Red Lion Area High School - Lion Yearbook (Red Lion, PA)

Page 28 text:

DR. JOHN M. HYSON - FATHER OF RED LlON . One of Red Lion's pioneer citizens, and surely one of its leading promoters for over 55 years, Dr. Hyson was born in Hopewell Township in 1850 and moved to Red Lion after graduating from the Baltimore College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1875. He was a dominant force behind Red Lion's incorporation, served on the first borough coun- cil, and was Borough Treasurer until his death in 1931. He was also a pioneer in Red Lion education, having served on early school boards. Hyson was an organizer and officer of Leo Independent Fire Co. 41, the First National Bank, Federal Cigar Company, Red Lion Water Company, Red Lion Board of Health and the Red Lion Opera Association. lndeed, there were few worthwhile activities in Red Lion during his lifetime in which he did not have an active part. An unusual story about Dr. Hyson is that while in medical school he treated a man who had been a soldier of the Revolutionary War fa drummer boy who lived to be at least 100J. Interesting, in that Dr. Hyson was known by many Red Lioners living today. Dr. John M. Hyson and his mother. TWO OF RED LlON'S L rx 'NJ 5' Raymond Roth moved to Red Lion from York in 1924, and opened an auto repair shop that he operated until 1977. He first served as Chief Burgess from 1942 through 1949, and then from 1954 through 1957. ln addition to his long and productive service as Chief Burgess, Raymond devoted much of his time to the Leo ln- dependent Fire Co., and was its Chief from 1934 to 1970. He was also a devoted lay member of St. Paul's Church, serving as a superintendent of the Sunday School from 1930 to 1950. He played an important part in the development of Red Lion's Youth Center. Chief Burgess Roth passed away in March of 1980. O H. Normar elected Chi that the tit system wa schedule w intersectio academy for the poli of Kaltreid 1979. I Fishel served on Red Lion Borough Council and was ef Burgess in 1958. lt was during his 12 years in office le was changed to Mayor. During this time the sewage initiated and completed, a regular street cleaning s adopted, adult crossing guards were stationed at busy ls, training for borough police at the state police 'as begun, and an accidentfhealth program was begun e force. Fishel was also a prime mover in the founding r Memorial Library. Mayor Fishel passed away in July of

Page 27 text:

RBD LIUN Dentennial Q- ' 1880-1980 ' F E ANNEXATIONS By the time 1904 rolled around, Red Lion was a sizeable town of around 1,500 people. The cigar industry was flourishing, and the furniture industry was ready to burst forth. Red Lion was fast becoming a very desirable place to live and do business. Now, people began to ask to become admitted to the borough, rather than leave it. The following annexation information consists of ex- cerpts from the Golden Jubilee Book of 1930: the Linden Terrace containing 18 acres and 130 perches of land . . . on October 12, 1904. . . On August 12, 1907, their prayer was granted, and the section known as Seakstown, comprising 37 acres and 129 perches of land, was formally received into the borough . . . on the same day in 1907. This section, known as the Flinch- baugh tract and covering 33 acres of land from Gay Street along North Main Street to the Freysville Road, proved a substantial addition . . . the tract of land from John Gebhard's residence on East Broadway to the new Springvale Road was incorporated into the borough in the year 1927 . . . a section of land, representing the former Albert Smith farm, was laid out and developed by D. Frank Kaltreider and thereafter admitted into the borough during the year 1923 . . . Another important addition was made to the Borough of Red Lion on the south end, namely from the former borough line at Harry S. Flinchbaugh's property to Stump's Service Sta- tion fexclusivel . . . and the Neff tract of land on South Pine Street . . . the southeastern corner of Springvale and Felton Road, comprising the corner plot of Jacob Stabley and the properties of A. P. Davey and Charles H. Horn was joined to Red Lion proper in 1928 The Diamond Jubilee Book of 1955 contained the following information concerning borough annexations: The area of Red Lion has been increased since 1930 by the following annexations: November 1930 - Cabinet Co., Tract No. 1 and Martin Wagman Tract, 22.592 acres, November 1932 - West Broadway Extended, 7.831 acres, September 1933 - Chair Co. Tract and Carton Co. Tract, 13.869 acres, June 1942 - At Fair- mount Park, Wise Tract and Smeltzer Tract, 0.964 acres, August 1943 - Wise Avenue, Stine Tract and Thomp- son, et al Tract, 5.096 acres, November 1947 - Martin Street, Park Street to School Alley, 12.686 acres, December 1949 - 9 Tracts: Federal Cigar Co., Spotz Est., Fager-Ebert, Wilt-Sipe, Red Lion School District, Cabinet Co., Red Lion Enterprises, C. Flinchbaugh and Horn-Grove Tracts, 59.134 acres, November 1951 - Binder Tract and Rider Tract, 26.400 acresg February 1952 - Keener Tract, 21.590 acres, February 1952 - Snyder Tract, 7.395 acres. Since 1955, the following annexations have been transacted: June 1956 - the second Binder! Rider tract in Country Club Hills. November 1956 - The Hoff- master tract at the eastern boundary of Red Lion. December 1956 - the Edgewood tract, developed by George Smeltzer and Carl Anderson. May 1959 - The Red Lion Area School District tract at Pleasant View. The Gohn tract at the southern end of town. June 1968 - The Flinchbaugh Products tract. Total acreage of the borough is now 838.4, or just a little over 82 acres larger than the original 1880 survey. Due to current laws governing annexation it is doubtful that the town will ever grow larger in area. CHIEF BURGESSES AND MAYORS OF RED LION Red Lion's Elected Leaders - 1880-1980 1880-1882 1883-1884 1885-1886 1887- 1889 1890-1893 1894-1897 1898-1900 1901-1903 1904-1905 1906-1910 191 1- 1913 Henry Wagman John W. Burger Benjamin Zarfos Ephriam Roser W. M. Lentz Rudolph Neiman Amos W. Herrman John S. Streavig B. F. Zarfos Jacob Streavig Elmer E. Tyson 1914-1915 1916- 1920 1921-1930 1931-1942 1942-1949 1950-1953 1954-1957 1958-1969 1970-1973 1974-Prese George N. Yagle Charles Mayes Harry L. Haines Arthur McGuigan Raymond D. Roth Roy R. Smith Raymond D. Roth H. Norman Fishel Richard C. Eline nt Evans N. Fishel Due to incomplete records, this list may not be com- pletely accurate as far as years in office are concerned. FINANCIAL GROWTH Red Lion has grown not only in size and population . . . its development and growth in prosperity are in- dicated by the tax and assessed valuation figures shown below. Borough Borough Tax Duplicates Assessed Valuation 1880 3 130.85 S 64,425.00 1930 S 39,616.05 32,200,882.00 1955 5 54,404.48 S3,106,640.00 1979 S205,685.00 S6,513,400.00' 'Based supposedly on lf 5th the total value of land and improvements. However, it is generally held that the real value is higher. The First One Hundred Years

