Borough of Etna - Centennial Festivities Yearbook (Etna, PA)

Page 24 text:

V, ,, -1 N l Bf Mil 'P,.f-.- an , .sadne- f KITE HILL-SITE OF ETNA HIGH SCHOOL The hill pictured here is the present location of Etna ,round of the neirhhorhood. The area from Hicfh Street Sfjffflfllftg north to Pine Creek was the property rf Norman Span. This later heeame the Spanff Plan and Albert D. Jones rememhers aeeompanyini his father, who was arent for the development company, when he plaffefl the numhered pe for the lots 'trout If 5. The lJlfflUl'f ins preserxer lay the fort-si. ht of tin Fisher who lrougght at pu li- auction many ol the 9 , V X J, my s f ' . li it W 4 T High School. It was called Kite Hill and was a play- .Q ,H f' D 4 C . gg C 2, f H . Qs - rl ll 1 1 f l f gg xlrl Q ln 1 20 glass negatives sold at the dissolution of the Charles Eiszler Store, 1967. The Spang Plan was started about 1908 and developed slowly as the country was not over the Panic of 1907. Many today will recognize it as the site of the Etna High School. At this time the Spang home was moved from the vicinity of the playground to its present position where it is known as the '4Chalfant Housew and owned by the women's clubs. N t t l s

Page 23 text:

.Ile ..,, r J'-y a - 4' ,,,.Y .. Y-r-ul 91- - ' , -id L 5' V- - ., s I are Lf 5.5. .fi .. , .in-' ' ' - 8 V- lg: , VF, , nm . 5- - H -rv s- -f-Sffaggr-sf-vi'-'vi ' ' , ' ,,, .Q-f'-vfrj, . ?ii?.t1fff 8 1 ll ' 1 . W,-1.7 -.,.. .. , .ea . 'l 2 -,..---1 , .. mt' A - . -, .. 'V' -v,.,-... ........r- -V ix Jacob L. Elsesser and daughter, Mrs. Anton Mell, next door to Hieber Wagon Shop. Dominant among the early nationalities were the Germans. This exodus from the Rhine Valley followed the terrible Napoleonic Wars. They desired land and political and religous freedom as well as escape from l long years of compulsory military service. They had to find homes where land was cheap and undeveloped. Among them were: the Hiebers from Wurtemburgg s i Bavaria. A few Swiss also became residents, such as members of the Zeh and Andres families. lThe Morlock Plain was developed back of Locust Street and a ceme- tery plot set aside on the hill. A leader of the German settlers was Daniel Hieber. Born in Wurtemburg, Germany in 1788, he emigrated to Philadelphia first in 1833 and then to Etna, 1835. ...annou- nee:--1 S.. Jacob Elsesser a native of Brumath in the rovince of He opened a waffon and blacksmith sho on the ro - , P n P P P Alsaceg Henry Ochse, the first burgess of Etna was erty where Ogrodnick's Funeral Home is located. It born in 1820 in the province of Hesse Cassel and the was then called Centerville. present mayor, Clarence Metzger, had progenitors from 1 . - , ,. . A. . wp Y Kg 'J1 . r -- r- ' , xxx 'al N , . , ,. ' at LT- -f V f ' Y 4 -d,,,,.,,f ..g...:L.w-,..f . xl 3 tt. ,V A i J, ...Y v l it , ' , ..-.F-T--' : .ii .1714 l i 2 x X X. ,.1 .... 8 r .W .. 1 h-at Q +P-Q1 1 c - 1 , I -. 3199 .1-ff is 1- . H V ' 1 N X f-sf N---0 7 f. gi ,. A V I I I X :Em--. -..f ..T.....-.-.,,. ,..., '--- 1' . lg. ' T ' . .V 'fli Q -- 'N . l fm 1 fi l ' hi. til ' . -ff so A L. 2 1 was ..-4 .,, E 1 r M X . g 1 fa-The . Q '7 -f' , , '. ' F 'A ' t ' -1 ' LX 'l xg 1 ga ' 1 - ' yi N- .1 ' V - K4 i 1 'l as . - . 1- ip -aa its 5 , gstaf A ,J , . -. V-L 1 . ,L 'rf ' ' . ' .1 , ,Q ff: . -4 an .1 4 4 'J-J 1? ' i 'Y l V, 1 N if V VA 1 A, I' I - ' V 1 1 A ' 1 ' Q. ' 5'f'lLT'i , 'f2+, jf-f - 'fa t f U ' ' ' .-14 - -I V 'u -fm. 5... . . A l , '-if Y f r Vp-si, P-' Wagon shop of Dgu1ie'l'HT6IlEl'.- boy second from left is John Sandrock f1881J. hrsight was Otto Schultz, former Prussian mercenary, married to Loretta Hieher. S - K. .,,V . mall I9

Page 25 text:

l A i ., .J ... .V.....- -- - -r n ff 4'Eff,,J,S,.?1Tt...,..L.4,L.,:1':, 'r.'1 ' .....,s. 4 .gt .zz thu- -7 p .. . . . ' , t '.,6 f.vx, . EWnWi T '25F -4- ,H-1 F - . -.-.fem .-0. 'V A ,iq nf 1 1 ' '11 ' '!, 'Y ' . 'W ' - ff: ' Miz' ,i buf stifiz-I t M4 3.1, 'A' 4 , v- ' fy btw 1,1 . fl G-:JEL 1 lg. 1 f .J 1 . . . . . I I -'ll 'f 4 4.,'f.,1:.t,-qlj' .X4ufnt.t.t.g.u.. ., , -- ,.: J-Ht. . . . -- H, 'fi I h ' 5 '4 I ISABELLA FURNACE .ggi , The 18805 marked the beginning f a great change in immigration. lndustry needed many workers, who dissatisfied with poor wages considered the advantages of some type of labor organization. There were terrific strikes in 1392, including Spang Chalfant and Co. The titans of industry were considering contract laborers from south and east Europe, There is no proof to show that operators in this area resorted to such activity, however, many workers came to Etna from Austria- Hungary, fof which Croatia was a partl the Balkan states, Italy and,.tl:te.,l,l.lcrJ3.i.nf2..AII1CIiCj1 beckoned to their young men and they came hoping, to make a better living. Typical of this group are the lftdesu ind Vinski families. They came from Croatia. Peter Lade- sic, Sr.. landed in New York via Amsterdam about 1886 and came to Millvale where he got a job in lie-nnett's lVlill. He later came to Etna and worked at Spang's until 1902. when he received his naturalization papers. Nicholas Trdina, Sr.. came from Tapusko. Croatia and arrived in Etna in June 6. in 1912. He worked for many years at the lsabella Furnaces of U. S. Steel, and Morris Spelie who became assistant Superintendent of Isabella Furnace came here as a boy from Yugoslavia. 2l