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History of Freeland, Pa.
Past featured photos, page 3

Here are links to three pages containing previously posted photos and information from the Featured Photos section of the home page: earliest postings, more recent ones, and the most recent ones. They are credited to the sources.

Note: The featured photos listed immediately below have been relocated elsewhere on the website. The others further down on the page will be relocated once I make new places for them.




WWI Memorial Grove at Freeland High School, with information and assistance from Charlie Gallagher and Carol Jones, posted 1-1-2020 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/fhs-memorial-trees.html

The Eddie Gabuzda Orchestra, 1935, from Marion Gabuzda Boyle Denion, with help from her niece Mary Cooper and her daughter Melissa Murdock, posted October 2019 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/egabuzda.html

Patrick J. Gallagher, mining inspector, from Joan Killian Gallagher, Mary Rosenkrans and Ed Bacon - originally posted April 8, 2018 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/patrick-j-gallagher.html

Mamie, Boyle, local teacher, from Eleanor Boyle Duckett - originally posted September 4, 2019 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/m-boyle.html

Memories of growing up in a Highland coal company house, from Pat Re - originally posted July 20, 2019 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/highland-company-house.html

Freeland silk mills, including photos from John Rock and Charlie Gallagher, and information from JP Sitko and Charlie Gallagher - originally posted May 27, 2019 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/silk-mills.html

Franklin N. Becker and the Jeddo-Highland Coal Company, from Pierre-Yves Vachot with added comments from Charlie Gallagher - originally posted March 21, 2019 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/becker-jeddo-highland-1.html

St. Ann's groundbreaking for school, etc., along with a booklet showing the planned church that was never built, both from Colleen Tatar; 3 related newspaper clippings from Shawn Carr - originally posted September 21, 2018 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/stanns-school.html

Photo of Freeland Shirt Co. Annex, from Colleen Tatar - originally posted September 21, 2018 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/20Cfactories.html

St. Ann's "basement church" from Ed Merrick; and comments about the incomplete church building from Charlie Gallagher - originally posted September 21, 2018 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/stanns-1920s.html

Railroads that serviced the Freeland area, by Charlie Gallagher - originally posted Summer, 2018 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/freeland-area-railroads.html

Edward Gallagher and his barbershops, from Mary Rosenkrans and Ed Bacon - originally posted April 8, 2018 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/gallagher-barbershop.html

Edward Gallagher Receives Sons of Erin Award, from Mary Rosenkrans and Ed Bacon - originally posted 4-8-2018 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/gallagher-barbershop.html [bottom of the page]

Tigers Club, from Mary Rosenkrans and Ed Bacon - originally posted April 8, 2018 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/frldtigers.html

Tigers Baseball 1903, from Mary Rosenkrans and Ed Bacon - originally posted April 8, 2018 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/frldbaseball.html

Freeland Y Basketball 1931, from Mary Rosenkrans and Ed Bacon - originally posted April 8, 2018 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/frldbasketball.html

Kasarda Saloon, from Mary Rosenkrans and Ed Bacon - originally posted April 8, 2018 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/a-kasarda.html

Peter Gallagher in his classroom at MMI, from Mary Rosenkrans and Ed Bacon - originally posted April 8, 2018 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/frldstudentpics.html

Workers in Freeland's factories - group photos shown courtesy of the Freeland YMCA, Freeland Historical Society, Tom Landers, Joe Flanagan, Carol Jones, Joe Moore - originally posted April 2, 2017 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/frldfactory-workers.html

Freeland Chamber of Commerce Annual Fashion and Appliances Show, 1950 from Charlie Gallagher, posted 9-11-2017 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/frld-chamber-of-commerce-show-1950.html

Banner of Freeland Lodge #878 of the Sons of Italy in America, courtesy of Jim Etheredge and Bob Zimmerman - originally posted summer 2020 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/frld-sons-of-italy.html

Lithuanian Peoples Choir and a Lithuanian wedding - new photos from Tom Yaruso, posted March 2, 2017 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/stanthonys.html

The Mulhearn building was torn down in December 2017 - posted December 2017, with these photos from Charlie Gallagher, myself, and the Anthracite Railroads Historical Society - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/frld-mulhearn-bldg.html

