The Bradford County Heritage Association
Heritage Village and Farm Museum
PO Box 265 Troy PA 16947 / Rt 14 North Gate 2 Troy PA
www.TheHeritageVillage.org
BCHA Party Line
570-297-3410
contact us: Info@TheHeritageVillage.org
Volume 6 Issue 8 August 2016
Dr. William R. Campbell was
born Aug 23, 1870 in
Smithfield Township.
He was the son of Andrew
Gregg Campbell and Mary
Emily Lent Campbell.
The public is invited
Dr. Campbell’s Office Dedication/
B.C.H.A. Annual Meeting
Wednesday September 14, 2016 6 PM
The Heritage Village and Farm Museum
Dedicated Volunteers has been busy all year
restoring Dr. Campbell’s Office relocated to
The Heritage Village last September.
After graduation from East
Smithfield High School
he received a teacher’s
certificate through special
examination by professor
Ryan at Towanda. However his early occupation was
farming. When his mother became ill with pneumonia,
he nursed her through her illness, and
Dr. H.T. Kinsman, who attended her remarked,
“Since you are such a good nurse, you should make
a good doctor”. This motivated him to
become a physician.
In September 1894 William matriculated at
Eclectic Medical College in Cincinnati Ohio.
Summers he accompanied Dr Kinsman on his visits in
the community.
A year later (1895) Will married Dr. Kinsman’s
daughter, Cora. In May 1897 he graduated from
medical college and immediately started practice in
East Smithfield, buying the home of Dr. Kinsman
and setting up an office there.
This plague honoring Dr. William Campbell is
located on the Village Green in East Smithfield
Known as the horse-and-buggy doctor. He was
always particular about having good horses, most of
them fast trotters. Often he worked such long
hours that he would doze off in the carriage and the
horse would take him home. When the roads were
not passable for a carriage he often rode horseback.
Dr. Campbell cont...
During WWI, Dr Campbell was commissioned a first
lieutenant and was stationed at Fort Ethan Allen
VT and Camp Bartlett and Camp Devan, Mass.
The people of East Smithfield and surrounding
communities sent a petition to Washington asking
for his release, and he as discharged and sent back
to his community. In 1918 during the flu epidemic,
Doc lost only one patient out of scores he treated.
Often in making his rounds the doctor would meet
a farmer on the way to his office for medicine.
To save time he would write a prescription for his
wife to fill. Sometimes it was written on a stone.
Eagle Scout Project
Folks at the Pennsylvania Heritage Festival,
September 17 & 18, will enjoy 3 new picnic tables,
one made to be handicap accessible.
As demonstrated by Board Member Margaret
Winder. Avery Watkins of Troop #4010 wishes to
thank his troop leader Eric Dorman and financial
sponsors: Hoover’s Do-it-center, The Iron Skillet,
BNS Convenience, Bradco Printers, Gary Horning,
Mill Stream Coffee Roasting Company,
Armenia Mountain Foot Ware, Cooke’s Pharmacy,
Marianne Everts, Troy Lunch, Troy Tire Equipment,
Leaps and Bounds Educational Learning Center.
The process of working toward an Eagle Scout Rank
involves 7 requirements, one of which involves a
Service Project. Avery Choose to build 3 wooden
picnic tables for the Heritage Village and
Farm Museum. Steps involved: complete and have
approved necessary forms, establish cost, obtain
financial sponsors, building supplies and provide
leadership to the building team, complete and
deliver the tables.
In addition to being a good practitioner,
Dr Campbell cared about the welfare of his
community. He was instrumental in getting the
bank in East Smithfield and also the paved road
from Miland to East Smithfield.
In 1934 Doc was a candidate for representative in
the General Assembly.
Dr. Campbell died April 27, 1942.
Volunteers
The Heart of the Museum,
Programs and Events
Your feedback is most welcome please send your
comments: via bbarrett362@comcast.net
or to- Barbara Barrett
309 W Keller St Lock Haven PA 17745
We invite you to forward this newsletter to others who
you think would enjoy reading it.
Past and current newsletters are now available on our
web site: www.theheritagevillage.org
2016 BCHA Board Members/ Officers/ Committees,
Program Chairs
President– Ralph Knapp *
Vice President– Margaret Winder
Treasurer– Janet Ordway * Secretary– Barbara Barrett*
Margaret Winder– Volunteer Coordinator
Deb Lutz*, Walt Wittie, Bonnie* & Gary Pierce, Dale Palmer *
Barbara Morris, Bruce Staudt, Connie Boyles,
Joanadele Collins*, Marty Roloson, Joie Brasington
Hands on Children’s
Activities at the
PA Heritage Festival
Committees: * denotes PA Heritage Festival,
Collections–Joie & Bill Brasington, Janet Ordway, Barb Barrett
Inn– Kay Saxton, Connie Boyles Bus Tours– Barb Pulver
Buildings & Grounds– Dale Palmer, Ralph Knapp, Bruce Staudt,
Gary Pierce, Deb Lutz
The Pennsylvania
Heritage Festival
September 17 & 18, 2016
Gate 2&3 Rt. 14 N, Troy PA
The Pennsylvania Heritage Festival.
September 17 & 18 at The Heritage Village and
Farm Museum/Alparon Park, Troy PA. is a combined
effort of the Bradford County Heritage Association and
the Troy Rotary Club. Featuring a number of historical
buildings, demonstrations, shopping opportunities,
hands on activities for the children, Civil War Camp &
skirmish, American Girl Doll Exhibit, Antique Doll
exhibit, chain saw carvers, mule powered carousel
and of course food.
The event will also feature a Flag Retirement Ceremony
by the Troy Vets Club with members of the Boy Scouts
of America on hand to assist.
