"Brodheadsville in the Days of Yore"
By: Henry C. Hoffman, Brodheadsville, Pennsylvania

These are a few extracts from the book "Brodheadsville in the days of yore". There is no copyright date or printing company listed. On the inside cover of the book it has written "In recognition of the years of planning and continuous labor to bring the Pleasant Valley School District into being, this short sketch of Brodheadsville is dedicated to John C. Mills ".



In 1908, October the 16th, there was instituted a local lodge of the Patriotic Order Sons of America, more generally referred to as the P.O.S. of A. The key name of the lodge features the main objective of the Order, that of making patriotism a foremost virtue in the life of every member who belonged to the Order.
The original member roster included the following names:
  • Albert GEARHART
  • Francis S. BRONG
  • J. Newton SERFASS
  • Oliver O. CHRISTMAN
  • Edmund C. BUCK
  • Josiah C. KRESGE
  • George P. SHUPP
  • Edwin DeHAVEN
  • Layton DeHAVEN
  • Newton BOND
  • Oscar RODENBACH
  • John H. GEARHART
  • Rufus BONSER
  • Adam T. KRESGE
  • Edwin E. MENGLE
  • Edwin BATCHLER
  • Hiram K. MENGLE
  • Henry M. BUCK
  • J.C. SERFASS
  • E.A. SERFASS
  • Millard BRONG
  • Alvin EVERITT
  • Jacob A. SERFASS
  • E.G. SHAFFER
  • Harvey DeHAVEN
  • Franklin H. FRABLE
  • Charles F. SINGER
  • Charles E. WAGNER
  • George F. EVERETT
  • Ferman SINGER
  • E.A. BOND
  • Charles F. WEISS
  • Eugene M. KRESGE
  • Ira BUSH
  • R.W. ALTEMOSE
  • John W. SCHOCH
  • Layton E. EVERETT
  • Horace H. KRESGE
  • W.H. GREGORY
  • John SNYDER
  • J.A. TREXLER
  • Harvey A. SMITH
  • Milton EVERITT
  • Charles DOLEIDEN
  • Floyd CLARK
  • Jerome BONSER
  • Charles F. BRONG
  • Oscar SNYDER
  • Philip KISPAUGH
  • William A. BOND
  • R.D. BOND
  • William A. TEADA
  • John M. EVERITT
  • C.M. KRESGE
  • George DeHAVEN
  • J.W. MILL
  • Charles A. CHRISTMAN
  • Simon LEHR
  • M.P. BRONG
  • To the best of the writer's (Hoffman) knowledge the P.O.S. of A., Camp # 202, met for many years in the Altemose Store meeting room, then later moved to the Odd Fellows Hall in Effort. Interest waned in the middle of our present century as it is easier to watch television or listen to the radio than to attend a lodge session. Membership declined and in 1952 the Brodheadsville Lodge combined with Camp 327 of Saylorsburg.



    The following listed names are the customers as named in the business account records of Freeman SHIFFER, the village shoemaker. The actual records extend from about 1860 to 1890. The names represent heads of families then living in Brodheadsville and the surrounding area and many of the families today are the descendants of people Freman SHIFFER served. In many instances certain family names have disappeared and those living today never heard of them. As to the business accounts as listed, one must remember the Civil War was in progress and people tried to be as saving as possible, and that meant patch upon patch on the shoes and resoling the same. Most of the time the soles were fastened on to the shoe with small square wooden pegs, and that item appears often (but Freeman spelled it "peged")
  • KINTZ Michael
  • NICHOLAS Joseph
  • GREENAMOYER Widow
  • WOODLING Samuel
  • ARNOLD Joseph
  • SOX Barnet
  • ALTEMOSE Nicholas
  • HARDY Jonas
  • LAWFER Peter
  • GREGORY Henry
  • GREENAMOYER Jacob
  • ZIEGENFUS George
  • ALTEMOSE Adam
  • KOEHLER Harrison
  • KOEHLER Charles
  • GREGORY Francis
  • CHARLES Edmond
  • HAWK David
  • LAUFER Jonathan
  • KLINGEL Abraham
  • BRONG Sebastian
  • WEISS, George
  • MOSTELLER Simpson
  • HUFSMITH Abraham
  • DECHER Lewis
  • LESTER Widow
  • HARDY Samuel
  • SENSENBACH Charles
  • BONSER Reuben
  • RHODENBAUCH Isaac
  • ALTEMOSE George W.
  • KLUTZ Conrad
  • EVERITT Lafayette
  • HUFSMITH Peter
  • LEVERING S.S.
  • ALTEMOSE Linford
  • KRESGE Owen
  • FRABEL Matthias
  • KRESGE Peter
  • HANEY Charles
  • KINTZ Peggy
  • SMITH James
  • SERFASS Charles
  • SHUPP Joseph
  • FRANTZ Jefferson
  • DORSHIMER William
  • ANDREW Rheuben
  • DEHAVEN William
  • SNYDER Henry
  • RINKER Charles
  • GETZ Michael
  • HUFSMITH Jeremaiah
  • BIDDING Charles
  • MILLER George
  • KRESGE Timothy
  • EVANS Thomas
  • BRODHEAD Charles
  • STORM Felix
  • LAUFER Charles
  • DILCHART Peter



  • Fairview Academy 1881 - 1981 At the fiftieth anniversary of the Academy founding, Rev. Kunkle was present and recited the names of the first students, thus,
  • Francis H. BOND
  • T.G.R. HAWK
  • Francis HELLER
  • Nettie LEVERING
  • D.D. NEWHART
  • Martha STORM
  • David WEISS
  • Martin HARTMAN
  • Mary STRAUSS
  • Cicero GEARHART
  • Leander HAWK
  • Frank HELLER
  • Burton LEVERING
  • Nettie SMITH
  • Andrew WALZ
  • George WAGNER
  • Flora KRESGE
  • D.H. GREGOY
  • Wilson HENRY
  • H. HOFFNER
  • Harry LAUFER
  • Amelia STRAUSS
  • Ezra WERKHEISER
  • Mary GREENWALD
  • D.C. HELLER



  • This information was contributed by Sandy.