|
|
|
History of Granville (in Bradford County PA)
By Ruth Kinney
Retyped by Linda Selub & Christine Keel
|
 |
Chapter VI
The Community of Sayles
The little community of Sayles was a very lively place in the early years, in addition to the blacksmith shop there, a planing mill was operated by Kelsey Kelley and Charles Horton.
About the year of 1856 Albert and Wilson Nichols of New York State purchased a vast acreage of timber in the lower part of the township. They established a large steam mill in Sayles which was reputed to be the largest and only one of its kind in Northern Pennsylvania. It has been said that his mill employed 300 men at one time. It was located at the foot of the hill on the former Kinney farm now owned by Robert Ward behind where the barn is now located.
There was once a township road running through the Kinney farm on across the creek and up the hill to the LeRoy township line. There were many homes on this road at one time which were torn down many years ago and the road was vacated. Abutments to the bridge across the creek on the road were visible until a few years ago.
J. Franklin Woodin was the blacksmith in the village for many years. His shop was on the bank of the creek directly across the road from the Sayles schoolhouse. His parents, Joseph and Sarah Jan (Vroman) Woodin were natives of Newfield, N.Y. and were the parents of ten children, eight sons and two daughters. The average height of this family including the parents was six fee and one-half inches.
A general store was operated by the Isaiah Anderson family for many years. Later the store was conducted by Lloyd and Maple Green Anderson. Victor Laun was the proprietor of this store in 1920. There was a post-office in the store at one time but I do not [know] what year it was discontinued. Sayles was listed as the post-office in the Bradford County Directory of 1900. This property is now the home of the Raymond Anderson family.
A very active organization in the community for a number of years was the Washington Camp No. 656 P.O.S. of A., the letters of Patriotic Order Sons of America. The large building was on the right side of the highway leading to West Franklin across the road from the former Palmer-Woodin home. This home is now owned by the Ronald Woodard family. Community square dances were held in this hall weekly and attended by many of the young people of the township in the early 1900s.
| Tri-Counties Genealogy Sites | Granville Township Page | Kinney Table of Contents | Tri-Counties Online Research Library |
Published On Tri-Counties Site On 10/30/99
By Joyce M. Tice
Email: JoyceTice@aol.com
