tyrone
was no longer needed and the government handed
the property back to the United Brethren Church—
unfortunately not in the same condition as they
had found it. The congregation appealed to the
government for compensation for the damage to
the building, but to no avail. Damage to the build­
ing was assessed at $600, half of its appraised val­
ue. Through fundraising efforts, the congregation
was able to renovate the property in 1866 and wor­
shipped in the building until 1887. Since that time,
the deed to the building has passed through many
hands.
On July 15, 1995, a plaque inscribed,
Built in 1855 for a church
Federal government took possession
during the Civil War, using it
as a Union barracks and hospital,
1864 and 1865
was placed on the former hospital building by the
local chapter of the Descendants of Civil War Veter­
ans. The building, at that time, was owned by Joe
and Candie Anderson and was a custom woodwork­
ing shop. Renovations to the building during that
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time produced even more evidence of its service as
a hospital facility. While removing wall boards from
the second floor, Mr. Anderson discovered that
several patients had inscribed their names and the
names of their units on the wall during their hospi­
tal stay.
In spite of rumors that this building was a stop
on the Underground Railroad during the Civil War,
no one has been able to provide any reliable docu­
mentation or proof.
In 2003, local state representatives, Lynn Her­
man, Jerry Stern, and Larry Sather discussed the
prospect of preserving the hospital building. While
no guarantee of financial support was made, the
politicians did pledge their assistance in locating
foundation grants and state assistance, should the
building’s owners wish to pursue it. A public
meeting was held at the building site in August,
2003, to discuss possible preservation methods; no
one came forward to head up the project. Nothing
further has been done to preserve this, the oldest
building in Tyrone.

This article is a compilation of articles from the Al­
toona Mirror; Tyrone Daily Herald; Bob Broadwater; Sol­
diers of Blair County by Floyd G. Hoenstine; and Rhode
Island’s Civil War
Hospital, by
Frank Grzyb.
In 1995 the plaque on
right was placed in a
case made by Joe An­
derson and mounted
on the building , as
shown on left. The
plaque and case are no
longer there.
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Ode to a Civil War Soldier
“This poem was written on July 5, 1995 just after a visit to the National Cemetery in Gettysburg. Visiting the
grave of Private Patrick Dunn of the 27th Connecticut Volunteers, Company D, I felt some sort of spiritual connection with the man, and I was inspired to write this poem about him.” Michael Gherrity
You lived a life of a farmer man in your New England home.
Came a “call to arms” from across the land, you knew you had to go.
The Blue and Gray, they took up sides, so you fought for the North.
To preserve the Union at any cost, into battle you marched forth.
The cold-steel musket bullets soared, the ground shook as the cannons roared, the
clash of bayonets filled the air.
The bodies all around you fell, for hours on end you fought like hell, sometimes you
thought that you were really there.
Blood flowed like water through the fields on that fateful July day,
when you joined your comrades on the ground when a bullet came your way.
The Blue survived, but you did not, and so your body fell, to fight a war in Eternity
in a place that they call Hell.
And when the three-day battle ended, the Killer Angels had descended, and took
away more than fifty thousand souls.
And now this story’s final words, you met your end at Gettysburg, but in your mind
the battle rages on.
And now you lay ‘neath an old elm tree, near where the ghost of Mr. Lincoln speaks,
forever restless in Eternity.
And as I stand here looking down, upon this Sacred, Hallowed ground, I weep for
you and all who died that day.
As I touch your grave with my fingers, the memory of that War still lingers, which I
know will never go away.
The Pennsylvania Civil War 150 Road Show is coming to DelGrosso’s Amusement Park
Saturday and Sunday, September 28th and 29th. Installed in a 53-foot expandable trailer, the Road Show
tells the compelling personal stories of the many different ways Pennsylvanians experienced the American Civil War—on both the home front and on the battlefield. Interactive features include stereoscopic
photographs, original compositions of Civil War-era music and
sound effects, hands-on objects, and animated stories.
The Road Show encourages residents to share their own stories
and artifacts, by participating in the “Share Your Story” booth that
accompanies the exhibit. The booth allows visitors to add an oral
history to the exhibit, which in turn will be available online at
PACivilWar150.com.
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7
OLD TIMES IN SPRUCE CREEK VALLEY
By Albert M. Rung
Albert M. Rung was born in Tyrone,
Pennsylvania on January 5, 1889, a son
of John F. and Emma Walker Rung.
