Early Cultural Development
The Beavertown Opera House Company
In 1869 a group from Beavertown decided it was high time our town have some culture. So they had constructed on Center Street a two story wood-frame building, with a stage, dressing rooms, orchestra pit, sloping floor with two aisles, a cloak room, alcove, and all other necessary items to stage opera, plays and vaudeville (which came later). On the second floor, there were meeting rooms for community organizations, and rehearsal halls, as well as storage for the stage props and costumes. When the railroad came to Beavertown, many shows were able to come to Beavertown, and even Jerome Kern tried out some of his world famous operettas at the Beavertown “Opera House” which later became the POS of A.
Continued Industrial Development
Around 1900 James Kline manufactured a hydraulic ram that was used quite extensively in the west. Early in the 1900s John P. Kearns and John A. Kearns manufactured automobiles on a small scale. In 1918 B. Edmund David chose Beavertown as a site for a silk mill and the mill was built. It operated on and off until November 1998. This “silk mill” was such for only a short time, but was always a textile plant which changed ownership several times and the building had many additions.
The Beavertown Brick Company was organized in 1926. Here is a letter from that time:
Gentlemen,
Having recently purchased the John J. Tobias farm situated south of Beavertown, and which is rich in certain shales suitable for high grade brick, we are desirous of locating a plant (which will employ 16 hands) in your borough for the manufacture of said brick. The Beavertown Brick Co., Inc. is duly organized under the laws of the state of Pennsylvania, has authorized capitalization of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) Twenty Five Thousand of which is subscribed for by the officers and callable at par as required $9000 of the preferred being sold in Beavertown and callable at par as required $4000 preferred sold outside of Beavertown at this time and also callable at par as required and the balance, which is approximately $12,000 is now being sold by our Mr. T. R. Graybill. The minimum number of men required to operate our plant is 16 and as business justifies us in expansion we will step this number up proportionately. After investigating the various sites in and about your town we have decided upon that certain field on the south side of the P.R.R. and now owned by Mr. W. H. Moyer, and the field adjacent thereto now owned by Mr. W. H. Bingman. If our proposition interests you to the extent of furnishing the above site we will greatly appreciate this cooperation and with it goes our assurances that we will do everything in our power to make this venture one of mutual profit.
Should you desire any further information we hold ourselves always ready and willing to cooperate with you to the fullest extend of our ability. yours very truly, Beavertown Brick Co. Inc. (Signed Guy H. Oldt, President)
To be continued
Question and Answer
Q: What is the fun practice of “stamping” your first robin sighting?
A: Here is how it works. When you see your first robin, you wet the thumb on one hand, push it into the palm of the other hand, and then ‘stamp’ that palm with your fist and make a wish.
This is one of the lesser known fun traditions we can practice and pass on to the younger generation.