Page 29 text:

rsso-1930 il RED LION IN 1914 The preceding population, annexation and financial statistics show a constant growth pattern. However, a more substantial picture is shown by an article appearing in The York Dispatch on February 12, 1914. Following are excerpts from the full page article entitled, Thrifty Red Lion, A Model Borough . 1. Sixty-five dwelling houses were built during 1913, the building of 102 more definitely planned for next spring. 2. The Red Lion Table Company, capitalized at 350.000, has built a modernly equipped factory in the west end of town. Part of the site on which the plant is located was formerly occupied by a match factory which was destroyed by fire. The factory is to give employment to 100 hands when completely equipped. Directors of the company are George Holtzinger, Pres., C. S. LaMotte, secretary, W. H. Taylor, treasurerg Horace Welty, Michael Hose, George Kohler, B.S. Taylor, George Murphy, and J. Koch. 3. The Red Lion Opera House llater known as the Municipal Buildingi was to open 10 days after the article was written. It was built at a cost of S22,000, including what was defined as luxurious interior appointments. tviwilktp , 6 V RED LION Centennial ti M lf W Seating capacity was 1,100. The first directorate of the Opera House company was H. W. Sheeler, president, Dr. J. W. Hyson, treasurer, J. A. Miller, secretary, Horace Welty, C. E. Smith, D. A. Miller, and Dr. C. N. Trout. 4. The York Railways Co. had just completed a new passenger and freight station located across Charles Street from the new Opera House. 5. The Red Lion Athletic Association owned en- closed grounds complete with a modern grandstand. The holdings were valued at 555,000 This facility was located just east of North Main Street near the end of the 200 block. 6. The 65 homes built in 1913 averaged 52,000 in cost. lt was estimated that 9596 of the citizens of Red Lion owned their homes. 7. Other information included in the article was: there were 2 banks lthe People's State Bank was about to open to make threel, 65 cigar factories employing 900 hands, the Red Lion Furniture Co. that employed about 75 hands, a pretzel baking company employing 40 workmen, three cigar box factories, 20 stores, 3 hotels, several restaurants and bakeries, 3 coal yards, livery stables and 4 churches. Mm C t J. . ' 'ni'-wx wth' 05 1914 York County Farmer's Institute, held in the new Red Lion Opera House. David Horn can be seen near the center of the picture . . . no others could be identified. The First One Hundred Years