In 1907, at the age of 13, he left
school and became employed by the
Pennsylvania Railroad in the Altoona
machine shops, being forced to work to
help support his widowed mother. His
father, a Civil War veteran who served
with the U. S. Marines, died when Albert
was only five.
In 1909, Albert became a passenger
brakeman on the PRR’s Middle Division
and was promoted to passenger
conductor in 1926. He worked for the
Pennsylvania Railroad for 47 years.
Albert Rung and Frances Stewart, of
Petersburg, Huntingdon County,
Pennsylvania were united in marriage on
December 26, 1919 in Baltimore,
Maryland.
The Rungs lived in Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania for over 50 years but then
returned to Petersburg to live in a house
built shortly after 1805 on land formerly
owned by Albert’s great grandfather.
History of the Juniata Valley was Mr.
Rung’s hobby and he enjoyed collecting
data and writing for his followers. He
possessed a great store of historical
materials gathered over many years and
wrote historical articles for the The Daily
News in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania from
1946 through 1972.
The following article written by Mr.
Rung was published in The Daily News
in the late 1960s.
Albert M. Rung died in Huntingdon, on
July 9, 1973.
W
ith the advent of March comes a
happy thought that it will soon be time to
drive through beautiful country scenes
again. Its arrival this year, however, served
to remind that the Spruce Creek Valley, so
greatly favored on outings in times past, had
been somewhat neglected in recent years.
Mild days of early March brought an
urge for action in this respect, and a
suggestion to Guy Neff that we take
advantage of them by a visit to the region
met with approval, and the trip was soon
arranged.
The tourist, in chancing to pass
through this region will undoubtedly be
enchanted with the natural charm of the
Spruce Creek Valley. The visitor in search of
history will also discover that remaining
traces of the wide-spread early iron industry,
as well as primitive mills that had once
operated along the streams, have left an
indescribable luster to the area.
EARLY SETTLERS WERE
PRESBYTERIANS
The majority of the valley’s early settlers
were Presbyterians and we learn further
from an informative little brochure, “A
Historical Sketch of the Spruce Creek
Presbyterian Church,” written by the late
Mrs. Mary Wigton Reeve. The account had
been prepared for the sesqui-centennial of
the Spruce Creek Presbyterian Church at
Graysville in 1938; later revised and
reprinted by Mrs. Reeve in 1949, and in the
reprint she thus tells from whence the first
settlers came.
“These Presbyterians came pouring in
from England, Scotland, Ireland, France,
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Wales, and Switzerland, to conquer the
wilderness. They entered the valley by trails
across the Tusseys. They used the following
trails: Ewing, Tussey, Brewer, Crain,
Montgomery, Hunter Spring, Indian Steps,
Colerain, Hunter, and Rainbow. They came
from Penns Valley on the North, and Half
Moon on the West. The well known
‘Maryland Colony’ group came up from
Maryland, by way of fording the Juniata at
Spruce Creek.
“We must remember that the present
valley highway was not surveyed nor built
for years afterwards, and that the main road
of the valley ran close to the church,
between it and the ridge. While we are (in
the spirit) at the old and first church, let us
wander into the cemetery where their ‘short
and simple annals’ tell us more of heartache
and bravery than those noble Christians
ever dreamed the stones would tell. On the
oldest tombstone we read: ‘Here lies the
body of James Armitage, departed this life in
1804, aged 84 years.’ This James Armitage
had a grist mill and lived along the Warriors
Mark Run, near the Archie Hutchinson
farm. His land warrant seems to be one of
the oldest in the township, dated 1776.
Much of our data comes from the names and
dates on these weather-beaten stones. Some
of them are just mountain stone, no attempt
to change into any formal tombstone
regularity, yet we read clearly R. Ewing,
1827, and another F. Gray, 1827. The stone
marking the resting place of Robert
McCartney, ‘prominently mentioned in the
Sesqui-Centennial pageant has a weeping
willow tree carved on it and these words—
“’How short is time, our health how frail,
The scenes of Earth--how soon they fail,
While life yet blooms, how oft the breath
Is ground beneath the floods of death.’
“We know that he was drowned in 1813
while attempting to ford Spruce Creek.”
ARMITAGE GRAVE OF SPECIAL
INTEREST
The grave of James Armitage in Graysville Cemetery behind the Upper Spruce Creek Presbyterian Church on
Route 45 in Graysville, Pennsylvania.
