History

This little village is situated on the "pike" about six miles east of Brookville, and has about one hundred inhabitants. The census of 1880 gives its population as fifty-seven, showing, according to the population now claimed by the citizens, an increase of almost one-half more. It contains one hotel, two stores, one blacksmith shop, and twenty dwellings. The hotel, which was built about the year 1843 by Jacob Kroh, is now kept by Emanuel Weiser, who came to the township from Northumberland in 1852, and engaged in lumbering and merchandising. He started his present store at Emerickville in 1870. The other store is owned by George Zetler, Jr., who removed to Emerickville from Philadelphia in 1848. His father, the late Edward Zetler, when he came to the place with his family in that year, found it impossible to find a dwelling house, and was obliged to move into a school-house on the Moore farm until he could erect a house.

The blacksmith shop is owned by E. Weiser. The first blacksmith was George Gray, who rang the anvil in 1858. The shop is now run by George Raymer.

There are two churches, the Lutheran Church, on the Bliss farm, and the Methodist on the Moore farm. There is also a new church being built by the denomination known as the Church of God.

Source: History of Jefferson County Pennsylvania, Kate M. Scott, 1888.

Emerickville Post Office

Emerickville - Postmasters: Emanuel Weiser, May 6, 1872; George Zetler, April 13,1881; Emanuel Weiser, December 17, 1885; George Zetler, April 27, 1889; Emanuel Weiser, August 30, 1893; C.A. Burkhouse, September 25, 1897; R.D. Markle, February 20, 1903. Discontinued February 28, 1906. Mail to Brookville.

Source: Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People, Vol. 1,1800-1915, Willaim J. McKnight, 1917.

Remembrances of Emerickville

The following is description of the Emerckville area as I remember it while growing up there in the 1940's and 1950's. I offer it since I can find no comparable written history. Since this account is based upon memories, it is by no means complete and probably in some instances not completely accurate, but it is my best attempt. I have incorporated the contributions of others in this description and solicit further input from anyone who can add to its content or perhaps correct any errors that I may have included. I will endeavor to update it periodically, so keep checking back.

Bill Mohney

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During the 1940's and 1950's there were three combination service stations and country stores which served the residents of Emerickville. One on the southwest corner of the intersection of U.S. Route 322 and the Lutheran Church Road, the second operated by Tom Johns located north of Route 322 about one half mile south of the previously described intersection and adjacent to the Max Allshouse farm and the third, owned and operated by the Fyock family, north of Route 322 across the highway from the Emerickville Church of God. These establishments served not only as a source of groceries, gasoline and other miscellaneous merchandise for area residents, but also as a center of social life within the community. The "gas stations", as they were commonly called, contained chairs, and in some instances benches, on which area residents congregated in the evenings and on weekends to talk and socialize. This practice was commonly referred to as "loafing". The topics of discussion included matters of local and national interest and, of course, local gossip. Sports were always favorite topics, including hunting, fishing and baseball. The local Emerickville baseball team, the Brookville "Grays" and the Pittsburgh Pirates were always hot topics. Boxing also became a favorite topic of discussion around 1950 with the advent of television. Occasionally an undesirable word might sneak into the conversations being held. At one time one of the gas stations contained a sign reading: "NO CUSSING OR NO LOAFING - TAKE YOU CHOICE".

The Fyock and Johns establishments were one-story buildings. Tom Johns' gas station contained living quarters in the rear of the building. The front of this building had an extended roof under which a car could drive and park during refueling. If memory serves me correctly, the Fyock service station had a similar covered drive-through. The Fyock station was across Route 322 and slightly east of the Mile Hill Elementary School. Fyock's was within walking distance of the school and for a time students were permitted to walk to the station at lunchtime to purchase candy, pop or some other treats to their liking. The danger posed to younger children in crossing the highway to get to the Fyock's station was probably the ultimate limiting factor in this activity. In addition, competition developed in the form of an ice cream shop opened directly across the highway from the elementary school in the home of Alfred Dempsey. At Dempsey's students from the school could buy ice cream cones and other frozen novelties at reasonable prices during their lunch period.

The gas station at the intersection of the Lutheran Church Road was a two story structure owned, I believe, by the Patriotic Order Sons of America (POS of A), a fraternal organization. The first floor contained the store facility with living quarters in the rear. The entire second floor of this building, with exception of a cloak room, was a large meeting hall that was used as a meeting room for the POS of A, for community social and civic events and as a meeting place for other organizations, such as, the Pine Creek Township Sportsmen's Club in it's early years and the Grange. Adjacent to the store, on the south side, was a grease pit and grease rack. This consisted of a wooden structure, perhaps several feet high, built over a shallow pit dug into the ground. The wooden rack was constructed in such a way that a car could be driven onto it over the pit to perform oil changes, grease jobs or repairs.

This store was operated by a number of individuals over the years including Herb Shobert, Harold "Lefty" Schuckers, Jess Mullins and Clarence Swartz.

Its inventory of merchandise was the most extensive of the three stores. In addition to groceries, animal foods for cattle, pigs, chickens and dogs was also available for sale. The sacks for some of this feed were made from cloth that contained various decorations and designs. These feed sacks were valued as a source of material for the creation of articles of clothing. The building that previously served as the store has been converted to a residence.

Several social events held in the POS of A Hall that I attended as a child stand out in my mind. On one, and possibly two occasions, "Slim" Bryant and his Wildcats, a professional country music entertainment group, entertained at the Hall. This group was a regular performer on KDKA radio in Pittsburgh and were the only "professional" entertainment that I know to perform in Emerickville. The second event was a mock wedding staged by male members of the Pine Creek Township Sportsmen's Club. Although my memory is vague, this event may have been held in the Club building constructed by the Sportsmen near the intersection of the Route 322 and the Iowa road.

During the 1940's and 1950's the Pine Creek Township Sportsmen's Club and its members and facilities provided a focal point for community and conservation activities in Emerickville. After meeting during it's early years in the POS of A Hall, the Club constructed its own Club building, complete with kitchen facilities (and indoor plumbing) in the late 1940's (an estimate) on land purchased north of Route 322 near its intersection with the Iowa Road. In addition to the Club Building, other facilities created on that property over a period years included a pond covering 1-2 acres, a ball field, live stock barns and shooting and archery ranges. These facilities provided the means for sponsoring and holding athletic and social events by the Sportsmen's Club and other groups, as well as, commercial activities such as merchants' and agricultural shows.

Social activities held in the community were those sponsored by the area churches and the Sportsmen's Club. In addition, there was always a local baseball team that played a schedule in the late spring and summer with other teams from the area, such as, Siegel, Reynoldsville, etc. Swimming was also a popular summer activity in Sandy Lick Creek usually around the local bridges over that creek, at O'Donnell, Fuller and Iowa. The most popular swimming hole seemed to be the one located one hundred yards or so south of the Iowa Bridge.

Bill Mohney

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