Highspire Historical Society

100 YEARS AGO IN HIGHSPIRE Middletown loaned Highspire a fire truck in 1921. This was from Middletown news in the Apr. 12, 1921 edition of The Evening News.

100 YEARS AGO IN HIGHSPIRE This birth announcement for Eugene Woolcott Harlacker, son of Warren and Ruth Harlacker of Highspire, appeared in the Apr. 12 edition of the Harrisburg Telegraph.

100 YEARS AGO IN HIGHSPIRE Based on an 1870s map of Lower Swatara Township and a 1904 map of Highspire I believe this farm was the John C. Kunkle farm immediately northwest of Highspire, The stream would have been Buser Run that flows past the flour mill. Following Vine Street out of Highspire would take you past the farm to Harrisburg. This ad appeared in the Apr. 11, 1921 edition of The Evening News.

100 YEARS AGO IN HIGHSPIRE The Highspire Camp of the Patriotic Order Sons of America was honored by a visit by president and executive officers of the Southern Dauphin District for their meeting on Apr. 8, 1921. This article is from the Apr. 6 edition of The Evening News.

100 YEARS AGO IN HIGHSPIRE Highspire had a junior baseball team in 1921. The age limit was similar to American Legion Baseball today. This article appeared in The Evening News on 6 April, 1921.

100 YEARS AGO IN HIGHSPIRE The Highspire High School freshman class visited The Evening News in Harrisburg. This photo appeared in the April 4, 1921 edition of The Evening News. Recognize anyone?

100 YEARS AGO IN HIGHSPIRE A list of men of military age, 18-45, for Dauphin County appeared in the Jan. 4 edition of The Evening News. Highspire had 348 men of military age in 1920. The 1920 Highspire census number was 2,031.

Here are two more pages of advertisements from the 1947 Thanksgiving Day football program donated by Sam Santeusanio. I loved the smell of leather in Bitting’s Shoe Store. Merle Hess hung wallpaper on our plaster walls several times during my childhood. I believe Kaylor’s Self Service was the store on the corner of Eshleman and Hammaker Streets. Kaylor and Hoover took over the Leidig store on Second across from Railroad St. in the late 30s or early 40s. I recall Dick Chubb... telling me they moved to a new store on Eshleman. I knew it as Jiggs Sauder’s store in the 50s. Can anyone verify that location? Does anyone know where Brown’s Confectionary was located? Was this the same Charles Brown who had the restaurant? I never heard of Muff’s Barber Shop. The fine print says Chandu proprietor. I asked Sam about Muff’s. He said the barber shop was initially owned and operated by Charlie Muff who opened it after the Post Office moved in 1943. He hired Chandu (Arthur Brienzo) as his assistant after WWII. I guess by late 47 Chandu had taken over proprietorship of the shop. Chandu was the only barber who ever cut my hair until I joined the Navy in 63. Everyone who went to school at the main (west) building should recall Tyrell Hendricks bus in the alley beside the playground. Higgins Market was where the main Leidig store had been on Second across from Railroad St. It was less than a block west of my childhood home and was where my family did their grocery shopping. Many of our members recall Zellers Potato Chips. Ken Baer and Fritz Hatison were co-captains of the 1947 football team. Sam identified them as River Rats because they lived in the Front and Water Street neighborhood South of Second St., Sam’s neighborhood. It was a title they wore with pride. Sam said that at one time half the starting football team were River Rats. Unfortunately that whole residential area, one of the oldest parts of Highspire, was redeveloped into an industrial zone after the 1972 flood. See more

100 YEARS AGO IN HIGHSPIRE The tradition of football banquets goes back at least a century to the Highspire Athletic Club teams. This is from the Dec. 10, 1920 edition of the Harrisburg Telegraph.

The only information we have on this game with Lower Paxton is the box score. Based on the roster, e,g., Ron Shaffner, Ken Baer, Harold Chubb, it must be the 1948 season. It was a close game. The Lower Paxton pitcher, Nickle, struck out 8 Highspire batters in 7 innings.

Here are the first two pages of ads from the Nov. 27, 1947 football program that I posted yesterday.

100 YEARS AGO IN HIGHSPIRE In early 1921 Highspire was recruiting teachers. This ad is from the Jan. 1, 1921 edition of the Harrisburg Telegraph.

The next few articles that Sam Santeusanio donated are on baseball games. Sam played shortstop on both the Highspire High School team and the Legion team. Based on the Highspire roster this game must have been played in the 1948 season. This Hummelstown team apparently had some defense and pitching problems. They had 10 errors and gave up 13 walks in this game. Highspire sent 39 batters to the plate in 7 innings!

The last thing I have to share from Sam Santeusanio's recent donation to the Highspire Historical Society is a football program from 1947. The game with Juniata Joint was played at the Highspire field on Nov. 27, 1947. I find these old programs interesting because of the ads in them. First the front and back covers and the centerfold with the player information. This was a late season game, perhaps the last game. Recall from earlier articles that Bill Waizenegger injured his leg and Emery Cook filled in for him at fullback. HAPPY NEW YEAR

The first boys basketball game of the 1948-49 season was with the Harrisburg Academy. This was Sam Santeusanio's junior year.

100 YEARS AGO IN HIGHSPIRE Highspire veterans participated in bonus parade on New Years Day 1920. The American Legion, created in 1919, led a political movement for larger bonuses for World War One veterans. This appeared in the Dec. 29 issue of the Harrisburg Telegraph.

This article is coach Tony Cernugal's preview of his 1947-48 basketball team. I scanned it in two parts.

I've posted all the football articles among those Sam Santeusanio donated. The collection contained three basketball articles. I believe this is the first one chronologically. The articles aren't dated, but based on the players listed, I'm guessing it was from the 1946-47 season. Most of the players listed were in the Class of 1950, This would have been their freshman year. The fact that Bill Waizenegger is playing rules out 1947-48 because he was out with a leg injury sustained in football that year.