The grave of James Armitage has always
held especial interest, by reason that his
burial is not only the earliest recorded in the
cemetery, but that he was the uncle of Caleb
Armitage (1738-1832), who was a soldier of
the Revolution and the great-greatgrandfather of your chronicler. As to the
description of Robert McCartney’s
gravestone with the weeping willow tree
carved theron, recalls a letter that came
from Mrs. Reeves years ago, inquiring if we
had any knowledge of what the weeping
willow signified when so used. Many have
undoubtedly noted markers of this design in
various cemeteries, but as to its meaning
remains unknown to this day, we were
unable to aid Mrs. Reeves in her query.
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We further learn from the brochure:
“Ministers preached in the high pulpit of the
old log church from 1805 until 1830; in a
frame building on the same site until 1858.
From then on until the present time,
minister and congregation have worshipped
in this beautiful stone church so preserved
and tended by loving care, from generation
to generation.”
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followed by board seats without backs.” This
led the writer of the brochure to refer to the
historical sermon of Rev. Joseph Kelly on
Nov. 10, 1876, in which he had quoted a
member of his congregation and that she
remembered her father saying, “people sat
on the sleepers,” to which Kelly wittily added
that, “the sleepers now sit in the pews.”
HOUSES OF WORSHIP WERE
CRUDE
From what has been written of
those early days their houses of
worship were evidently very crude and
poorly constructed affairs. The story of
Hart’s Log Church near Alexandria,
organized some years before the
Spruce Creek congregation, is
generally known. Not having the
benefit of a floor, we have been told
that it was not uncommon to have a
snake enter the structure during
services at Hart’s Log. Whether
Spruce Creek had like encounters is
not recorded.
The Upper Spruce Creek Presbyterian Church as it
appears in 2012.
But unfortunately, both churches were
to meet with dissention among their
congregation; Hart’s Log during the War of
1812, by reason of the patriotism of its
pastor, Rev. John Johnston, being
questioned; and at Spruce Creek 35 years
later, when the manner of conducting
church services was debated. Both churches
eventually settled their friction and a
discussion here is unnecessary.
Still a later brochure relative to the 100th
anniversary of the present “Upper Spruce
Creek Presbyterian Church” (1858-1958)
was published in 1958, which tell that the
first edifice was built of logs about 1805. “At
first it had no seats,” the account states,
“the congregation sitting on the sleepers
SPRUCE CREEK CHRUCH
STILL SOLID
The Spruce Creek Presbyterian Church
at Graysville stands as firm and solid after a
hundred and eleven years as the day it was
completed. The interior has been altered and
improved and the congregation can be proud
of their beautiful house of worship. Recently,
we learn, a proposal has been made to
remove the old pews for replacement of a
type of the present which apparently seems
to be in favor with a majority of the
congregation.
It so happened that during this recent
visit my eyes chanced to observe the pews
where the light was at such an angle as to
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reveal faint plane marks on the seats left by
the master craftsmen of long ago. It would
seem most unfortunate to remove the few
remaining church furnishings that are
connected with its antiquity, as the trend
these days appears all too willing to clear
away so many notable mementos that bind
our memories to the folks of long ago.
IRON INDUSTRY BROUGHT PROSPERITY
The early iron industry brought
prosperity and exciting times to the Spruce
Creek Valley. With chapels, as branches of
the Graysville church, established at
Baileyville and Colerain for families of the
iron furnace employees, we see a great day in
the life of the church. It was a period of gaiety
in the lives of many young people, of
increased education and opportunities; a real
swing of the pendulum from the austere and
painfully poor advantages of the first settlers.
Throughout all—the church was always the
center of the valley life. The Pennsylvania
Furnace people came in a tally-ho to church.
Surely life for the youth in that period was
not so circumscribed as we are often led to
believe, when shouts of glee were aroused
when the tally-ho pulled away from the
church. The church was the scene of beauty
and fashion. The Lyon girls are supposed to
have walked into the church with parasols
raised high on one occasion. We do not know
why. The iron masters had large families and
entertained lavishly. Many distinguished
guests from far and near overflowed the
beautiful homes and their spacious grounds.
The younger men rode horses to church and
the older folks came in buggies. The boys
were not supposed to pass the older folks, as
it was not polite.