Saturday night will be the square dance in the
4H building with music by the McNett Band.
(additional cost)
Step back in time to a 1700's historical frontier camp.
See many items of that period and watch them in use.
—Learn what life might have been like for families in
the 1700's and the crafts that were a daily task for
them. Demonstrations may include how to make hand
dipped candles, Dutch oven cooking and baking, fire
starting with flint and steel, and much more. Displays
include items such as cone sugar, block tea, bloodletting bowl, toaster, trivets, reflector oven, fireplace
set with tools and many other items. Get the chance
to dress up in period clothes with period weapons to
have pictures taken with your camera or cell phone.
Longknife (Mel Stafford) & Singing Swan (Michele
Comes) will be doing demonstrating an helping guests
dress up for pictures. Mel was highlighted in an article
in the February 2007 Mountain Home Magazine
called Forging A Life and have displayed at Tioga Early
Days, Troy Heritage Festival, Mansfield 1890's,
Letchworth Park Stone Tool Show, various mountain
man rendezvous, .
Wilmer Wilcox Biography part 3, by Sharon Wilcox May
From the Island Stock Farm they moved to Jutland, a few miles west. Dad worked for Mr. Joustra, a Dutchman.
He had about 18 men working for him, all Dutch except Bill Miller and Dad. He hired Dad for $20 a week, 6 days. He
furnished 2 quarts of milk, but Dad had to find a house to rent. He found one about a mile away owned by Mr. Cherry.
A big, cold house with high ceilings and an open stairway. The pipes often froze in the bathroom and kitchen. When
the first Saturday came, pay day, the Straw Boss gave Dad a check for $19. he was told the Mr. Joustra said to make
it $19. Work was scarce, and they had already moved in so there was little he could do about it. Most of the men
worked on Sunday with no extra pay, but Dad would not. He figured it they short-changed him a dollar a week he was
not giving them a free day. Some of the men worked the night shift, all night long.
There were 150 cows in the main barn and all milked by hand. The cow’s stayed in the barn the year round. Each man
milked 20-25 cows. Some were wet hand milkers. They lubricated their hands well with milk before milking and they
didn’t bother to clean the cow’s bag. Dad stood there and watched brown colored milks coming out between their
fingers and dropping down into the pail. He tried not to think about that when he was drinking the milk. Dad felt real
lucky that he was hired to do outside work , as he did not like to milk.
This was during the Depression and times were very hard. Vagrants often showed up at their door for a hand out.
Ma would make them a sandwich and give them a glass of milk and send them on their way. One day Dad and Warren
went to Jutland for some groceries. The owner had just caught a mouse in a trap. There were some vagrants hanging
around the store so the owner said ‘I will pay $5 to anyone who will eat a dead mouse.” Finally one man said, “I will,
but I need a slice of bread.” So the owner got the bread and the vagrant put the mouse on the bread, folded it over
and ate the mouse sandwich. My brother, Warren, can still remember the sound of crunching bones as the mouse was
devoured. The vagrant got his money, left the store and up-chucked.
Mr. Joustra had a rubber tired John Deere wagon. The first Dad had ever seen. The wagon held 20-25 milk cans and
was hitched to the big tank truck full of milk, then towed to New York City. The flies were pretty bad in the summer.
Mr. Joustra had Dad spray the barn and all of the cows which took him most of the day, and didn’t do much good.
When the men were milking, the strainers would collect many flies, they had to dump them out quite often.
In the yard at Cherry’s was a big soft maple tree with a big limb about 30 ft above the ground. Dad climbed up and
put a rope swing there for us children. After a rain storm the rope would shrink and we could barely reach the swing,
but we would get it all stretched out– until the next rain storm.
Louis Kendall wrote to Dad and asked him if he would like to buy his farm on Bunyan Hill, near windfall, PA. Louis &
Mae Kendall were Ma’s Aunt and Uncle. Louis had found a farm about a mile south of Troy that he wanted to buy.
They agreed on the price of $2,500. That included an orange Dodge truck and a milk route. So back to Pennsylvania
we came in March 1939.
My Great Aunt Mae was an interesting lady, also funny. Here is just one of the stories I heard about her. One day
their horse died out in the pasture, Louis was ready to do the trucking job but he said he had better stay home and
bury the horse. Aunt Ame said, “no Louis, the boys and I can bury that horse. We need the money from your trucking
job.” So Louis left and Aunt Mae and the boys went to the pasture with their picks and shovels. They dug a big hole,
right beside the dead horse, then rolled the dead horse over into it. Well the horse went into the hole but he landed
on his back with his 4 legs sticking up toward the sky. Aunt Mae and the boys tried to fold the legs down but rigor
mortis had set in and they would not bend. So Aunt mae said, “Boys run and get me a saw”. She proceeded to saw the
4 legs off the dead horse, lain them in the grave with the horse and covered it all with dirt. A job well done. (Aunt
Mae raised 6 boys so she needed a sense of humor.)Wilmer hauled milk to the Cowley Milk Plant put later changed and
went to Grover. (He finally sold the milk route to Glen Mistifer). Burr Morse had kept the 6 heifers Dad had owned
when we lived at Eaton, NY and gave him 5 more cows for the milk he had gotten from them. Dad bought 6 more. He
now had a total of 16 cows. We also had a cook of chickens. Maybe 30 Plymouth Rocks and Rhode Island Reds.
The house on Bunyan Hill had no electricity, no running water, no insulation and was unpainted. It was so cold in our
bedroom that my toilet water, Pink Petal (My Christmas gift from Gramma Morse) would sometimes freeze. I shared
a room with my sister Pauline. We also would heat soap stones on the furnace register in the floor, wrap them with a
towel and put them at our feet in our beds. How nice they would feel when we went to bed.
To be continued...