A conversation about steeples on the Washington Hotel and the Borough Building - a conversation by email with Charlie Gallagher, posted late 2017 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/frld-bldg-steeples.html

Views around town in 1966, from the camera of Ed Merrick - posted in 2017 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/frld-around-town-1966.html

The Birkbeck building, early 20th century - posted February 23, 2020 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/frld-birkbeck-bldg.html

Gallagher - Brogan reunions in 1935 and 1941 - posted in 2018 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/frld-gallagher-brogan-reunions.html

Influenza epidemic of 1918, from Charlie Gallagher, with information from Emily Pecora and Tony Sutherland - posted Nov. 21, 2018 - now at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/frld-influenza-1918.html

More views of the Refowich Theatre, from Ed Merrick - posted September 3, 2018 - now at: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/frld-refowich.html

Jeddo and Freeland photos from Valerie Bedard - posted September 5, 2020 - now at:
Gallery of student class photos page;
FHS class of 1920 page;
Freeland Men's Chorus page;;
Benjamin F. Davis page;
Jeddo Highland Coal Company page;
Images of coal breakers page;
Bible schools and classes page.

Freeland and area in 1886 - Contributions from Ed Merrick, plus an 1886 photo of Freeland from Danny Balon - posted late 2021 - now at:
Early accounts of Freeland and the Freeland area


August and Margaretta Donop and family - Contributed by Susan Bulla - posted June 6, 2021 - now at:
August and Margaretta Donop and family

Freeland 1938 airmail cover sent to President Roosevelt by Postmaster Neale Boyle - Contributed by Mark Postins, posted May 14, 2021 - now at:
Post Offices

Ray Morgan, gas station owner and gunsmith - Contributed by Bill Morgan, posted May 14, 2021 - now at:
Ray Morgan, gas station owner and gunsmith

Foster Township grade school photo, ca. 1913-1920 - Contributed by Bill Morgan, posted May 14, 2021 - now at:
Gallery of student class group photos

Bill Morgan retires from the Hazleton newspapers after 58 years - Contributed by Bill Morgan (son), posted May 14, 2021 - now at: Printers, newspapers, news dealers, stationery stores

Freeland products - Contributed by Jim Etheredge, Tom Yaruso, Kathleen Halko Gallagher, Charlie Gallather, Tim Matushoneck, posted August 22, 2021 - now at: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/frld-products.html

Page for Memorial Day, In honor of Memorial Day, here are links to several pages that highlight our Military, Military veterans and Military deceased, along with ways that we have honored and celebrated them, originally posted May 25, 2020 - now at: Memorial Day offerings page.

Carl B. Hoch & His Concert Orchestra - Photo thanks to Carol Jones, with newspaper research by Ed Merrick, posted July 31, 2022 - now at: Carl B. Hoch & His Concert Orchestra

Reclaiming and restoring an Irish family homeplace, from Joan Killian Gallagher, posted November 3, 2019 - now at:  http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/killian-homeplace.html

Thomas F. Gallagher, Sr., and the Notre Dame scholarship created in his honor, posted November 3, 2019 - now at: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/thomas-f-gallagher-sr.html

New, revised edition of Buck Mountain book, "This, Their Friendship's Monument” by Melanie Akren-Dickson now available -- NEW EDITION RE-TITLED "Coal Country Connections" with color illustrations and an index, posted by Melanie Akren-Dickson 5-30-2022 - now at: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/buckmountain.html

Barney Carr's booklet on cutting mine timber available in PDF, posted by Shawn Carr May 30, 2022 - now at: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/mines.html

Freeland Tigers baseball team, undated photo, shared by John "Zeke" Zurko May 30, 2022 - now at: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/frldbaseball.html

MMI's first female teacher, Alberta (Quinn) Bittenbender (1907-1975), posted by Nancy (Bittenbender) Gerlach October 16, 1922 - now at: http://www.andrew.cmu/user/ct0u/a-bittenbender.html



Featured photo: Anthony's grocery store, from Charlie Rudewick, posted November 14, 2023

Anthony's grocery store, mid-1950s Some months ago I heard from Charlie Rudewick. He wrote:

I recently found this photo of Anthony's Store (from around mid-1950s) located at 718 Walnut St. They sold candy and some pet stuff. I bought some tropical fish and a hamster from them.