And with the following from the pen of
the late Mrs. Reeve, our story ends:
“That was the day of silk hats, stock collars,
and canes. They played, they rode, and best of
all, they sang and Oh, those church choirs
sang—Jones LaPorte, Lavinia and Bob Ingram,
Jane Lyon, Miss Kate Stewart, the Goheens,
and the Porters. Even Philadelphia visitors
praised the magnificence of their voices. The
iron furnaces came to Spruce Creek Valley.
They passed, but they left a vital memory. The
iron of that age passed into the character of
men and women of today. The iron of love of
country and of their gift of lives to the
Revolutionary and Civil Wars, the iron of
perseverance, of ability to face hardships, of
initiative to overcome strange situations, the
iron of accomplishment and courage. Let us
thank God for the iron furnace period.”

Editor’s note: An internet search resulted in this explanation for the use of the willow on gravestones.
Graceful willow trees were
popular gravestone motifs in the
19th century. Weeping willow
trees symbolize mourning, earthly sorrow, and deep reflection in
remembrance of deceased individuals.
I saw these two examples while searching for the grave of James Armitage.
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11
We get letters… The following letter from Agnes (Terry) Hutson is an example of
the scope of the Wilson Chemical Company’s exceptional marketing plan. This plan not only
increased the sale of Cloverine Salve for the company, but also greatly benefited Tyrone. A special “thank you” to Mrs. Hutson for sharing her story with
our membership.
I have a story for you and your Cloverine Salve.
My name is Agnes Terry Hutson, born October 15, 1915 to June and Robbie
Terry, Keltys, Texas, which is incorporated into Lufkin, Texas where my husband and I now live in
Pinecrest Retirement Community.
As you will note, I am 96 years old. When I was twelve years old, the
company that owned the Cloverine Salve came out with a deal to sell
Cloverine Salve. I can’t remember how many tins but quite a few, you
had to sell to receive a white gold ring with a small diamond in it as a
prize. I sold the amount specified and received the ring. I thought it was
the most beautiful ring I had ever seen.
I wore the ring until I married July 16, 1939 to Fred Hutson. We
have 2 daughters. I gave the ring to our oldest daughter, Janice Wingate
who turned 70 years old last November 6, 2011. She now wears it on a
chain around her neck.
As they have two grandsons, she remarked to me the other day,
The Wilson Chemical Company
“Mother, I am going to keep the ring, maybe one day I will have a great
premium catalog.
grand to give it to.”
The ring is just as pretty today as when I received it
years ago.
I had often wondered if the salve was still being made and used. A few
weeks ago, Janice, who lives 30 miles north of Waco, Texas, went into Drug Emporium in Waco and they had it for sale. She purchased
a tin for me. Surprise! It was the same tin and box as when I sold it
84 years ago. Just think how many
generation this little diamond ring
may travel through, along with this
wonderful story of salesmanship of a
tiny Cloverine Salve tin!
Delayed thanks for a wonderful gift
to be enjoyed by my family for
years to come.

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Tyrone PastTimes
Steam Engine No.765
Steam Engine no. 765 passing through Tyrone.
The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society’s restored Nickel Plate Road steam locomotive No. 765 passed through Tyrone
recently helping celebrate Norfolk Southern’s 30th Anniversary.
Monday, August 13th saw the 765 cross
world-famous Horseshoe Curve on the
downhill run to Harrisburg. On Monday,
August 20th, it returned. Its schedule included a servicing stop at Altoona and crew
change at Cresson.
Norfolk Southern was created from predecessor railroads which date back to the
early portion of the 19th century. Prior to
modern times, the three main branches of
the current corporate family tree were for
many years themselves systems: Norfolk
and Western, formed in 1881; Southern
Railway System, in 1894; and Conrail,
formed much later, in 1976. Each of these
grew from many smaller local and regional
lines as the railroad industry grew.
The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society was the first all volunteer, non-profit
organization to restore and operate a mainline steam locomotive after removing No.
765 from Fort Wayne’s Lawton Park in 1974
and rehabilitating it to operating condition
in 1979. The 1944-built locomotive has
traveled over 50,000 miles in public exhibition and excursion service and was recently
rebuilt in 2005.
The following is a brief synopsis of how
the tracks through Tyrone went from carrying the PRR to Norfolk Southern trains:
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an
American Class I railroad, founded in 1846.
Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy," the
PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
The PRR was the largest railroad by
traffic and revenue in the U.S. for the first
half of the twentieth century and was at one
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Tyrone PastTimes
time the largest publicly traded corporation
in the world. At the end of 1925, it operated
10,515 miles of rail line; in the 1920s, it
carried about three times the traffic
(measured by ton-miles of freight) as other
railroads of comparable length, such as Union Pacific or Santa Fe. The only rival was
New York Central, which carried around
three-quarters of PRR's ton-miles.
During its history, the PRR merged with
or had an interest in at least 800 other rail
lines and companies. The corporation still
holds the record for the longest continuous
dividend history: it paid out annual dividends to shareholders for more than 100
years in a row. At one point the budget for
the PRR was larger than that of the U.S.
government; at its peak, it employed about
250,000 workers.
In 1968, the Pennsylvania Railroad
merged with its rival, the New York Central
13
Railroad, to form the Penn Central Transportation Company. The Interstate Commerce Commission required that the ailing
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
be added in 1969. A series of events including inflation, poor management, abnormally
harsh weather, and the withdrawal of a government-guaranteed $200-million operating
loan forced the Penn Central to file for bankruptcy protection on June 21, 1970. The viable parts of the Penn Central system were
transferred in 1976 to Conrail, which began
earning a profit in 1981. The Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation acquired Conrail in approximately equal portions in 1999, with Norfolk Southern now
owning most of the former Pennsylvania
Railroad, including the Harrisburg to Pittsburgh segment of the old Pennsy Main Line
across Pennsylvania. Amtrak owns the segment east of Harrisburg.

Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society
320 West High Street, Bellefonte, PA 16823
814.355.1053
Fall Foliage Excursions return October 20 and 21 , 2012. Enjoy the fall foliage as you
ride in Penn Valley Railroad's beautifully restored,
vintage passenger coaches along Spring Creek and
through the Bald Eagle Valley. All train rides are
round trip and depart from the historic, 1889 Bellefonte passenger station located downtown in Talleyrand Park.
Children 2 & under sitting on adult lap ride free—
please request lap tickets when ordering.
th
st
Tickets can be purchased online at bellefontetrain.org
or at the train station in Bellefonte .
Date
Departure
time
Destination/Price
Approx. Round
Trip Time
10:00 am
Pleasant Gap $12
1 hour
12:00 pm
Lemont $15
1.5 hours
2:30 pm
Sayers Dam $15
1.5 hours
1:00 pm
Tyrone $30
3.5 hours
Sat. Oct. 20,
2012
Sun. Oct. 21,
2012
14
Tyrone PastTimes
Summer 2012
Memories with “Mootz”
By Susie O’Brien
I asked a good friend and long time member of the
Buterbaugh’s will celebrate their 73rd anniversary this year.
Tyrone Area Historical Society to share with us some of his
He also noted he was happy for the birth of each of his
memories from nearly a century of life. Milford E.
children—Bonnie, Gary and Amy.
Buterbaugh, better known to most as “Mootz”, will be 99
Mootz and his family have always lived in the Bald Ea­
years old on September 20, 2012. Mootz shared his life’s
gle area in the home he and Betty bought in 1946 from
story in our Summer 2002 issue of “Tyrone Past Times,” so
Betty’s aunt, Nan Miller. The house was built for a tea
I will not revisit everything of his life—just the high points
room business known as the “Yellow Bowl” that Nan ran in
he feels are important.
the summer months when she wasn’t teaching in Altoona.
Mootz was born in Swissvale, Pennsylvania but his
It was on the corner of Routes 220 & 350 which had a lot
family moved to the Bald Eagle area in 1917 when he was
of traffic. Today you can pick their house out as you de­
4 years old. I asked what changes in his life stood out; this
scend exit 52 from I99, it has tall white pillars and during
was his response.
football season it has a large banner hanging
The mode of transportation changed
to honor Tyrone football.
from horse and buggy to cars. Mootz’s father
Mootz told me of his love of football. He
had a new 1917 Dodge automobile when
played for a while in high school, but got hit
they moved five miles north of Tyrone where
really hard by his friend, Sam Decker, at
only three local people had motorized trans­
practice and decided he really didn’t want
portation back then. Many roads could not be
to get injured. He became their #1 fan from
used by cars because they were only dirt and
that point on. He does not miss the Tyrone
when they got wet they turned to mud. The
football games, if possible, and hopes to be
road from Tyrone to Bellefonte, built in 1853,
in the stands again this season.
