James “Jimmy” Sampson, lived and operated a business in our community for his whole life. Born in Covington in 1905, the son of Hattie Wilcox and Fred Sampson, he operated the first filling station between Elmira and Williamsport from the time he was sixteen until his death in 1974 at age 68. This was at Richard’s Bridge which is on old Route 15 and Route 660. The main building is still there a hundred years later.

In his youth he raised chickens and sold eggs. In 1918, he received a Certificate of Patriotism for growing a war garden. In 1921, his parents opened the first filling station between Elmira and Williamsport. At that time, some grocery or other stores had a gas pump, but not full auto service. The station included a small restaurant, and they cut ice from the river in the winter for their summer refrigeration. Jimmy was sixteen at the time and started right away to run the station with his parents and later with his wife, Lucille Ames, whom he married in 1937.

The Sampsons also built tourist cabins at their Locust Camp as they named it. These were a popular mode of travel accommodation at the time. By 1952, Jimmy and his wife Lucille, replaced some of the cabins with a six-unit Sampson’s Motel and added more units in 1954.

Jimmy like to play dominoes and cards. He liked to fish, including ice-fishing. He and his wife traveled all over the country. They went to Florida 14 timed and frequently to Canada for fishing. He ran for Tioga county treasurer in 1936.

 These are all normal activities for a man of his time. What is extraordinary is that Jimmy was blinded in a game of war in the schoolyard when he was thirteen. A play arrow hit him in the eye. While in the hospital, infection damaged the other eye.

Jimmy continued his life quite as he would have had this not happened. He pumped gas, counted change, and kept inventory all by the tip of his fingers.

Along the way he was the subject of many newspaper articles and write-ups in gas company newsletters, regionally and nationally, for his extraordinary ability to carry on a productive life. We are fortunate to know quite a bit about him from a scrapbook his grandson, Randy, compiled on the life of his grandfather. This includes many family photos of his progress along the way. It even includes a few of Jimmy’s playing cards notched so he could recognize them.

Our September journal, Voices From the Archives, will include a more detailed article of James Sampson’s life with many more photos. This is available to History Center members, so be sure your dues are current so you can read about Jimmy and other interesting local people. This will be available in Mid-September. You can stop in and look at Jimmy's scrapbook anytime we are open.

The July issue is ready now for mailing. If you are in town, stop in to pick yours up and save us some postage money.

September 25 we will hold a pork barbecue next to our museum served by Rolling Smoke Barbecue. We will also commemorate the 110th anniversary of the tragic death of exhibition pilot, Tony Castellane, at the Great Mansfield Fair in 1911.

 Blossburg/North Penn High School Yearbooks

·        Liberty High School and Williamson Yearbooks

·        Old Phone Books (1920s to 1990s)

·        Local House Photos past or present (High resolution digital, or bring printed originals in, and we will scan them. Identify photos by street and number address)

On the back of the museum is a small addition of four rooms that has been used as an apartment as far back as the 1870s, possibly originally intended as housing for the church's minister, but that's a guess.

We are well into moving our library and archives to the new space in the museum. We still need to complete the external work on the back of the building. Donations are still needed to help us complete the upgrades we have started.

Consider a gift membership. Members will receive our 40 page printed journal by mail 4 to 6 times a year with new articles that have never been researched before and outstanding photos to illustrate. Share your love of the Mansfield area with your friends and family.

It's the only way we can continue offering our important services to the community.

Family $50

Individual $35

Senior (Over 65) $25

Business Level $100

Lifetime $500

MHS Class Memorial $200

Checks to

The History Center

83 N. Main Street

Mansfield PA 16933

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