Volume Three Issue Twelve December 2018
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The History Center on Main Street
83 and 61 North Main Street
Mansfield, PA
The Museum of Us
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Director- Joyce M. Tice: President - Deb Talbot Bastian: V.P - Amy Welch: Sec. - Sylvia Kuhl-Yamashita
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1857 - Mansfield's First Ordinance
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Mansfield incorporated as a borough in February 1857. The first meeting of the borough council occurred in April of that year. It was held at the railroad depot. As a newly created borough, the council's top priority was to clean up the town and make it worthy of its new status.
The first ordinance discussed and passed had to do with animals running at large in the borough.
" Be it ordained .. That it is unlawful for the owner of any horse, mare or gelding, cattle, sheep, hogs or geese to permit or suffer the same to run at large in the borough."
The fine for allowing horses, cattle or hogs to run loose was fifty cents per head per offense. Geese or sheep running at large incurred a fine to the owner of ten cents per head per offense. An exception allowed milch cows to be at large in the borough from sunrise in the morning until 9 at night from April 1st to December 1st.
Additional, and more complicated and stricter rules concerning domestic animals at large were passed at other times over the years. They allowed for the impounding of loose animals and even selling them.
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The borough's first resolution passed at the same meeting and was also designed to give some polish to Mansfield. Sidewalks would get the people out of the muddy streets.
Are those boards lying on the street in this 1857 photo part of the new sidewalk building program? (That same brick building, originally Elliott's Pharmacy, is still with us as the florist shop.)
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The council resolved that sidewalks were to be built on most of the streets in the borough. They were "to be properly graded and made of plank 1 1/2 inches thick laid on suitable stringers and firmly nailed thereunto and to be 5 1/4 feet wide the planks to be laid crosswise of the walk ." On the east side of Main Street "between the burying ground gate and the bottom of the hill" there was to be a gravel walk the same width. The sidewalks were to be finished by July 1st
By October, the council agreed to let out the building of those not yet completed to the lowest bidder. Apparently the property owners were to build the sidewalks themselves or pay for their construction.
Both the ordinance and the resolution seem intended to give some polish to the little farm village that had become a borough. It needed to upgrade to its new elevated status. These were transitional steps between rural and town living. Looking at the council issues of 1857 gives us a picture of Mansfield that differs so much from our present day life style.
Many thanks to Lynnette Hoyt and the Borough Council for access to the ledgers, and to Steve McCloskey for transporting them back and forth for us to scan. This preservation project ensures that these pages will be with us for a long time.
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History Center to Host 50th Anniversary of 1969 Mansfield High School Basketball State Championship
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The History Center will commemorate one of the greatest events in Mansfield history by hosting a community-wide open-house celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Mansfield High School's 1969 boys basketball team capturing the PIAA Class B State Championship.
The open-house, featuring exhibits of 1969 memorabilia along with video interviews of the late head coach Rich Miller and Les Evans, will be held on Saturday, March 16 and Sunday, March 17, 2019 at the History Center on Main Street from noon to 5 p.m.
50 years ago, when the team returned to Mansfield from beating Frazier High School 66-43 to capture the state championship before a standing-room only crowd at the Harrisburg Farm Show Arena, their bus was met 35 miles south of Mansfield by borough police for an escort into downtown Mansfield. A crowd estimated at more than 4,000 strong greeted the first and only state championship team in school history with wild enthusiasm and pride. Seven area high school bands performed during the celebration capped off with then Mayor Ernest Vosburg presenting Head Coach Rich Miller with a golden key to the borough.
Join us in remembering one of the greatest periods in our history when the History Center hosts this 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Mansfield High School State Championship Basketball Team on Saturday and Sunday, March 16 and 17, 2019 from noon to 5 p.m. at the History Center on Main Street. Share with us your memories of this great event and relive one of the greatest achievements in Mansfield history.
Refreshments will be served.
Photo above of Coach Rich Miller after a shower fully-clothed
, likely not voluntary.
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History of the Tioga Valley Grange
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The Patrons of Husbandry Organization or Grange
has been an important resource for farm families for many generations. We are presenting several articles from the Mansfield Advertiser on the history of the Tioga Valley Grange in Mansfield.
From 1890 to 1970, this chapter was active in Mansfield. The building, which was built 1917, housed many events and businesses other than the grange meetings. It was razed in January 1971, a year before the Hurricane Agnes flood hit our town.
Photo from Marcia Crumb-Ehrhardt
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A Pictorial History of the Mansfield High School Buildings
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Alcohol Ink Art Class coming in January at The Museum of Us
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The photo shows a nested set of four coasters created with the alcohol ink process.
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We've had a year of high productivity in 2018. Not only were we able, with the generous help of the community, to get our museum looking great, we also had increased staffing which allowed us to do many projects that had long been waiting in the wings. In addition to our long time volunteers, Donna Bentley Davey, Kathy McQuaid, Pat Newell Smith, Mary Robinson-Slabey and Linda Rashidi, we had abundant help from the university.
Evan Johnson and Carrie McSurdy were our very capable interns. Work Study students were Jackie Miller who graduated in May, Sam Finch, Emily Liros, a December graduate, Joshua Johnson, Alexandra Timmins and Bailey Miller as well as Ethan McQuaid. They are all very reliable and productive helpers.
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Have You Missed Previous Newsletters?
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Memberships Make Our Work Possible
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Annual memberships are an important part of keeping us operating. Please consider a new or renewed membership.
Renew for 2019 or become a new member
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The History Center on Main Street
570-250-9829
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The History Center on Main Street provided no goods or services in exchange for your contribution. Your contribution is deductible to the extent provided by law. The official registration and financial information of The History Center on Main Street, may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement
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