When it was "Anthony's" it was owned by Willam Job Anthony and his Wife, V. Zitella Anthony. At one point, either before or after Anthony's ownership, it was Fritz's Store.

… Anthony's lived at 722 (we lived at 712 and they were on the same side of the street as us). Fritz was Zitella's maiden name and her brother and sister-in-law lived next door to them (720 Walnut). The Fritz's had a son, Mervin, who is/was my age and I think they ran the store for a while. The Fritz's moved away in the mid '50s and then the Anthony's son William moved in the Fritz house, next to Mom & Dad.


Thank you to Charlie for this. It's great to see the photo, with those big Freeland snowdrifts. I checked several directories and phonebooks for Anthony and Fritz listings relating to this address. Herbert W. Fritz had a grocery store at 718 Walnut at least since 1921. It looks like he and wife Bessie had a daughter, Zitella V., listed as a student in 1928. By 1940, Bessie Fritz was a widow at 718 and Elbert H. Fritz (with Ransom B.) ran the grocery store, but lived on Front Street. Meanwhile, William J. Anthony was at 722 Walnut, married to Zitella V. Fritz and working as a shovel operator. I didn't find the listing that showed when William Anthony and Zitella took over the Fritz grocery store, but Charlie's photo from the mid-1950s shows that it was the Anthony store by that time. And as Charlie said, the Anthonys' son William S. moved in next door to his parents, listed at 720 in 1966.

1921-1922 directory:
no Anthony, William
Fritz, Herbert W., grocer 718 Walnut, home ditto

1928-1929 directory:
no Anthony, William
Fritz, Herbert W. (Bessie) grocer 718 Walnut, home ditto
Fritz, Zitella V., student, r 718 Walnut

1937 phonebook:
Fritz, Herbert W. (Bessie) 718
Anthony, William J. 722 Walnut

1940 directory:
Anthony, William J. (Zitella), shovel opr, h 722 Walnut
Fritz, Bessie, widow Herbert W., h 718 Walnut
Fritz, Elbert H. (Ransom B) grocer 718 Walnut, home 552 Front

1941 phonebook:
William J. Anthony 722 Walnut
Elbert H. Fritz grocer 718 Walnut

1948 phonebook:
William J. Anthony 722 Walnut
Elbert H. Fritz grocer 718 Walnut

1949 phonebook:
William J. Anthony 722 Walnut
Elbert H. Fritz grocer 718 Walnut

1957 phonebook:
William J. Anthony 722 Walnut

1966 phonebook:
Anthony, William J. 722 Walnut
Anthony, William S. 720 Walnut

Thanks to Charlie for sharing the photo, memories and information about this grocery store.



Featured photo: Freeland Garage, ca. 1919-1921, from Steve Yaskewich, posted 5-30-2022

Freeland Garage, J. Boyle, Ford dealer Freeland Garage, J. Boyle, Ford dealer, cropped detail Steve Yaskewich shares this great photo of the "Freeland Garage" with three men posing in front, and at first he didn't know whose garage it was, although he soon figured it out. He wrote: The photo is pasted into a Family album. I don't know why it would be there other than a family member is in the photo. The man I pointed out looks like a picture I am 99% sure is Elmer Klein. I don't have anything to tie Elmer to the Garage...yet.
… Previous to 1922 Jim Boyle sold Studebaker...and Ford. … By 1922 there are articles showing Danko selling Fords. ...and that should date my photo between 1919 and 1921. I believe it would be post-WWI based on Elmer Klein's age.
One more thing about the picture of the "Freeland Garage"...When I am looking at it on my 52" monitor, and enlarge it, I can make out the bottom line of the sign as...J.W. BOYL...

CT: After some digging I found Freeland Garage listed in the 1917 phonebook as being at 417 Johnson Street. It wasn’t listed in the 1921-1922 directory under that name.

Shaub home next to Wilson Pontiac Joe Moore was also part of this email conversation. He wrote: Is there any chance that Freeland Garage, Boyle's, and Wilson’s are all the same place. I had a Facebook conversation with Russell Shaub a while ago after posting an image of the receipt for my dad’s first car purchased in 1928 from Boyle’s garage. He pointed out the address for Boyle’s was the same address as his childhood home, 415 Johnson St. Today Wilson’s is listed as 417. Russell Shaub's home was the white home next to Wilson’s that was torn down. The front of Wilson’s is brick now but that could have been added after your photo. The slope of the ground seems similar.