Milford E. Buterbaugh
was wooden planks and known as Plank
Another important event in Mootz’s life
Road. In 1926, at 13 years old, Mootz had his first job
is Election Day. He has not missed an election since turning
working on the new road to replace the planks. His job was
21 years old. His father Edwin served the Republican Party
to water the straw on 8 foot wide sections of concrete for
in Washington, D.C. under Representative M. Clyde Kelly in
21 days until it cured. He got paid 25 cents per hour—
1926. While with his father in the Gallery of Congress,
great money back then for a young man.
Mootz met then-president Woodrow Wilson. What he ex­
In 1928 electricity came to Bald Eagle eliminating the
perienced in D.C. made him realize the importance and
need for oil lamps for lighting. He recalls it helped in many
privilege of the vote. Mootz hopes young people realize
areas of life. The light bill back then was $4.00 per month;
how important their vote is—especially today.
he smiled stating “not like today’s costs.” In 1941 Mootz
Mootz believes not using alcohol, not smoking (except
bought his first refrigerator to use in place of the spring to
for a short time before he met Betty in 1936), and hard
keep things cold. It cost $68.00. Mootz bought this new
work have contributed to his long life. Mootz still mows his
appliance for his wife Betty (Dayton). In 1942, he bought
own lawn and does chores around the house when need­
Betty a new sewing machine from Sears Roebuck & Com­
ed. His children help with transportation. Amy, their
pany for $60.00. She still has this machine today.
youngest child, was there when I visited the Buterbaughs.
I asked what events in his life stood out. He quickly
She has blessed them with their only two grandchildren
responded his happiest day was when he married Betty in
and they, in turn, with the first two great-grandchildren.
Winchester, Virginia on September 27, 1939. He recalled
Mootz contends God and family are his “Greatest Bless­
with a smile that they drove to Maryland first but had to
ings!”
go on to Virginia, where there was no waiting period. The
I want to thank Mootz for sharing his experiences and
fee for the minister and license was $5.00. The
wish him a Happy 99th Birthday!
Summer 2012
Tyrone PastTimes
Welcome New Members
Mary Phyllis Johnson, of Tyrone
Arthur Kelly, of San Mateo, California
Phillip Pellegrini, of Tyrone
Rick & Crystal Ramsay, of Boalsburg, Pennsylvania.
Beverly A. Southwell, of Tyrone
Tyrone will be having its
very first ever Community
15
TYRONE AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
— Membership Application —
Please complete this form and mail it
together with your check to the address
below.
Category of membership:
□ Individual / $15
□ Family / $20
Yard Sale on Saturday,
□ Supporting / $35
September 8, 2012 from 8
□ Friend / $50
AM to 3 PM. Residents are
invited to participate by
having a yard sale at their homes. Anyone interested
may call the borough office at 684-1330 to register
□ Corporate / $100
Name___________________________
Address _________________________
their sale. A master list will be compiled for distri-
________________________________
bution. Several organizations will be located in and
Town ___________________________
around the Railroad Park building and the Tyrone
History Museum will be open from 10 AM to 2 PM
for the event. The Tyrone-Snyder Public Library will
be conducting Smash and Bash for Books at the G &
R business site to benefit the library. Come join in
State ______ ZIP_________________
Phone __________________________
E-mail __________________________
the event for fun, food, and bargains in our town!
Make your check payable to…
Answers to Trivia Quiz on page 2
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
“Gib’s Place, ”owned by Robert Givler.
Rudy Reinschmidt
“Jo-Mar Restaurant”, owned by Joe Zang.
1974
“Fresh Music and Gift Shop”, 1127 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Franklin J. Forcey
“DelGrosso’s Restaurant”, opened in 1970 and managed
by Linda DelGrosso.
8. 1910 through 1945.
9. September 3, 1923, Labor Day.
10. 1916 (July 16).
“Tyrone Area Historical Society”
and mail to:
Marge Hoyer, Membership Chair
TYRONE AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
P.O. Box 1850
Tyrone, PA 16686-0102
NOTE: The regular membership year
runs from
May 1 through April 30.
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Altoona, Pa.
Permit No. 238
P. O. Box 1850
Tyrone, PA 16686-0102
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
A Special Thank You to Our Corporate Members
JEFF S. LONG
Chief Logan Enterprise Inc.
Mechanicsburg, Pa.
John Rumberger, owner
MILES FINANCIAL SERVICES
“A continuing tradition of Service since
1854”
Richard H. Searer