Main Street Looking West
Dushore, PA
Early Twentieth Century
Recognizeable Businesses Include Pealer's Drug Store, V. B. Holcombe
Fuerniture and Undertaking,
J. S. Hoffa & Co., J. M. Crimmins Clothing, and Cunningham Stone Mason. The sprie of St. Basil protrudes above the line of buildings.
Photo Courtesy of Deb Wilson
Source: An Old Postcard Auctioned on eBay in the Summer of 2012
Click on the photo itself for an expandable version, or click on the other links for enhanced snapshots
of
part of the overall postcard photo. The back of the original had no indications of the exact date, but various commentators have estimated 1904-1918.
Main Street East from Center Street
Dushore, PA
Date Unknown But Railroad Trestle Visible at End of Street
From HISTORY OF
DUSHORE BOROUGH FIRST SETTLERS John MOSIER, was a native of Switzerland, and there married Elizabeth BAREY, a daughter of Peter BAREY. They came to America in 1820, locating first in New Jersey, later at Harrisburg, then near Cunningham, and then at Sugar Hill, probably about 1823. Mr. MOSIER was a blacksmith by trade. His children were:
Theodore PHINEY, a native of Connecticut, built a log house near the falls, in what is now Dushore in 1819. He never occupied the house himself, but John STOWERS occupied it for some time. About 1818 a sawmill was built at the same place, this rotted down, and in 1825 or 1826, James MURRAY built a grist mill where the saw-mill had been located. The grist-mill was owned and operated by John DIEFFENBACH, from 1840 to 1850, when the property was sold to S.F. HEADLEY, just previous to the great flood, which took out the grist-mill and the mill pond. The mill was rebuilt by Mr. HEADLEY in 1854. In 1829, Matthew McDOWELL, erected a building for a store on the lands now owned by George H. WELLES, on the North side of Main street, and engaged in the mercantile business. The store was in charge of Henry W. COOPER, who later purchased the business of McDOWELL. Mr. COOPER erected another building as his business increased. On May 17, 1834, McDOWELL bought of Freeman FAIRCHILD, about four acres of land joining his store lot for $50. May 6, 1836, he sold the same land to B. COOLBAUGH, who sold out to Samuel JACKSON, March 21, 1837. Samuel JACKSON, was one of the leading businessmen of Dushore. His ancestors came to Pennsylvania with William PENN, locating in Chester Co. For many generations they were connected with the Society of Friends or Quakers. A branch of the family settled Catawissa, PA. From there he moved with his father to Toronto, Canada, where both engaged in manufacturing hats, being hatters by trade. In the war of 1812, Samuel JACKSON joined the United States army, holding the rank of Captain. At the close of the war the family moved to Cherry township, engaging in the mercantile business, first on Bahr's hill or Cherry hill, as it was then known. Seeing that the business interests would eventually be moved from Cherry hill to Dushore, or Mosier Hollow as it was then called, Mr. JACKSON moved his business from Cherry hill to the hollow, where Dushore is now located. The parents of Samuel JACKSON were Samuel and Hanna (DAVIS) JACKSON, and to them were born eleven children:
Samuel JACKSON, the third son of Samuel and Hanna (DAVIS) JACKSON, married Miss Hanna SHINER, of Berwick, Sept. 29, 1814. She was a daughter of Andrew SHINER, who had the contract to build the Turnpike from near the Long Pond to Monroeton. Mr. JACKSON died January 25, 1840. To Mr. and Mrs. JACKSON were born ten children:
Samuel J., merchant at Dushore. Henry HUFFMAN, a native of Germany, came to America about 1840, and settled at Dushore, buying a lot from John MOSIER, and engaging in the harness business, on Main street, where the HOFFA homestead is now located. He soon commenced tanning the leather he used in making harness. Some years later he went to Reading where he expected to enter the tanning business on a larger scale. In 1849 his health failed and he returned to Dushore, hoping to be benefited by the change of climate, but he died within two weeks, on August 19, 1849. His son, Christian HOFFMAN, who had gone with the father to Reading, returned, and after his father's death, remained at Dushore, where he was engaged in the harness business. Jacob DIEFFENBACH came to Dushore
in 1829. He was born in Montgomery county in 1775. He was
a son of Conrad DIEFFENBACH ** who was born at Baden,
Germany, in 1743, and emigrated to America in 1764,
