T I M E L E S S H O M E
SMETHPORT, PENNSYLVANIA ©2003
Ross Porter- Editor
Jim Herzog, David Johnson
Les Jordan, Jr. Mary Pierotti

TABLE of CONTENTS
Section I.
The Formative Years.
Chapter I.
The Hub of McKean County.
Potato Creek: Smethport’s First Highway—Smethport Name Has Origins With French
Revolution—First Cabin For Smethport
Chapter II.
The Early Town.
The First Road through Smethport—Orlo Walks To Smethport on the East-West Road—The East-West
Road Orlo Jay Hamlin’s Arrival Milesburg-Smethport Turnpike
Chapter III.
Celebration of Independence Day 183O.
Smethport’s First Town-wide Celebration
Chapter IV.
Oviatt Diary 1840s.
Diary of Joseph Beaman Oviatt 1840’s—Pioneer Life Near the Nunundah
Chapter V.
1853: Birth of the Borough.
Smethport Founding Fathers—Smethport’s First Municipal Election —1856 - 1857 Smethport
Borough Resident Property Owners —r—Meet Helen Cowles Crock Smethport’s 19th Century Artist
and Poet
Chapter VI.
The Hamlin Lake Mill Pond.
History of the Mill Pond— “Rat Day”—1929 Devlopment of Hamlin Park—1978 Redevelopment of
Hamlin Lake Park

Section II.
The Community Matures.
Chapter VII.
1861 Famed Bucktails Gather in Smethport.
Kane Headquarters at Bennett House—Dr. S. D. Freeman—Birthplace of the Bucktails
Chapter VIII.
Hamlin Ventures Alter Smethport History.
Orlo Hamlin Biography—Hamlins and McCoys—Henry Hamlin Starts A Bank—1874 a Pivotal
Year—Current Bank Building Completed in 1887—Only Six Presidents Have Served Hamlin
Bank—Birth of Grange National Bank
Chapter IX.
Smethport’s Gilded Age Begins in 1880’s.
Trains Bring Economic Explosion—McKean County’s Lumber Built Early Pittsburgh—McKean
County Coal Fuels Development—Buffalo Coal Company—Limestone and Fire Clay Also
Mined—Railroads and Tanneries Bring Rebirth to Lumber—Sawmills Cut Lumber for a Growing
County and Nation—Bradford Oil Wealth Ignites Smethport Growth—McKean County Interests
Defeat Powerful Standard Oil Monopoly—McKean County Refinery Built In 1923—McKean County
Nucleus of Nation’s Wood Chemical Industry—Giant Glass Industry Flourished—Hazelhurst, PA:
1900’s Boom Town—McKean County National Leader in Window Glass Manufacturing—J.C.
Backus: Smethport Genius Inventor
Chapter X.
Growing Industry Brings Railroad To Town.
Smethport Served by Four Railroads—McKean and Buffalo Railroad—Bradford, Bordell and Kinzua
R.R.—A New Century Brings the Competition of Two New Railroads—Smethport Kushequa
R.R.—The Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern R.R—Railroad Map of Smethport—The Vanished
McKean County Towns of the Potato Creek Railroad

