News & announcements
Saving your history
Early accounts
Maps
Nearby towns
People
Churches
Schools
Municipal
Organizations
Businesses
The mines
Transportation
Streets
Buildings
Entertainment
Celebrations
Sports
Ethnic groups
Veterinarians listed in directories 1897-1940
What's on this page:
- About veterinarians in the Freeland area
- Veterinarians listed in
directories, 1897-1940
- Liveries, blacksmiths and transportation by horse
- 19th-century feed mills and feed stores
- 20th-century feed mills and feed stores
- 19th-century physicians
- 20th-21st century physicians
Veterinarians would have been particularly important for horses and for mules in the mines, for livestock owned by businesses and individual residents, and of course also for pets. The ad for worming medicine for horses and cattle appeared in an 1890 local newspaper.
Before
automobiles, horses were the primary means of local travel,
besides walking, some bicycling, and trains for longer distances. Some
people had their own horses, and many either borrowed from liveries or
hired a horse, driver and wagon or carriage from a livery, whether for
individual or group travel or to haul goods. (Photo from John Zubach)
Mules worked
hard in and around the mines, and some of those mules
lived out their whole lives underground. It was important to keep the
mules healthy and functioning. Beagle Hames, from a company originating
in Philadelphia, were also made in Freeland -- the collars that enabled
horses and mules to be yoked. Harnesses, saddles and other such items
were also in demand and were sold locally.
Looking back,
it's kind of amazing how many people kept some livestock
on hand. Some people actually bought, sold and traded cattle or horses
as a business, but many others just kept one or several cows, pigs,
chickens for meat, milk and eggs. This created a sanitation issue that
came up repeatedly in the early decades of the Freeland area, and pigs
and cows were often seen running free. Feed mills were also important
not only for flour and such for people, but for animal feed. (1894 ad
comes from Carol Jones)
And of course people
had pets, so veterinarians were also called upon
to help with them on occasion. I'm guessing that the local
veterinarians were mostly focused on horses and mules, helping with
livestock or pets on occasion. (1931 ad from Charles Stumpf)Veterinarians listed in directories, 1897-1940
1897 city directory
Veterinarians in business listings:
Hunsicker, Thomas - Central Hotel
1897 city directory
Veterinarians in individual listings:
Hunsicker, Thomas, veterinary surgeon, Central Hotel, 16 N. Centre
1917 telephone directory
Veterinarians in general listings:
Welsh, S. G., Vet. Surg. - Hospital Crossing, Drifton
1940 city directory
Veterinarians in business listings:
Welsh, Saml. G. - 418 Main, Drifton