locating at Falkner Swamp, PA. There he married Catherine
BETZ. He afterward moved to Montgomery county. He had
eleven children, Jacob being the third son. Jacob
DIEFFENBACH was a miller by trade, and married Chrstina
GARDNER of Lycoming county. They reared a large family
and their descendants are very numerous in eastern and
northern Sullivan county. Mr. DIEFFENBACH died in 1860,
and his wife 1859. Their children were:
John DIEFFENBACH, their son, was born in Columbia county, PA., in 1813. In 1829 he came to Dushore with his parents and from 1840 to 1850, owned and operated the gristmill. In 1850 he purchased a farm near Dushore, where he lived until the closing years of his life. In 1857 he was elected county commissioner and re-elected in 1860. He married Elizabeth HOFFA, a daughter of Jacob and Catherine (SWALLOW) HOFFA. She was born in Schuylkill county in 1819. Mrs. DIEFFENBACH died in 1886. Mr. DIEFFENBACH married again, his second wife being Mrs. Caroline SUBER, the widow of Benjamin SUBER. She was a sister of his first wife. Mr. DIEFFENBACH died at Sayre, PA. in 1903. To John and Elizabeth DIEFFENBACH were born:
William McHENRY, was born in
Fishing Creek township, Columbia county, in 1818. He came
to Dushore in 1859. Mr. McHENRY belongs to a family which
located in America before the Revolutionary war.** The
pioneer, Daniel McHENRY, was born in Scotland in 1736,
and on coming to America, located in Columbia county. He
was a sergeant of a company in the Revolutionary war. He
married Mary STEVENS, who was the mother of eight
children. A son, Daniel McHENRY, Jr., married Polly
COLEMAN, and to them were born ten children; of these,
William, the subject of this sketch, was twice married,
his first wife being Charity A. ALBERSON, a daughter of
William ALBERSON, of Columbia County. Of this union two
children were born. In 1850 he married Priscilla KINSLEY,
a daughter of Dr. Charles KINSLEY, of Dushore, and to
them seven children were born. His children were:
Cornelius CRONIN came to Dushore in 1857. He purchased 80 acres of land of John MOSIER. On this land a large portion of the town is now located. Mr. CRONIN was a native of County Core, Ireland. He came to America at an early date and taught school for some time when a young man. He was twice married, his first wife being Elizabeth STALFORD, a daughter of John R. STALFORD, of Wyalusing. His second wife was Mary McDUFFEE. Mr. CRONIN was engaged in the mercantile and tanning business. He died in 1893 at the age of 85 years. His children were:
Peter MOSIER was born in
Switzerland in 1819. He was a son of John and Elizabeth
(BAREY) MOSIER. The family came to America in 1820, and
after a brief stay at Harrisburg and Cunningham, came to
Sugar Hill, Cherry township, probably about 1823, and in
1825 moved to the valley where Dushore is now located.
Peter MOSIER purchased 25 acres of land from his father,
now owned by Willis P. MOSIER. In 1841 he married
Caroline HOTTENSTEIN, a daughter of Jacob HOTTENSTEIN, of
Overton. The history of the HOTTENSTEINs dates back to
380 A.D., in Austria. The American branch of the family
dates back to 1729, when three brothers settled in Berks
county. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Peter MOSIER were:
Joseph DIBLING came to Dushore from
Fishing Creek, Columbia county, in 1849. He married Anna
THALL, a daughter of Dennis and Magdaline THALL, natives
of Germany, who came to America in 1820, locating in
Philadelphia, and in 1820 settled in Cherry township. Mr.
DIBLING was a wheelwright, and worked at his trade. He
and his son Frank, also engaged in the undertaking
business, which is now conducted by Dibling & Martin.
Mr. DIBLING built the Dushore house and also the building
now occupied by Mr. UTZ's blacksmith shop. Mr. DIBLING
died in 1885 aged 72 years, and Mrs. DIBLING in 1900. Their children were:
Aaron HOFFA, came from Northumberland county to Dushore in 1854. He was born in Schuylkill county. He married Mary SHERRY, who was also a native of Schuylkill county. Mr. HOFFA purchased a small tannery, which had been built by Jesse STALFORD, some time previous, on the site where Henry HUFFMAN erected a small tannery some time after 1840. Mr. HOFFA engaged in the tanning business until 1863, when he died. The business was conducted for some time after by the estate and later by J.S. HOFFA, of Dushore. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Aaron HOFFA were:
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