Section III.
The Fiber of the Community.
Chapter XI.
Community Diversions and Pastimes.
Driving a Carriage—Bicycling Sweeps Smethport—The Automobile Arrives in Smethport—Smethport
Ahead of Nation in Automobile Ownership—1905 Cleveland to Smethport In a White Steamer Touring
Car—Baseball Becomes the Town’s First Spectator Sport—A Glimpse Into Hamlin Park 2003—Ice
Skating—Picnics and Row Boat RentalsSmethport’s—Kittredge Opera House—1880’s Roller Skating
Phenomenon—The Lyceum—The Movies—Hunting in McKean County—Meet R.C. Gleason
Chapter XII.
Smethport: The County Seat.
Four Courthouses in One Hundred and Seventy-Seven Years—An Overview of McKean County’s
Judges—Judge Mencer—Judge Potter—Judge Willson
Chapter XIII
Newspapers & Publishers
Forester and Smethport Register 1830-1834—McKean County Journal 1834-1837—Beacon and
McKean County Journal 1837-1839—Settler and Pennon 1839 -1846—Tomahawk and Scalping Knife
1840-1841—McKean Yeoman and Elk County Advertiser 1846-1849—McKean Orbit
1849-1851—McKean News 1851-1853—Citizen 1853-1860—McKean County Democrat
1858?1865—McKean County Miner 1863-1968—McKean County Democrat 1879-1971—Seneca
Press Suburban Pennysaver—Smethport Reporter—Boy’s Magazine 1910-1921—Boy’s Own
Magazine 1926-1930’s—History of Smethport Cable—History of Radio In Smethport—Local Earth
Digest 1980-1981
Chapter XIV.
School Days.
Early Schools—The Original Smethport Academy—1893 Brick School—1900 School—Charles W.
Parchey—New 1961 School—1986 Grade School Consolidations—Seneca Highlands Intermediate
Unit of Education—Our Gifted Musicians—High School Band and ChoirParchey/ Uniforms—Bernie
Reap and the Swingin’ 70’s Choral Group—Smethport Area Elementary School 1986—Smethport Area
Junior-Senior High School Renovations 2002—Seneca Highlands Intermediate Unit 9
Chapter XV.
A Long History of Champions.
Livermore Ignites Football—McCoy Stadium Construction—Baseball Heroes—Coach Vesper—Jim
Thomas—1950’s Track Stars—Friday Night Football Ritual—Defilippi Teams Make Football
History—Record Book Winning Streak—Schaller’s Football Halftime Pageantry—Woodring Nurtures
Track Champions
Chapter XVI.
Our Selfless Heroes.
Smethport Fire Department—Martin L. Armstrong—First Fire Engine—Bucktail Hose Company
Reorganized—First Motorized Equipment—1933 Downtown Changed Forever—John O’Hara—1958
Era of Growth—Clermont Volunteer Fire Department—Hamlin Township No. 1 Volunteer Fire
Department—Hilltop Volunteer Fire Department—Norwich Township Fire Department—Tri-County
Fire School—Don Farrell—Smethport Area Ambulance Service
Chapter XVII.
A Home of Faith.
William Penn’s Holy Experiment—United Methodist Church—Smethport Baptist Church—St.
Elizabeth of Hungary Roman Catholic Church—Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church—Trinity Evangelical
Lutheran Church—Free Christian Evangelical Church—Christian and Missionary Alliance
Church—East Smethport United Christian Church—Other Community Churches—Smethport Area
Ministerium—Christian Community Services
Chapter XVIII.
Community of Caregivers.
Early Doctors—Modern Doctors—Bowman Health Center—Smethport Family Practice—James B.
Kane, D.M.D Dental Office—Dr. Christian Howard: Allegheny Eye Care —Sena-Kean
Manor—Lakeview Senior Care and Living Center
Chapter XIX.
A Tribute to Our Organizations.
Veterans Organizations
Smethport American Legion Bucktail Post #138—Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 2497
Service Organizations
Smethport Area United Way—Conopus Club—Smethport Rotary Club—Smethport Lions
Club—Smethport Area Women’s Club—Smethport Chamber of Commerce—Smethport Area
Jaycees—Smethport Area Jaycee Wives
Social and Hobby Organizations
Smethport Country Club—Smethport Senior Center and Elder-Berries Club—Smethport Garden and
Crafts Club
Youth Organizations
Boy Scouting Started in Smethport 1910—Girl Scouts—1952 Little League—Little Bigger
League—Smethport Memorial Recreation Center—Smethport Legionettes Drill Team—Smethport Area
Youth Soccer Association
Public Organizations
Hamlin Memorial Library—McKean County Historical Society and Museum—smethporthistory.org
project —Smethport Family Center—Penn State Cooperative Extension of McKean County
Fraternal Organizations
Independent Order of Odd Fellows—Phoenix Chapter #15 Order of the Eastern Star—McKean Lodge
No. 388 of the Free and Accepted Masons
Associations
McKean County Fair—McKean County Raceway
Chapter XX.
Hometown Heroes.
Salute to Our Veterans
Tribute—Elihu Chadwick—Roll Call—They Went to War
Section IV.
Remember When.
Down Memory Lane
Coast to Coast on US Route 6 —Remember When: School Days—Herbert W. Johnson/Leonard B.
Johnson Early Christmas Displays—Congressman Albert Johnson—Remember When:
Weather—Remember When: Natural Beauty and the Outdoors—Remember When: Smethport
Weather— Remember When: Friendly People—H.G. German Seeds——Toy Town Herzog and
Kerr—1953 Centennial Celebration—1947 Hubbers—Sam Costa Sr.: Supermarket Pioneer
—Governor’s Export Award—Remember When: More Memories—California University of PA Credit
at SAHS

Section V.
A Community in Renaissance.
Home—Renaissance Discussion—Time to Come Home to a Timeless Home Smethport
Summary—Group Photo—Current and Elected Township and Borough Officials Smethport 1881
(put in order organized) Sergeant—Hamlin—Keating—Norwich—Commendations - political officials,
Mayor/ Representatives/ PresidentSteering Committee—Book
Committee 200
Bibliography
Index

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