Continued from part 1, history of East Petersburg, PA:
From 1812 through the end of the century, Petersburg continued to develop as more residents moved in and set up shop as businesses, churches and other ventures primarily geared around supporting the many farms in the area. In comparing the 1853 and 1875 Atlas maps of the town to the original plan of Daniel Wolf, though, not much had changed. Daniel and his wife, however, had left town in 1814.
Not surprisingly given the early “frontier” status of the area, two of the main products of the early town were tobacco and whiskey. Petersburg was known for its handling of tobacco and the cigars produced here were said to be in great demand. Several local stores also sold these cigars, and two of the tobacco warehouses used are still standing today. The tobacco trade brought many employees into the area to work in the warehouses and other stages in the production process. Four of the better-known tobacco men were Tobias Hershey, A.C. Dietrich, D.W. Graybill and Henry H. Landis. Distilled products were also in great demand and Henry Imhoff was the key business owner in that regard. He operated at least two distilleries in town, one right alongside the main square using the water from the “common” spring located just southwest (you’ll visit the site on your tour). This one was notable as it used a dog-powered treadmill to move the water from the well to the distillery. It was a custom of townfolks to take a kettle every Thursday and get yeast at the distillery for their weekly baking. Once a week a trip was made to York to deliver the product, and it took a day to go and one to return.
During the Civil War, locals enlisted in the Union army and a scare was thrown into the local populace when Robert E. Lee’s Confederate army pushed to the Susquehanna River in 1863. After the war, the Reading Railroad put in a spur which ran along the line at the west of town, and by 1882 a station was located there at Columbia Avenue (now State) and the town began to grow westward from Lemon.
The streets were still dirt and, at least to one local resident, at times treacherous. On one occasion Mrs. Sarah Burg was walking down State Street to Carpenter Street, which was opened in 1878. She became stuck in the mud. In fact, she was so trapped that she had to wait until someone came along to help her get out. From that time on, she took no chances and carried a lantern when she went out walking!
East Petersburg as a name came into being in 1882 under postmaster Levi H. Gochnauer after years of wrangling with the statewide postal system over confusion arising from other towns in the state with the same name of Petersburg. Since Daniel Wolf’s town was most eastward, the addition of “East” was the eventual and official solution.
I'll post the final installment tomorrow. Remember, you can get a copy of my book "Walking Tour of Historis East Petersburg" by calling my anytime at 717-799-0851. Thanks and hope you are enjoying this series.
Continue to Part 3
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