Thank you to Steve Yaskewich and Joe Moore, and to Russell Shaub, who supplied this photo and information about his childhood home.

Steve Yaskewich on the local Ford Dealers:
Before 1922 - J.W. Boyle
About 1922 to 1933 - John Danko (Harvey bio says began 1919)
1934 to 1938 - August Gross
1939 to early 1954 - unknown (during the War Years there was no production)
November 1954 to present - Feussner Ford

CT: This led to further conversation about who had which car dealerships in town, which resulted in a page on local car dealerships.



Recent obituary for former Freelander Hugh Hughes, posted 5-14-2021

Also from son Bill Morgan on another topic:
I’ve attached an obituary of a Freeland native, from our newspaper here in Arizona.

Pat Ferko Miller also sent me a copy of the obituary of Hugh Hughes. Thanks to both Bill and Pat, who thought that Freeland area residents should know about Hugh Hughes and his passing. – CT




Featured photos: Ice skating, 1930s-1960s, with photos from John Zubach and a Norm Zeisloft photo from Ed Merrick, posted March 22, 2021

So many of us growing up in the Freeland area over the years enjoyed the fun and exuberance of ice skating. Here are a few photos from 1939 and the 1960s that show what that was like. Visit the Ice skating webpage to see more, including some local reporting and ads from the 1920s-1940s.


Skating near the beaver dam along the road to Upper Lehigh

 Skating pond between Freeland and Upper Lehigh, ca. 1939 From Ed Merrick: This is a photo taken in 1939 of a frozen pond along the Freeland-Upper Lehigh road. It was taken by Norm Zeisloft, a Freeland native, who became a photographer in the Air Force and later worked at the St. Petersburg Times, now the Tampa Bay Times, where I served as an editor for 32 years. I remember skating on such ponds in the woods, so this photo is especially precious to me. I remember skating there and gathering around a bonfire to get warm.

Marion Denion also remembers this pond as a very popular place to skate in the 1930s-1940s, and that people would build fires around the pond to keep warm during breaks from skating.


Skating on the ice rink made near the public park

 Skating near the Public Park  Skating near the Public Park  Skating near the Public Park







These were cropped and enhanced from three photos from John Zubach showing skaters enjoying the rink next to the Public Park. Visit the Ice skating webpage to see the originals along with some local reporting and ads from the 1920s-1940s.



Jeddo Progressive Club, group photo from John Zubach


Jeddo Progressive Club event invitation
A while ago I bought this postcard that has printed along the left side: Annual Ball, Thanksgiving Eve. No year, and nothing on the back. So it's an event announcement. I don't know whether this house is just chosen as a representative image of a worker's house in Jeddo, or if there's any possibility that the club might have met there.





The only other thing in my files about this club is this very interesting group photo that I'd gotten from John Zubach some years ago, now given to the Freeland Historical Society.

Jeddo Progressive Club 1894 Jeddo Progressive Club 1894















Names on the poster, top to bottom, left to right:

A. X. McGill, B. Ferry, J. J. Marley
F. J. McHugh, D. J. McGlynn, J. J. Brislin
P. J. McNelis, P. Marley, J. E. Quigley, J. M. McHugh, A. T. McNelis
P. Timony, D. J. Marley (center), D. J. Timony
P. McMonigal, C. McCole, P. McHugh, C. M. Gallagher, J. S. Coll
P. J. Gillespie, P. D. Brislin, C. P. McGill, D. J. Boyle
J. C. Burns, J. J. Gallagher, H. B. Brislin

Written across bottom: Jeddo Progressive Club, Organized Nov. 9th 1888

Written (slanted) near bottom right: Freeland Pa. March 28th 1894

Written (slanted) near bottom left: J. J. Ward Photographer


What is this club? If you know anything about it and would be willing to share, we could post that information here.





Freeland Historical Society Open House - Sept. 15, 2018 - 1:00-4:00 p.m.

