Weatherly and Lausanne Twp, PA

From:

1. (Text) The five volume Eckhart's "History of Carbon County"
found at
the Dimmick Memorial Library, Jim Thorpe/Mauch Chunk.

and
2. The Pennsylvania State University topographical map repository.

Lausanne Township

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Lausanne is a Swiss name. In Switzerland, this capital of Vaud lies along the north-central shore of the Lake of Geneva. The terrain in Lausanne Township is mountainous, often described as a wilderness, and very little was suitable for cultivation. Beginning in 1838, Its major industry was the Buck Mountain Coal Company with the resources of the Eastern Middle Coal Field. Late in 1883, the Buck Mountain Coal Company ceased operations which drastically reduced the township's population. There were no changes to the township during the last decade, and the population plunged fmm 1,421 in 1880 to 136 in 1890.

Villages were Clifton and Buck Mountain. Across the Luzerne County line is the village of Eckley (formerly known as Fillmore, named in honor of U.S. President Millard Fillmore), which in 1854 became a custom made mining town.

Lausanne Township was formed In 1808 when Penn Township was divided into East Penn, West Penn, and Lausanne townships. In 1827, a small portion of the southern part of the township was removed upon the creation of Mauch Chunk Township. Banks Township was formed from part of the township in 1842. Packer township was organized in 1847 and also removed from Lausanne Township.

Upon the creation of the Borough of Weatherly in 1863 and Lehigh Township in 1875, Lausanne Township was reduced to its present size of about six miles in length and about two-and-a-half miles in width, thus making it the smallest township In the county.

Geography

Lausanne Township is bordered on the north by Luzerne County, on the east and south by Lehigh Township, and on the west by Banks Township. Spring Mountain dominates the central region of the township, while East Buck Mountain, also known as East Pismire Hill, lies along the Luzerne County line.

Laurel Creek flows easterly and meets Spruce Run before exiting the township in the southeast corner. In 1840, this was known as Laurel Run Valley. Laurel Creek continues eastward through Lehigh Township and enters the Lehigh River at Rockport. Hazle Creek enters the township from the west and flows southward through Weatherly, and joins Quakake Creek at Black Creek Junction In Lehigh Township, and empties into the Lehigh River at Penn Haven.

Lausanne Twp, Lehigh Twp and Weatherly Political Boundaries

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Weatherly

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Weatherly, (locate on this regional map) on the border between the coalfields and the Pocono Mountains, has a definite "non-Coal Region" aspect. As noted below, it came ito being to serve as a railroading center for the coal mining operations. Today its main attraction is the simple but beautiful Eurana Park, named for Eurana Schwab, wife of the Bethlehem Steel industrialist.

Weatherly in 1875

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In 1848, the name Weatherly was changed in honor of David Weatherly, a director of the Beaver Meadow Railroad and an entrepreneur watch and clock maker. However, shortly thereafter he left the town and never did give a clock for this honor as he promised.

Formerly the town was called Black Creek, a name derived from the color the water appeared in that stream.Originally, the dark color of the waters was due to the dense forest of hemlocks which grew in the swamps where the stream had its source. Later it was contaminated with sulphur water fom the coal mines lying north of Spring Mountain.

Weatherly, the largest town in the northern portion of Carbon County, evolved through the operations of the Beaver Meadow Railroad Company. Later, that development was fostered chiefly through the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company. In 1888 the Read and Lovatt Silk Mill became a significant employer for women and children. The number of men employed in. the various shops and rail operations of the Lehigh Valley Railroad increased steadily until the peak years of the early 1890's, when the total labor force numbered over 1,000 persons. As an air of depression and gloom pervaded the area in later years, the number of men remaining in the employ of the company dwindled to 25.

Geography

Weatherly is situated between Broad and Spring mountains on the banks of Hazle Creek (Black Creek), and on the Beaver Meadow and Hazleton Divison of the Lehigh Valley System. The industrial site spraw1ed this vale [sic]. Comprising four square miles, it is bounded on the north, east, and southeast by Lehigh Township, on the northwest by Lausanne Township, and on the west and southwest by Packer Township.

Lehigh Valley Railroad Additions

In 1869, the Lehigh Valley Railroad completed construction of a large stone building which adjoined the railroad roundhouse. Measuring 150 feet by 250 feet, it included four departments: machine shop, foundry, boiler, and blacksmith shops. In addition to locomotive repairs, engines for locomotives were manufactured in this building.

A master mechanic in the machine shop, Philip Hoffecker, designed and built 82 locomotives before retiring in 1890. He was married to Harriet Longshore, and their five children were William (married Mina Peters), Lizzie (married Charles DeWitt), Ashabel, Mary and Emily. Another early employee at the shops was Edward Faust, who worked as a blacksmith. He married Elizabeth Balliet of Packer Township, and they had a son, Percy E. Faust.

LVRR Workers