FHS Girls Basketball team, 1919-1920 The Freeland Historical Society will host its first Open House on Saturday, September 15 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. The Society has been meeting monthly since its formation in 2007, and they’ve chosen their Open House date to celebrate Freeland’s incorporation as a borough on September 11, 1876. This is a free event! Stop by and see a display of some of the memorabilia that the Society has collected. There will be a small sale of duplicate yearbooks and other items. Please come and experience some of the Freeland area’s history. The Society’s headquarters is in the Seniors Building at the corner of Washington and Chestnut Streets.

This photo from the Society shows the Freeland High School Girls Basketball Team, seated on the grounds of DCM, with the old St. John's Reformed Church in the background (before the brick church was built).




Frank Ceol plowing snow with the help of Jim Boyle's horses, and views of the winter of 1914 (with thanks to Marie Marencin and Ed Socha) - posted 12-31-17

Frank Ceol plowing snow 1914 Marie Marencin told me that her father Frank Ceol was a cowboy before he moved to Freeland a little more than a century ago, and that when he was new to Freeland he worked at Jim Boyle's livery stable on Johnson Street (in front of what would later be the site of Freeland High). That was already exciting information - a cowboy! And another livery stable, one I hadn't known of. Around the same time that I spoke with Marie, Ed Socha alerted me to this newspaper clipping showing Marie's father plowing snow in 1914 with Jim Boyle's plow and horses. The newspaper clipping is used courtesy of the Standard Speaker.





Frank Ceol, cowboy Frank Ceol Frank was born in 1896, and he moved to Freeland from Oregon in 1913 (so, around age 17). When he was a child, he and his older sister Anna rode a horse to the one-room schoolhouse they attended. He only went to school through 2nd grade, but he could read and write. Marie said that in the coal mines they spelled his name "Cole." His brother Joe's wife Ruth (Horn) Ceol was one of my Girl Scout leaders in the 1950s-1960s. These two photos come from Marie Marencin; the  sepia tone images were "washed in Google images" by Charlie Gallagher to make them greyscale and visually sharper.


Jim Boyle had been at that Johnson Street location at least since 1912; he was listed in the 1912 and 1917 phone books this way: "Boyle, James W., Con & Bldr, Johnson nr Alvin." In the 1921-1922 Freeland directory he's listed: "Boyle, James W., 415 Johnson" under the heading Contractors and Builders. In the 1928-1929 directory there's this: "Boyle, James W. (Rebecca; Boyle's Garage), Lumber, Building, Roofing and Contractors Materials, General Contractor and Stripper, 415 Johnson." No mentions of a livery stable anywhere, though. Marie Marencin told me that his daughter Mary Boyle was the Home Economics teacher at Freeland High School.

Speaking of Frank Ceol plowing snow in 1914, Freeland had at least one spectacular blizzard that year and quite an intense winter, remembered on these four postcards (some previously featured here). The photo at left looking north at a pair of horses pulling a sleigh down Centre Street is shared courtesy of Carol Jones and the Freeland Historical Society. The horses are just about in front of the drug store and hotel shown in the second photo.

Blizzard 1914 Blizzard 1914 Ice storm 1914 Blizzard 1914 Close-up, blizzard 1914





The photo showing Schilcher's Drug Store and the St. Elmo Hotel came to me from John Zubach, as did the one of DCM during an ice storm. The fourth photo was seen on eBay and is looking south toward the Front and Centre intersection; the enlarged crop gives a sense of how much of a hassle it must have been getting around in the snow in 1914. The poles holding up an awning at far right in that photo mark the entrance to Amandus Oswald's general store. The photo with Schilcher's Drug Store and the St. Elmo Hotel was published in the Pennysaver in 1969 with this caption:
"Photo on Centre St. after blizzard, March 1914 - looking north. We're informed that this is the storm a young girl lost her life in when she froze while out for a buggy ride. This picture comes to us through the courtesy of A. L. Mitke, who also gave us the identities of some of the people pictured here. Left to right: Antone Leppler, unknown, Tony Leppler, small boy unknown, Willy Dougherty in sweater, prop. of the St. Elmo Hotel."

Dr. Frank Schilcher was listed in the 1882-1884, 1884-1886, 1886-1888, 1895, 1897 and 1901 directories as a physician and often also as a druggist, always at the same location on Centre between Front and Walnut streets. In 1895 he was also listed as Secretary of the Freeland Water Company.












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Site contructed by C. Tancin.
The URL for this page is: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/
past_featured_photos3.html